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So neither GW, Vallejo, or Reaper offer a foundation/high density/ extra opaque in white! why is this? Clearly it would be a wonderful thing to have a white that covered well on just one or two coats.

Any ideas as to why there is this gap in the market?

Maybe its hard to do a smooth white that is also extra-opaque? Otherwise you would have thought they would have done it by now. Considering tha you can get pretty much the same effect by using a light grey foundation as base coat and then working up to white its probably a problem that doesn't actually need a technical solution.

The problem with most white paint is that when applied over a darker color(even the lightest gray) said darker color will bleed through on raised edges and requires endless layers to evenly cover over it. Basically white paint is a huge time and energy sink, which is a shame as it's a very useful color.

So far the only way I've gotten a convincing white for cloth is by airbrushing it, and even that takes a few layers.

Hey dude... actually Vallejo Model Color has a 'Foundation White 70919".

The problem is that the model paint companies have standardized the paint they set by amount....every bottle, tube, or pot has the same fluid amount in it, ie 2oz, 3oz, what ever...It is done this way so that we the consumer pay the exact same price per paint unit....however if you go by some artist oil paints you will find that the prices differ by unit, a 4 oz tube of cadmium yellow can be 30 to 50$, while a 4 oz tube of Ultramarine Blue will be about 10 to $15. The companies charge by the amount of pigment that is in each tube, whereas the model companies simply charge by volume. If they did not do it this way the color of your army could effectively double your cost. So to minimize this the companies manufacture paint recipes that help maintain cost, this results is less than desirable results sometimes.

Ashton

tradtionally white paint was made using heavy metals like lead & titanium. lead paint is now banded and you can't give kids paints with other metals as they are poisonous. therefore the paint compaines have to use other minerals that won't give the same coverage.

bubber wrote:tradtionally white paint was made using heavy metals like lead & titanium. lead paint is now banded and you can't give kids paints with other metals as they are poisonous. therefore the paint compaines have to use other minerals that won't give the same coverage.

Titanium is what is most commonly used now, but it is very expensive, meaning that there is less off it in a pot of paint. IIRC titanium white(pure white) and Cadmium yellow are the 2 most expensive colors to produce.

Ashton

I'll gladly pay $15 for a 17ml bottle of proper heavy pigment white.

From what I understand oil paints take forever and a day to dry, so I'd rather not use them.

Aerethan wrote:I'll gladly pay $15 for a 17ml bottle of proper heavy pigment white.

From what I understand oil paints take forever and a day to dry, so I'd rather not use them.

I use oil paints all the time on my mini's, in fact many of the ones I have posted on here have oil paint on them to one degree or another.....you can speed the drying time up in 2 ways,

1st, use a fast evaporating thinning medium, I use orderless mineral spirits.

2nd a LACQUER based clear coat will work wonders as well, once the coat is dry the oil paint is safe to handle and paint over.

And just because you may be willing to spend more on certain paint colors does not mean that everyone would be.

Ashton

Try some opaque air brush paints, I have found them to have excellent pigment density and color.

Yes, you can brush on most airbrush paints.

I suggest either the createx (you can get at some craft stores) or the golden brands. Vallejo model air makes a white as well, but I have not personally tested it (I have used many of the vallejo model air paints, and they are great, I just can't personally vouch for the white).

Gunzhard wrote:Hey dude... actually Vallejo Model Color has a 'Foundation White 70919".

Erm, Isn't this the solution to the problem?

Skippy wrote:

Gunzhard wrote:Hey dude... actually Vallejo Model Color has a 'Foundation White 70919".

Erm, Isn't this the solution to the problem?

Yeah, I think so, but it seems to have gotten lost in the discussion. I've used some of the Foundation White, and it's definitely better than most whites as far as coverage goes, but it still tends to require a couple thinned coats to go on smooth AND opaque.

Golden also make a range of high load paints, including a white. Cant seem to find anywhere that actually sells those over here, but maybe a different story in the US.

Windsor and Newton Artists Acrylics series paints are meant to be very opaque as well.

White gesso might work as well, not really sure tho

P3 has a few whites with good coverage. Menoth White Highlight is probably best, although their pure white (Morrow White) isn't bad either.

I do intend to try out the Vallejo Foundation White.

VMA white isn't any more pigment than regular white it seems.