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I know the very simple answer here to my question will be - just buy the mephiston red and use your own thinner.

However

I don't want to buy thinner just for one shade of red. (I have large expenses at the moment and scrimping on even a few £ here and there)

I don't buy the GW Air ranges anymore after experiencing too many dry outs when spraying (climate?)
Vallejo Air Ranges work perfectly for me. So I stick to them

So in summary - what's the best like for like between Mephiston Red to Vallejo? I see "Red" on the chart but I've seen some say that chart isn't all that reliable (to a point) - and starting a KDK army getting the red right from the off is quite important

I think Game Colour Extra Opaque Heavy Red would be a good match.

Vallejo can use the same thinner as GW paint so I'm not sure what you mean with that?

Mephiston Red is a good colour, I've gone through a few Vallejo reds and not found one I like as much as Meph.

Mephiston Red, Rakarth Flesh and Averland Sunset are the main colours I still use from the GW lines, most other colours I've replaced with other brands. Though if I'm airbrushing yellow or red I use Tamiya yellow and red, they have really good coverage through an airbrush but aren't pleasant to hairy brush paint.

 Ashenwyte wrote:
I think Game Colour Extra Opaque Heavy Red would be a good match.

Awesome - cheers - I'll give that a bash

I should mention Tamiya colours do need a different thinner, as they're alcohol based.

But GW paints and Vallejo paints can use the same thinner, they're very similar to each other.

Sorry if my first post wasn't clear

I don't own any thinner and not particularly wanting to buy any just for one shade of paint

So you airbrush without thinner, or do you not airbrush? I'm slightly confused as to what you want to do. If you airbrush, what do you use to clean out the airbrush? Many cleaners can work in a pinch as thinners.

If you are just using a hairy brush, water works fine as a thinner for 99% of tasks.

I have cleaners

I'm not in a pinch though - wanting to use on mass. So using cleaner to thin. Nah

I buy paints that just drop in to the airbrush.

Anything else i dip in with a brush and 'normal' paints

*edit: I think some of you are thinking like I have a huge range of things at hand when I really don't.
I'm tight on money so buy as and when I need it.

I need a red. I'm wanting the best match to Mephiston in Vallejo air.
That's all.

£2 - vs £several for Mephiston & a thinner

I don't want to buy a thinner as I have to watch my pennies

I don't know how much more to the point I can be

Ah ok, well, Vallejo's own recommendation is "Heavy Red", but that's not an "Air" range so you'll have to thin it in an airbrush as well. In the Game Color range, "Heavy Red" is a match for "926 - Red", but again, not an "Air" range so it'll require thinning.

http://cdn.acrylicosvallejo.com/0049261608364909a238add9b4a53745/CC073-rev05.pdf

Ah bugger

No choice then really have I.

Thanks for the help

Well there might be an "air" paint that is reasonably close and they just haven't listed it so someone needs to have actually tested it and compared.

If Talys is around, he's the expert on all things red

A lot of the issue is that Vallejo's line is based on GW's previous line of paints. Heavy Red (which can be thinned and used in an airbrush just fine) is meant to be a match to the old Mechrite Red. Mephiston Red is actually completely new.

Game Air Bloody Red or Model Air Ferrari Red might be a little better but at the end of the day you aren't going to find a perfect match without just using the Mephiston Red air paint.

Do what I do with Citadel's air paints: immediately dump them into an empty dropper bottle. Crummy paint pot / drying out issue solved!

Gerinako wrote:
I know the very simple answer here to my question will be - just buy the mephiston red and use your own thinner.

However

I don't want to buy thinner just for one shade of red. (I have large expenses at the moment and scrimping on even a few £ here and there)

I don't buy the GW Air ranges anymore after experiencing too many dry outs when spraying (climate?)
Vallejo Air Ranges work perfectly for me. So I stick to them

So in summary - what's the best like for like between Mephiston Red to Vallejo? I see "Red" on the chart but I've seen some say that chart isn't all that reliable (to a point) - and starting a KDK army getting the red right from the off is quite important

Hi there,
i had the same trouble wiht the search for a Mephiston Red equivalent. Short answer: There is no matching color form the Vallejo series or Army Painter. VGC Heavy Red is slightly darker than Mephiston. It is just a small difference but still visible. I try to buy VGC or VMC if i can because the are cheaper than the GW paints but there are still some GW paint i have to buy. Those paints have no 100% equivalent from Vellejo or other brands. But if you want to achieb a same finish like Mephiston red has, you can e.g spray VGC heavy red with and airbursh and than over it a slightly more brighter red to highlight the main parts. I painted a Forgeworld Avenger Fighter in this manner. If you have any further question pls write me an pm. I hope i could helped you,
Happy painting