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One of my friends is thinking about buying some Storm Scions. He says that he's got some craft acryl paints. Like these.http://www.createforless.com/Plaid-Apple-Barrel-Paint-16oz-Cobalt-Blue/pid115897.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse&CAGPSPN=pla&CAWELAID=1439827439&catargetid=1425973636&cadevice=c&gclid=CjgKEAjw286dBRDmwbLi8KP71GQSJAAOk4sjxnhDR-U__fFMDypzoj3Z5DSSF8tznZGwcn1T9VWuJPD_BwE Do you think that these would work better or worse than GW paints?
Thanks,
David

They might - with thinning by the right medium.

I switched over to Vallejo's range of paints (but I also have a few P3 and others) from GW years ago when they reduced the amount in the pots and put the price up again - and then changed the entire paint range.

Worse, without question.

Now, is it bad enough that it impacts your ability to do things? I use basic school room acrylic for terrain. The biggest difference I have seen is it is much much thicker. Given that so many techniques require you to thin your paint, this could be problematic.

Yes it is cheaper by unit, but the smallest size is general the same price or more expensive than hobby quality paint, so you don't really save money unless you are going through LOTS of paint, and if your friend is considering arts and crafts acrylic, he is probably not a commission artist. If you aren't painting for a living, those small bottles go a long way. I am only half way through my blood red 0.5oz from Reaper and I paint Saim hann. That's 3-12 coats of red per model. I have a fairly large army.

Tl; Dr: I think it's sacrificing quality for no economic gain.

Yeah, I'll send this to my friend. He does already have a large amount of acryl paints, but he's just getting started. Personally, I think it might be a little discouraging if you paint your first miniature and it ends up super-messy because of thick paint. Does anyone have any idea what a miniature would look like if it was painted up with really thick paint. I know that all the details and panel lines would be completely covered and swamped.

Absolutely nothing wrong with Craft Paints - lots of people use them extensively...many people use them exclusively, and while they have draw backs over hobby paints - there isn't anything crippling about them.

The can be a bit thicker than hobby paints - but that is a non issue. I know a few people who paint at extremely high levels who paint with tube paints. You can thin almost anything down far enough, and the added benefit is that if you are thinning the paint, it does mean you actually are getting even more for your money.

The bigger issue is generally the pigment density versus hobby paints. Many of them are a bit light on pigments, so when applying them...especially over stuff like a black primer coat, it can take a couple more layers to get good coverage. The easy fix is just don't use a black primer. Over white - they generally cover fine with about as many layers as you would apply with a hobby paint.

The last bit is that they can be a little "chunky". With metallic and what not - your flakes are large...very large, and can cause problems in airbrushes. With other paints - they can have a bit of grain to them almost. It isn't the pigment itself that is the issue (most use liquid dispersion pigments just like you find in hobby paints) but a coarser grind on the matting agents and additives to increase opacity. In is sort of hit and miss on that though, one bottle will be smooth and the next bottle of the same color is a bit gritty.

Nothing comes close in terms of price though (except paint by the gallon from a big box store). A 2 ounce bottle of Apple Barrel costs about 60 cents. If you shop smart, you can get them down to around 40 cents a bottle by picking them up on sale or using the coupons that stores like Micheal's and Hobby Lobby have every other week. Even looking at it from Dessorag's perspective - you are saving a good bit. 7 2 ounce bottles for the price of 1 12ml bottle (discounted at 30%) from GW...

For what craft paints look like on models...here are a couple painted with them:





A few years back Jen Haley painted a couple miniatures using craft paints just because...and there really wasn't anything that set them apart from her regular work. Meg Maples started using Craft Paints and did a similar experiment too. Like a lot of us though, they continue to use hobby paints because of the lack of hassles. In some ways it is why people moved away from enamels to acrylics - not because acrylics are superior, but because they are less work.

All i use are the 99p or 99cent bottels except the washes, they still be GW (but then again i use the Hairspray wash style).

They more than do their job as a base colour or as layer paint, hell even as detail paint once you get the watering down just right. I find that they are even better for dry brushing than GWs own DB paints.

Same goes for primer, I find that car primer and colours work well (takes abit of practice to get a nice flawless cover but hay it sticks to ANY THING).