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So yeah,

pretty much everyone who has ever painted is familiar with the fact that both GW and Vallejo gold paints are self-destruction inducing to paint with. The coverage is really poor, and you often have to do up to 4 layers before you have full coverage ( unless you do really thick layers, but that´s not an option for me. )

Does anyone know some alternative paint range with a gold paint that has much better coverage? I´ve heard good things about the Vallejo Liquid Metal paints atleast.

Mixing GW golds with their silvers gives a softer, more natural tone, and better coverage even when thinned.

Vallejo Liquid gold are very good, but to be honest if you're having trouble with gold, you'll have trouble with those too.

I use VMC bronze as a base for most gold. Purple or brown washes depending on the look I'm going for, then highlight up usually by adding a little VMA aluminium to the same bronze.

Basecoating the gold area with brown will help with coverage as well.

winterdyne wrote:
Vallejo Liquid gold are very good, but to be honest if you're having trouble with gold, you'll have trouble with those too.

In my case it´s not a technique problem, merely the paints by default having really poor coverage. I find it odd that there are decent metal coloured paints out there - why does the flakes having a different colour make it so hard to create paints with better coverage.

I´l see about mixing the gold with a metallic paint and if that doesn´t help I guess my last shot is the Liquid Metal paints, unless someone else knows some good gold paints.

I´m painting an army of Iron Warriors so there´s gonna be quite lot of agony if I just use the Citadel/Vallejo ones.

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:
Basecoating the gold area with brown will help with coverage as well.

This. Or, as odd as it sounds, basecoating with purple.

I'm not sure what you mean about poor coverage. I've never had an issue with the VMC bronze. Do try a brown base colour though.

Never had a problem with Vallejo Model Color. Try mixing some matte medium to help with the coverage.

VMC glorious gold, 50-50 with charred brown as a base over black primer - highlight glorious gold and no issues other than how *&^$%^&*ing fast the gold seems to dry



Only VMC colours I've had trouble with are yellows and some of the blues

Army painter greedy gold.
Good coverage but abit thicker for tiny details unless your skilled with a brush or thin it down abit.

winterdyne wrote:
I'm not sure what you mean about poor coverage. I've never had an issue with the VMC bronze.

Yeah I´m talking about gold paints. They have, on average, distinctively worse qualities than the metal/bronze paints for some reason. I´ve painted for 10 years, always ment to ask this but somehow got around to it only now as I´m painting Iron Warriors.

Not saying it´s not doable, it´s just painful compared to non-metallic paints. I´m just interested if someone knows a gold paint that might cover up the area being painted even with... *gasp* a single applied layer.

 jhe90 wrote:
Army painter greedy gold.
Good coverage but abit thicker for tiny details unless your skilled with a brush or thin it down abit.

Gotta check that one out.

 RunicFIN wrote:

winterdyne wrote:
I'm not sure what you mean about poor coverage. I've never had an issue with the VMC bronze.

Yeah I´m talking about gold paints. They have, on average, distinctively worse qualities than the metal/bronze paints for some reason.

Not saying it´s not doable, it is. I´m just interested if someone knows a gold paint that might cover up the area even on... *gasp* a single applied layer.

It must be you. (pic could help determine what the issue really is ) Many people will tell you as well that Vallejo Covers very well. As others have said if you're having trouble with Vallejo metallic then Liquid Gold won't help your issue.Maybe you're thinning it a bit to much.

i do.. bronze layer, copper layer, then gold layer. voila. no problems. gives it depth too.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/at2/2014/11/29/e56a3254a391ac89ea9d6c516b1dbbd1_84405.jpg

One layer of army painter gun metal
2-3 coats of gold + a dark tone wash

That it for solid patch's of metal, entire sword blades etc.

It comes out brighter and a shiny rich gold, but I wanted abit less shine to it.

Smaller details can be done in one or two coats for a nice consitant and even coverage. The second layer fills in any gaps you may have in the first and makes it nice n bright, even if your starting colour was black.

 Sammoth wrote:
It must be you. (pic could help determine what the issue really is ) Many people will tell you as well that Vallejo Covers very well.

I've heard far more complaints than positives about Vellejo golds, and haven't had much luck with them myself. Plenty of praise for the Liquid Air range, but not the regular model colour golds.

I dunno I love the Vallejo model color line for metals. I did a big gold experiment before I painted my Sanguinary Guard a few years ago: http://atticwars40k.blogspot.com/2011/10/great-gold-rush-quest-for-best-gold.html

http://diverse.fi/en/pro-acrylics/golden-fluid-en golden acrylic metallics have good coverage. I can cover dark colors in one pass with their metallics.

 insaniak wrote:

 Sammoth wrote:
It must be you. (pic could help determine what the issue really is ) Many people will tell you as well that Vallejo Covers very well.

I've heard far more complaints than positives about Vellejo golds, and haven't had much luck with them myself. Plenty of praise for the Liquid Air range, but not the regular model colour golds.

I myself use a drop of Matte Medium with it and a drop a water (depending on how much I use) to around a small pallet of paint (around 6 drops) to get the consistency that I need. The problem with most metallic's is the particles of paint are bigger than most paints so you can thin them too much. If not just paint in layers. When too thin I usually add one or 2 passes to have total coverage. I guess since I been using Model Color line for a few years I have not really had any issues.

 insaniak wrote:

 Sammoth wrote:
It must be you. (pic could help determine what the issue really is ) Many people will tell you as well that Vallejo Covers very well.

