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Hi all,

After a quick search, I don't think this has been brought up for a while. Apologies if I missed something obvious. I just want to get the latest ideas...

I need to replace many of my paints and my gut instinct is to switch to something other than GW paints. I have the following questions;

1) Which is the "best" range, and why? (Quite a vague question, I know. Grateful for your opinions though.)
2) How well do the various paint ranges mix with each other?
3) Does it matter that some paints are pigment-based and others liquid-based?
4) Which is the best value for money?
5) Are any particular brushes better suited to different paints?
6) Which brushes are "best" overall, and for the price you pay?

Thanks for any advice...

Most paints are going to come to personal preference. I know some swear by even GW paints. Personally I find them too thick, but will use the odd color here or there. P3 and Vallejo are what I usually use in day to day painting.

I have had no trouble mixing the different acrylics with each other. Heck, when I just want to bring a shade up or down the wheel I just use Michael's brand Black and White acrylics since they're ultra cheap.

For brushes, I would suggest Winsor and Newton Series 7 sizes 00 through 4. Amazing, amazing brushes. Take care of them and they will take care of you. Get some good brush cleaner (the Masters brand is good) make sure you don't get anything into the ferrule. My GF has a set of Rhapsody brand and likes them and I've heard good reviews of the Rosemary and Co brand as well.

There is no 'best'. Vallejo is a popular choice and pretty universally revered if you want a go-to paint, though. I'm a huge fan of Reaper myself, and I've heard good things about P3 and Coat D'arms (sp?). It comes down to your style and what you like, and it can even vary from color to color. The only real way to find out is to try them yourself. Get a bottle or two of each and see how they work for you on a test model.

For #4, basically anything but GW. They're not bad paints (arguable), but they're very expensive for the amount you get.

For 'best' brushes, Kolinsky sable tends to be touted as the best. You'll be paying about $10-15 a brush for those. I have two, and I do like how they work, but I also have cheap bulk brushes for grunt work. Basically go Kolinsky or go cheap synthetic.

1) there is no such thing as "best" paint but i prefer vahejo mostly because squeezys are nice for airbrushing. (also dat liquid gold range mmmmmm)
2) I have had no problems mixing gw/V/p3 though i get problems mixing in generic artist acrylics.
3) n/a
4) n/a gotta also factor in availability and distance (postage/gas)
5) red sable for water based, synthetics for oil/alcohol based paints
6) i like Winser newton (i cant spellz today) 7 series as they are available near by

1) Which is the "best" range, and why? (Quite a vague question, I know. Grateful for your opinions though.)
Best is really a matter of painter preference. It should be more "Best for you" depending on what you do and how you work. GW's paints are very good so are P3s, Minitaire. Vallejo has a good reputation but I do not use them myself so I will not comment on them.

2) How well do the various paint ranges mix with each other?
Again, depends on some factors. I know P3 mixes well with GW from exprience. Can't say about Vallejo and GW or P3 Vallejo. Though P3 seems to mix well with everything I tried so far might be a good sign.

3) Does it matter that some paints are pigment-based and others liquid-based?
Might matter with an airbrush (spraying a GW Metallic paint through an airbrush is a bad idea as the metallic pigments are too big. A liquid based metallic would be better in such a situation.

4) Which is the best value for money?
Vallejo is $2.79/17 ml GW is $4.45/12 ml and P3 is $2.79/15 ml. On a per ml basis Vallejo seems to be the best choice. Personally I like P3 so I do not mind the 2 ml difference. GW is great but close to robbery compared to others.

5) Are any particular brushes better suited to different paints?
If you start mixing oil and acrylics then getting a seperate paint brushe for your oils is probably a good idea. If you simply mean different brushes for different brands then no. Avoid synthetic hairs as the tip tends to curve after a couple of days and it becomes near impossible to properly do fine details such as eyes with a curved tip. Keep your synthetic brushes for dirty jobs like brush on varnishes and such. Try and keep to natural hair brushes Kolinsky sable is a sure bet.

6) Which brushes are "best" overall, and for the price you pay?
Raphael 8404 0 is the best I had so far. Windsor & Newton Series 7 0 is also good and a bit less costly. A very good brush will cost anywhere from $10-20 BUT if taken care of with brush preserver can last well over a year for an average painter. While those brands DO make smaller brushes the important thing when dealing with acrylics is to have a fine tip and a brush that can hold enough paint. A smaller brush looks more accurate but if it does not hold enough paint the acrylic will actually dry on the tip before you are done doing your precision work. A slightly bigger brush with a pointy tip is better. I tried every size possible going as far as 10/0 and 20/0 and after trying an 8404 0 I was sold.

Hope all of this helps.

