Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Name says it all, what kind of pain do you use, preferably to paint your minis. I use the cheap-o craft smart paint from my local Michaels , do you think it would help if I switched paint to, say, GW paint, since that is easily accessible?

Thanks!

I use Vallejo Game Colour and GW foundations and metallics. I have found the cheap paint at Michael's to be useful as well. It definitely has uses. That said, for any fine work, it is useless. It is too thick and hard to properly thin. It tends to have very low pigment density. Some colours like yellow are really bad. Zero coverage. Invest in the expensive stuff and you will not regret it. Reaper, P3, Vallejo and GW are all awesome. I prefer the dropper bottles that Vallejo and Reaper have. I even buy dropper bottles (at Michael's ) and pour my GW paint into them.

The REALLY cheap craft paint is pretty crappy for anything but terrain, burt the medium quality craft paint (like delta Ceramcoat) is fairly comparable to anything you'll get in a $4 pot. Generally, paint is paint is paint, differant will behave differantly and have slightly differant effects and coverage, but in the end you can achieve the same results with craft paints as you can with more expensive hobby paints. It's all about using the paints enough to learn how they act. If you get a feel for how cheap craft paint flows and covers, you can achiev the same result as vallejo or GW and in fact I know a golden demon winner that used mostly Delta Ceramcoat craft paints.

Personally, I use a number of differant brands. I like GW silver metallics and P3 yellow metallics (craft metallics usuallly suck). GW has amazing washes, vallejo inks are wonderful as well. GW foundation paints offer great coverage although they need to be thinned, similar for vallejo model colors. I use a LOT of delta ceramcoat for everything from basecoats to highlights, although I find it needs to be thinned more than other paints or doesn't flow as well, it also tends to rub off easier if you don't seal the mini. Van Gogh Titanium White is amazing, it's acrylic but VERY thick and comes in a tube like oil paint and I've never seen another white cover so well.

They say it's a poor craftsman that blames his tools and I find thats mostly true with paint, but I find brushes change how I paint more than the paint itself. Get yourself some nice sable brushes, they aren't THAT expensive. More than anything just practice preactise practise. The more you paint, the more you get a feel for how it flows and acts, the better you'll be.

Kalamadea wrote:The REALLY cheap craft paint is pretty crappy for anything but terrain, burt the medium quality craft paint (like delta Ceramcoat) is fairly comparable to anything you'll get in a $4 pot. Generally, paint is paint is paint, differant will behave differantly and have slightly differant effects and coverage, but in the end you can achieve the same results with craft paints as you can with more expensive hobby paints. It's all about using the paints enough to learn how they act. If you get a feel for how cheap craft paint flows and covers, you can achiev the same result as vallejo or GW and in fact I know a golden demon winner that used mostly Delta Ceramcoat craft paints.

Personally, I use a number of differant brands. I like GW silver metallics and P3 yellow metallics (craft metallics usuallly suck). GW has amazing washes, vallejo inks are wonderful as well. GW foundation paints offer great coverage although they need to be thinned, similar for vallejo model colors. I use a LOT of delta ceramcoat for everything from basecoats to highlights, although I find it needs to be thinned more than other paints or doesn't flow as well, it also tends to rub off easier if you don't seal the mini. Van Gogh Titanium White is amazing, it's acrylic but VERY thick and comes in a tube like oil paint and I've never seen another white cover so well.

They say it's a poor craftsman that blames his tools and I find thats mostly true with paint, but I find brushes change how I paint more than the paint itself. Get yourself some nice sable brushes, they aren't THAT expensive. More than anything just practice preactise practise. The more you paint, the more you get a feel for how it flows and acts, the better you'll be.

+1. It's not the tools, it's the user. Lots of practice. And I agree, I use all kinds of different paints for my stuff. I even use a few latex paints (thinned of course) from my local hardware store (basecoat anyone?).

I just picked up a little bottle of fluorescent orange enamal from the hardware store for the claws on my nids. Works wonders, but as was stated, gotta learn what you're doing to get results.

Vallejo, GW, Humbrol acrylics, Tamiya acrylics, craft and house paint.

Different job, different paint.

I'm slowing going through my GW paints and replacing them as they run out with Vallejo. Seems like a waste to just replace them flat out, may as well use them then replace as needed.

Just GW, mainly because i've never really bothered trying anything else, but I do have a few matte paints I got from a hobby store I'm dying to try some Vallejo paints :I

Just GW, they're the only paint sold at my FLGS and when I run out of paint I like to drive over get it immediatley rather than order online and have to wait.

I use mainly cheap craft paints that I get at places like Walmart. I have a few inks and a couple paints from Vallejo, and 2 pots of the same colour from Citadel.

GW paints.

I used 99 cent wal mart paints( and a splash of GW paints) on my Tau.


On my Daemons, Since I can now afford more GW paints, I'm painting purely with GW paints.

