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I have a number of paints left over from a basic art class and I want to know which I can reasonably use on models. I know they're probably not "the best" but they're what I already have and if I can use them first before buying small bottles of specialist paint like Vallejo and Coat d'Arms that would be a good money saver. I appreciate any help and suggestions.

I have a few different things:
Liquitex Acrylic Color
Grumbacher Academy Acrylic
Reeves gouache

In short yes you can

Gouache is no good for miniatures.
Perhaps only for terrain with Mod-poge
Tempera on the other hand might be ok.

Liquitex and Grumbacher it depends. If you had "student" series that would mean that tube is low pigment
The only problem that I can think of is, watered down low pigment paint will require many coats to build up the color.

4Oz tube cost 5.30
https://www.dickblick.com/items/00717-3534/

2Oz tube costs 9.50
https://www.dickblick.com/items/00617-3534/

Double the price for half as much-ish.


Never used artists acrylics for miniature work, perhaps a good test opportunity.
And sealing finished model with varnish is a must.


You can try something like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU0rc0EOOys

Hmm, low pigment and many coats to get it to a full bodied color? Since the two I have are the Basics in black and white, it sounds like they would make great bases for home brew washes! I have an old pot of Badab Black wash, so perhaps I can use that as a goal point and try to mix the basic black into a wash, then copy the formula for the white. Is there such a thing as a white wash? xD Not sure what I'd even use it for, but it could be fun to try out. Mixing the two together could create a nice grey wash though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I just realized that perhaps instead of a white wash, I could use the white as a color lightener and thinner at the same time for mixing highlights. It's just crazy enough that it might work.

The Liquuitex artist paints are pretty great and perfectly fine for minis (especially the soft body versions), but as previously stated the Basics have a much lower pigment load.

That being said, Liquitex Basics aren't massively thick paints, and something like black with strong coverage should work fine for actual painting on minis. Get a decent thinning medium it'll thin down to the right consistency very nicely.

Mixing the colours into other (like you suggested with the white) would definitely work too.


I've not got any experience with Grumbacher paints, but again 'Academy' is their low-pigment range. Same goes for them as with Liquitex; some colours with good coverage should work fine, and they will certainly be usable for a bit of mixing.



Overall, acrylic paint is acrylic paint. Miniature paints have some different additives and are generally much thinner, but you can add mediums to your artist paints to get very similar results. Don't buy into the idea that you need 'special' mini paints. Most important thing is just to experiment with what you have.

You can get good results with any acrylic paint. I've been doing fine with the cheap craft paints. It just takes two to four thin coats to build up a color instead of one or two.

It just depends on how much time and money you have. If time is at a premium, then more expensive but higher pigment density paints will be the way to go. If time is more plentiful but money is at a premium, then more layers of lower-pigment paints will get you there just as well.

Even tubes of artist paint can work, you just need to think it down to the right consistency. You want your paints to flow like milk, on the average. Some will want to be a little thicker, some a bit thinner, but never so thick as to clump up and clog surface details nor so thin that it runs into cracks and leaves high points undercovered (unless you're aiming for a wash, anyway).

Thanks all! I'm going to give it a go I think. Hopefully everything comes out right the first or second try.

 SergentSilver wrote:
Hmm, low pigment and many coats to get it to a full bodied color? Since the two I have are the Basics in black and white, it sounds like they would make great bases for home brew washes! I have an old pot of Badab Black wash, so perhaps I can use that as a goal point and try to mix the basic black into a wash, then copy the formula for the white. Is there such a thing as a white wash? xD Not sure what I'd even use it for, but it could be fun to try out. Mixing the two together could create a nice grey wash though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I just realized that perhaps instead of a white wash, I could use the white as a color lightener and thinner at the same time for mixing highlights. It's just crazy enough that it might work.

White wash, I would imagine would be for "snow" or "frost" effect ?
Or White with tiny bit of blue or green for that copper oxide look.