1) Which is the "best" range, and why? (Quite a vague question, I know. Grateful for your opinions though.)
Well, that's the interesting thing about the multiple ranges: each range has it's pros and cons. I haven't had an opportunity to experiment much myself, but GW has/had the best metallics, vallejo reds and yellows, etc. I still have primarily GW, some Reaper, and now a crap-ton of craft and airbrush specific paints. I opt for Badgers various brands of paint (airbrush specific, more paint for less, excellent quality, etc.) Hobby Lobby

2) How well do the various paint ranges mix with each other?
Acrylic is acrylic is acrylic. The only thing you'll see really besides thickness (which you can thin it anyway) is differentiation of pigment count, as to which colors overpower each other from which brands. More pigment, better coverage.

3) Does it matter that some paints are pigment-based and others liquid-based?
Not unless your airbrushing, in which case I would say get airbrush specific paints anyway

4) Which is the best value for money?
Go Vallejo or Reaper. Generally dropper bottles are more economic and you don't waste nearly as much.
Speaking of dropper bottles, you'll want to scrape up a wet palette. I suggest a sponge-cloth (grocery store, cleaning aisle) rather than paper towel in this tutorial: http://warmaster40k.com/2011/06/16/diy-wet-paint-palette/

5) Are any particular brushes better suited to different paints?
Not for your application. Any halfway decent brush is good for whatever. Just get a set of crappy dollar store brushes for mixing your paints so you don't ruin your good set.

6) Which brushes are "best" overall, and for the price you pay?
Raphael 8404 and Windsor & Newton Series 7. As noted: Take care of them (The Masters Cleaner: http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B001TNR7VM)

Most of this is just a reiteration of what's already been noted, but I hope I added just a little that somebody may have missed.

1) Which is the "best" range, and why? (Quite a vague question, I know. Grateful for your opinions though.)
Depends on your style, I would say that value and usability favor the "dropper bottle" ranges. If you are painting by numbers and must have the GW colors, there you go.

2) How well do the various paint ranges mix with each other?
I've mixed just about everything at one time or another, never had an issue. As I type this I have Vallejo, two or three different craft acrylics, and Liquitex airbrush acrylic on my table. I have Vallejo and Liquitex mediums/thinners. No problems mixing and matching.
3) Does it matter that some paints are pigment-based and others liquid-based?
Metallics matter, airbrush usage matters, other than that it is a matter of preference I think. You will want to be thinning your paints to a consistent viscosity in any case.
4) Which is the best value for money?
Craft paints, artists acrylics, bigger bottles of whatever - in that order. I use craft paints for any bulk work, Vallejo for everything else. On occasion, I use Liquitex or even Tamiya just because I still have a bunch. I don't buy pots anymore, droppers only.
5) Are any particular brushes better suited to different paints?
Not really. Theoretically, sure, but in practice and at our scale you won't find an unusable brush in the acrylic/oil/multi-media ranges. You may prefer stiff or medium, long or short, whatever but they will all work.
6) Which brushes are "best" overall, and for the price you pay? Taklon and other synthetics don't last like sable, but they are much cheaper. If you let paint dry on your brushes or constantly load the ferrule with paint then don't buy sable. You'll wreck good brushes instead of cheap brushes.Don't go micro-small, no matter how tempting. I use size 1 and 2 most of the time, between liner and round styles, and I paint a lot of 15mm's. Personally, I'm a bit of a hammerhead, so I generally stick with Golden Taklon @ $4US or so Painter's Touch, Master's Touch, Daler-Rowney at the big-box craft stores (A.C. Moore, Michaels). That said, I do have several nice Kolinsky sable brushes, and they are very nice. I would advise that you buy a good brush cleaner with your initial purchase, no matter which way you decide to go. It will cost you $10US or so, but will save you a bundle in the long run. Brush cleaner and hot water will allow you to recover nylons that would otherwise be toasted.

Another consideration is "what are you painting". If you are doing one 28mm model at a time, you will have a better chance of avoiding brush-killing habits. If you are doing 120 15's at once (like me) you will tend to overload and dry paint on your brushes.

Lots already covered so i just wanted to add to what CIsaac said about Rosemary & Co, been very happy with there brushes, especially considering the price, great brushes.

Thanks everyone. Glad to know that I can mix and match with Vallejo and P3 paints. I've never branched out from GW, but will be from now on.

Also, thanks regarding the brushes. I will go for 0, 1 , 2 Winsor & Newton, probably. I'll be sure to get the cleaning stuff. What someone said about 00 drying out to quickly makes sense. That makes me wonder if I should get the round head, or the miniature head? More control from the miniature head, but would it also just dry out too quickly?

Andrea press makes a great paint range. They even have "matched" sets of reds, blues, yellow,white, and black. Kinda hard to find but, very worth the money.

I really like the new GW range if you use the sugested colours: Start with the base and work your way oppwards adding brighter and brighter colors. It is quite nice and can makes for great blends. Does not work so nice if you do not want to follow one of the pre-determined paint ranges. They only have one "purple" for instance, while several brown/green. I think it works fine. Although, other supliers are probably also nice. :-)

Follow up question to the OP's questions.

1) How do you care for sable brushes?

2) How do you care for cheap synthetic brushes?

