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Hello Guys,

This has already happened twice in my life... each time a couple of years pass and I want to get back to painting & playing 40k, I find ALL my Citadel paintings totally dry (dead -_-). I'm SO tired of this happening that I actually decided to switch 100% to vallejo model paintings for several reasons:

1. They won't change the names fo the paintings
2. They seem to be much better quality than GWs
3. The containers seem to be designed for the painting to last in there.

(correct me if I'm wrong)

To start painting blood angels I will re-buy everything ( like 29 paintings or so ) , but I was wondering if I could get some expert help:

I have a Public Google Spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgfTN13JGVE2dEF2ZzZ5ZEZsbkY0VlNaMThwVGFDWkE) with the GW - VMC conversion for the paintings I need, my issue is that I've never really tried vallejo and for some colors that I need, I may not be able to get an exact GW match, maybe the color is totally OFF, and I will buy online so I can't actually see the paintings.

Stuff that actually scares me are colors like "Bleached Bone", "Dark Angels Green" and "Blood Red".

Also, I don't have a clue about what will I do with the washes... maybe those are better to get from GWs instead of Vallejo ? (or another?)

I know that it could take a bit of work to help me by taking a look at the spreadsheet, but I'm actually very Frustrated by this situation and I could take a bit of help

Don't worry about trying to match your work exactly. You just need to be close, or alternatively better. :-) I don't know many serious painters whose wargaming armies are consistent, partly because they can't remember the recipes they used, or have improved them, or just started using more complicated and fancy techniques. Unfortunately if you want a properly consistent finish, the same paints from the same manufacturer need to be used with the same techniques. Not knocking the new GW paints (I hold Mephiston Red in particular in high regard) but they've shafted the hobby community by changing colours. I've heard they own the paint factory itself now (not sure how true that is, and GW don't exactly say what's going on anymore since going PLC) so perhaps things will stay consistent from now on.


German Red-Brown Primer.

Red: Burnt Cadmium Red, Flat Red, Amarantha Red (Red-orange), Tan Yellow.

Tan: VMA Hemp, VMA Sand Yellow, VMA Sand. I believe the VMC paints of the same name are the same colours, just with a thicker consistency. The VMA ones are AWESOMESAUCE for layering though, and you'll do this a lot with tan colours.

For washes, Army Painter Soft Tone is Devlan Mud. Army Painter Strong Tone is Badab Black. So I'm told, and been shown very convincing photographic evidence.

Other than that, Vallejo's glaze medium and some artist's acrylic flow improver will help you make your own washes on the palette, or glazing tints for shading.

You will notice that some separate a lot more on a wet pallette than GW paints. have a long-bristle brush handy to give 'em a stir and it's all good.

Ok, I have experimented quite a bit.

Your suggestions for painting red are on the spot... what I do is the following:

( I add a drop of glaze to all my paints and water them down quite a bit )

1. German Red-Brown primer
2. Hull Red. (if the primer was not enough)
3. Burnt cad red.
4. Mixture between Burnt Cad red and black (1:3) for dark armor parts ( spaces between armor pieces)
4. Burnt Cad Red + Vermillion 3:2
5. Vermillion Layering ( ~ 5 layers )
6. Amarantha red ( quite thinned ) on all the armor, painting to the highlights direction... trying to get it to build up there... ( ~ 2 layers or so )
7. Tan Yellow + Amarantha Red ( 1:2 ) thinned down on armor edges.

I tried the flat red at the beginning and I really line it too, but seem to be liking the vermillion even more lately.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Paint_Range_Compatibility_Chart

Dakka has a good color compatability chart that might help you