I've heard far more complaints than positives about Vellejo golds, and haven't had much luck with them myself

Pretty much this. I don´t know how some say they cover just fine, when the difference to non-metallic paints is so very recognizable.

I guess a gold paint that gives good coverage with a single layer just doesn´t exist then ( in the brush applicable ranges anyway. ) I´ve been undercoating the areas with brown but it still takes 2-4 layers to get a perfect smooth coat with slightly thinned down gold.

When you do this to 40 Iron Warriors it becomes a pain ( afaic anyway ) but in the occasional hilt of a weapon/other random things is perfectly bearable.

If you want a picture of a painted miniature see my sig, it has gold in it.

If you checked out my Gold experiment on my blog - you know that I eventually settled on Vallejo Model Color, which I do still love...

However, if you are looking for a 'single layer coverage' out of the park Gold -- the Andrea range "gold paint set" was pretty amazing. You can see that also in my gold experiment. It was just too unlike other golds in my army, but it was quite impressive. If only I'd had it from the start!

You know how yellow has poor coverage? So does bright golds.

If you want bright golds, base with a brown or a yellow, or just use Balthasar Gold as a base for brighter golds. Alternatively use the vallejo liquid gold stuff, it covers well and goes on quite smooth, but it has it's own problems so you have to weigh it up.

Can't say I've tried the Andrea Golds to know how they are though.

 Gunzhard wrote:
If you checked out my Gold experiment on my blog - you know that I eventually settled on Vallejo Model Color, which I do still love...

However, if you are looking for a 'single layer coverage' out of the park Gold -- the Andrea range "gold paint set" was pretty amazing. You can see that also in my gold experiment. It was just too unlike other golds in my army, but it was quite impressive. If only I'd had it from the start!

Will have to take a look into that after I get off work. Single layer coverage, even "close enough" would reduce the hours required to complete the army by quite a bit. Thanks to everyone for the tips, perhaps I can avoid jumping off a cliff and instead actually paint all the gold trims while remaining sane.

Gold is harder to paint than silver -- period. It doesn't matter what brand.

If you want single layer, Vallejo Gold is my recommendation. However, I give it with the caveat that it's kinda lousy and won't give you better than tabletop standard, in a single layer effort. VMC Gold (70.996) covers well when thick, but thins poorly and layers worse. The result is acceptable, with one layer, but it will be hard to add further layers, as it does not dry butter-smooth, and is gritty enough that subsequent layers just won't be nice.

A better solution is Tamiya Gold Leaf (X-12), which dries pretty thin and covers well. But, it's alcohol based, so not really a great solution for beginners, or mixing.

Really, the best solution is to bite the bullet and do a couple of layers. In the GW lineup, use Balthazar Gold first, which goes on really well, but looks more like bronze.

Then use Gehanna's gold right on top. Thin with some water (just a bit). The result should be quite pleasing, very thin, and quite flat. However, the gold will have a bit of a red tinge, like Army Painter's greedy gold.

At this point, you have options. You can just leave it, or you can paint auric gold on top, or you can wash with argrax and then layer auric leaving areas darker.

From here, you can highlight with a platinum, light brass, or a silver, if you wish.

I use complimentary colours under metallics and don't have issues.

Browns under golds (redder browns for coppers, yellowy for Brassy. Greys for silvers.

Used to have to do the same for ceramics (with fired on gold/platinum foils). You need the colour under to bring out the depth of the metallic. Golds don't look right over white.

Talys wrote:
A better solution is Tamiya Gold Leaf (X-12), which dries pretty thin and covers well. But, it's alcohol based, so not really a great solution for beginners, or mixing.

How does that compare to Vallejo's alcohol based golds? I've never tried the Tamiya one.

If you are going for speed while bulk painting, the alcohol based golds are probably the way to go. Not sure on the Tamiya one, but the Vallejo one goes on really smooth and covers brilliantly... it's just a pain in the arse because you have to thin with alcohol, can't mix, and need to keep it away from water.

I don't find myself using my liquid golds all that much because it's just too much of a hassle, but for bulk painting gold I don't imagine anything else would be much quicker.

Reaper golds are terrible as well.

Use GW Balthasar Gold for basecoats, its actually a copper, and it covers well.

Light-colored metallics are just a pain in the dick. As others have said, the Tamiya metallics are beautiful and smooth, but even they don't cover in one pass, and they have a host of other issues since they're alcohol-based acrylics. I actualy tend to work my gold metallics a bit thicker (less thinning) than my other colors, tbh. As long as you allow them to dry completely before going back in with a second coat or wash, it's really not an issue.

Hi golden acrylics have good coverage very fine pigment and look great. The brass is a little transparent because it had been sitting on my wet palette for a week

 Paradigm wrote:
Mixing GW golds with their silvers gives a softer, more natural tone, and better coverage even when thinned.

Is that how you did your Sanguinary Guard then Para?

I really like the Vallejo color after a couple layers, but as others have said, mixing the metallic colors can give you a softer/harder look to them.

One thing I've found is that you should NEVER put metallic paint in an airbrush unless it is specifically designed for an airbrush. Even after thinning the GW stuff down to practically nothing it brought my airbrush down and I had to... strip it down to nothing to clean it out.