I've been using cheap brushes from walmart, micheals and the dollar store. But I have a set of doulbe ended brushees in a range of sizes from a kickstarter that just ended recently (Games and Gears Pro Studio Brushes)


Automatically Appended Next Post:
With the cheapo brushes I use warm water with dish soap and let them dry on a paper towl but I find that sometimes the brushes will still have paint stuck to them..... I imagine this messes with their ability to pick and and deliever paint.

The same way you care for every brush. TAKE OVER THE WOR-

Ahem. Make sure to never let paint dry on them. That's a big nono for long term care for any brush. It ruins the bristles and definitely impacts its ability to let paint flow as intended. Get some real brush soap (Master's is like black magic good) and clean them off regularly. Some people do it once every few sessions, I do it whenever few rinses isn't enough. Seriously get Master's, that stuff will clean out anything. It's ridiculous.

Speaking of rinses, after you're done with a brush, make sure you've reformed the tip to how you want it to look like when it's dry. It will dry like that. Drying it out all funky will ruin bristles and more importantly your point. So while it should be really obvious, never ever ever stick your brush down onto something you're not painting, especially to store it like in a cup or something. Always as upright as possible.

Your double ended brushes present a challenge in that, but to be totally honest I store most of my cheapo brushes on their side just because I'm lazy, and I keep my fancy brushes upright in a designated holder. You should be fine just leaving it on a level surface. Just make sure the bristles aren't touching anything and you've reformed the points as necessary.

 Evertras wrote:
The same way you care for every brush. TAKE OVER THE WOR-

Ahem. Make sure to never let paint dry on them. That's a big nono for long term care for any brush. It ruins the bristles and definitely impacts its ability to let paint flow as intended. Get some real brush soap (Master's is like black magic good) and clean them off regularly. Some people do it once every few sessions, I do it whenever few rinses isn't enough. Seriously get Master's, that stuff will clean out anything. It's ridiculous.

Speaking of rinses, after you're done with a brush, make sure you've reformed the tip to how you want it to look like when it's dry. It will dry like that. Drying it out all funky will ruin bristles and more importantly your point. So while it should be really obvious, never ever ever stick your brush down onto something you're not painting, especially to store it like in a cup or something. Always as upright as possible.

Your double ended brushes present a challenge in that, but to be totally honest I store most of my cheapo brushes on their side just because I'm lazy, and I keep my fancy brushes upright in a designated holder. You should be fine just leaving it on a level surface. Just make sure the bristles aren't touching anything and you've reformed the points as necessary.

To expand on using Master's Brush Cleaner, one of the tricks they recommend with watercolor brushes (which is what most acrylic brushes are) is reforming the tip with soap after cleaning. Clean the brush like you normally would and rinse all the soap off it. Then lightly wet the brush and rub it gently over the soap. Use either a dry paper towel or clean fingers to gently reform the tip and wick most, but not all, of the soap back off. This will keep the tip formed as it dries and conditions the bristles to keep them soft.

Leave it like this until your next paint session and before you start, gently rinse the brush and wipe it dry. The tip will slowly become the natural formation of the brush.

What does your gaming area supply? I play at a GW so I buy GW paints when I can. I want to invest my money into the place I play at. When GW doesn't have the color I want I will buy other paints, I have picked up vellejo and reaper. If I was just buying any paints I would buy reaper paints. I really like their triads making it really easy to get a base, shadow and highlight for very common items and I think the idea is extremely new painter friendly because it tells you exactly you need for painting anything from rope, to wood, to skin, to stone. It also drives home the fact that you need more than one color for almost every object. The squeeze bottles are also great.

As for brushes, I admit I do not care for my brushes as much as I should. I use them to mix paint, don't wash them as good as I should and sometimes have paint start drying on them. I buy my brushes from the craft store in a large pack of 12 for about $8. They are good brushes, not the best but good. You can barely tell the difference between these and a medium quality brush. I do not suggest buying high quality brushes (think $15+ range) if you are starting to paint. Those are really only for the seasoned pro. Buying a big pack is great because you get many different sizes as well as flat brushes and if you ruin your brush who cares because it was less than a dollar. If you do buy more expensive brushes I would suggest investing in a brush care kit.

I don't need to read most of these replies to no most people are going to say Vallejo and there right. I've tried P3, GW "long time", Vallejo, some minitaire. If you want a solid and consistant paint. They are what you want. Not to say the others are not good but I find they are the easiest to thin and are just easier and nicer to work with from my experiance. I do alot of airbrushing so.. I find the dropper bottles aswell save you HEAPS of paint! I find myself when I use to use alot of gw paints id put to much on the pallet all the time, and what not and waste 70% of it. 1 drop thinn it "if game coklour not air" and its fine. With price... end of the day you get what you pay for imo.. I live in Australia so everything is stupidly priced for paints and all that, so I get all my stuff from UK.


Brushes... kinda all the same tbh. But out of the 24 brushes I have I must say I'm quiet impressed with the Army Painter ones for the price atleast. I'm very mean to my brushes, and do stuff most including myself would tell others not to do :3 And they still keep there point.


I find GW brushes fray and all that very very fast! and just don't last me long. For Price.