I use a mix of GW and VGC. I consider VGC a better value and they come in more sensible containers, but GW have tried and true specialist lines (foundations, metallics and washes), the Vallejo equivalents of which I haven't yet tried, and are available locally. I imagine my collection will slant more heavily towards the GW side if I build it up piecemeal, since shipping makes VGC cost-prohibitive unless ordered in batches, but I'd be more inclined to buy Vallejo, given equal availability.

I was given a large collection of craft paints (several brands, including Folk Art, Apple Barrel, and Delta Ceramcoat), but the few useful colors contained therein are relegated to terrain duty, primarily. I've tried them on models and the results have been... underwhelming. Yes, with skill and dedication models can be painted with them to a reasonably high standard, but why handicap yourself?

Since I am starting to get into the whole airbrush thing. I use the vallejo model air. its great stuff, and they have the perfect metallic blue i am going to repaint ALL my necrons in. and no i didnt join the bandwagon. I have been playing necrons since they were metal models.

Other than that I use a lot of the VMC, WWII paints. as i also play guard. just have to thin them down a bit.

i use a mix of reaper (these things seem to last damn forever), gw, and i've recently added some of the pp inks, when my current paints run low, i'll probably phase out the gw for more reaper or pp

I use GW beacuse of having moved about loads they are internationally available in France, Belgium Irelnad and the UK and tend to maintain colour shades.

I did have an old box of little Enamel tins from my Dads model trains but I soon discovered that they really didn't work so well. ( I have a Yarrick who is Purple, and he shall remain so forever)

CITADEL! ANYONE WHO SAYS ANYTHING ELSE IS A FETHING HERETIC!

I use mostly GWS paint so that it stays consistent. There are some exceptions, though. I really like P3 Hammerfall Khaki for my Blood Ravens, teeth, fingernails and claws, and I use Vallejo's Brass and some of the lighter greens for necron highlights. For terrain and painting the rims of bases I use cheap craft store paint. For washing scenery or terrain, I use washes made at home with Les Bursley's recipe.

In all of the above examples save GWS washes, I transfer the paint to eyedropper bottles to which I add a lava bead for agitation. GWS washes don't seem to need much agitation, everything else does.

I'm sure I've seen this thread about once a week lately? Is it worth stickying one of these in here?

Vallejo all the way *caresses case of full VGC range*

FolkArt Acrylic paints

Waterbase
Nontoxic
Cheep
Water and soap cleanup
Gets the job done

I used to use GW bleched bone but the Folkart "linen" color is the same color and for $1.49 you get 2oz

I tend to use GW, ive tried Vallejo gc but some of them take so much bloody shaking before each use it drove me mad.

I started with GW but switched to Vallejo not long ago. I use both the game color and model air ranges. I think the model air has its uses even in some brushwork.

Vallejo Polyurethrane primer, with a brush
GW for washes and occasionally foundations, mostly Mechrite Red
Vallejo Model Colour for most colours
VGC and VPA for the rest
Vallejo Model Air for metallics, applied with a brush
Coat d'Arms for inks

Mix'n'match, that's what I say

I use a mix of GW, Vallejo (very little of it) and P3.

I pretty much use all Vallejo paints doesn't matter what type (model color, military color, game color) If it's the color I need I use it.
I also have a couple of P3 paints which are pretty nice.

I use the rather generic sounding miniature paints range, some GW and vallejo.

This thread comes up at least twice a week...

I like Vallejo because they're cheaper and better than GW paints. I have some GW washes and a few Reaper metallics. I also use some cheap craft paints.

While I agree with Fenrir1997 that it's the user, not the tools, that makes the model, using the right tools helps you become a better painter.

A master homebuilder can build a complete house with just a hammer. But he can do it better and faster by using a saw, screwdriver and the proper tools.

Similarly, an amateur homebuilder could learn to build a house with just a hammer. But if you give him the right tools he'll learn faster and get the right techniques.

I also use cheap craft paint from Michaels and similiar craft stores like Hobby Lobby. However, I would recommend spending the extra 20-30 cents per bottle for the "Delta Ceramcoat" brand of cheap craft paint.

I've found that the results are much better with smoother coverage and better consistency than other brands like Apple Barrel, Folk Art and others.

It's not as nice as minaiture specific brands like GW, P3, Vallejo, etc, but my paintjobs have never been good enough to really see a beneift from miniature-specific paints.

If you want to see examples, check my gallery. Nearly everything there is painted with craft paints.

DreadlordME! wrote:CITADEL! ANYONE WHO SAYS ANYTHING ELSE IS A FETHING HERETIC!

Hahahaha agreed!

chromedog wrote:Vallejo, GW, Humbrol acrylics, Tamiya acrylics, craft and house paint.

Different job, different paint.

THIS!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Learning to paint? use GW so you can follow there guides which aren't to bad honestly, been around and know what works?

anything with pigment