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Hey there! Yeah, I still love GW primers, they seem to have the finest mist without killing details on minis. However, the paints have been letting me down lately. Small portions, dry in pots too quick, etc... These blood rage minis are just amazing, so I wanted to get suggestions on what paints others live by! Thanks in advance!

The acryllic lines (vallejo, reaper, P3 etc.) are generally much of a muchness in terms of general quality, though every line seems to have a few lesser colours. Where they differ tends to be in terms of behaviour, finish and initial thickness.

I prefer a matte finish so I use Vallejo Model Colour, Reaper Master Series and Scale 75 quite a lot, but I also have plenty of Vallejo Game Colour plus a few pots of Coat d'Arms and P3 which tend to dry a bit glossier (I'll usually put some Reaper Anti-Shine Additive into these to give them a matte finish).

Scale 75 paints are suuuuper dense, so require quite a bit of thinning before you can use them. Vallejo and Reaper vary. P3 and Coat d'Arms are often ready to go from the pot, require very little thinning.


For what it's worth, if I had my time again, I'd go all in on Reaper or Scale 75. I'd already acquired a lot of Vallejo before discovering them (Scale 75 are pretty new afaik).

 sockwithaticket wrote:
The acryllic lines (vallejo, reaper, P3 etc.) are generally much of a muchness in terms of general quality, though every line seems to have a few lesser colours. Where they differ tends to be in terms of behaviour, finish and initial thickness.

I prefer a matte finish so I use Vallejo Model Colour, Reaper Master Series and Scale 75 quite a lot, but I also have plenty of Vallejo Game Colour plus a few pots of Coat d'Arms and P3 which tend to dry a bit glossier (I'll usually put some Reaper Anti-Shine Additive into these to give them a matte finish).

Scale 75 paints are suuuuper dense, so require quite a bit of thinning before you can use them. Vallejo and Reaper vary. P3 and Coat d'Arms are often ready to go from the pot, require very little thinning.


For what it's worth, if I had my time again, I'd go all in on Reaper or Scale 75. I'd already acquired a lot of Vallejo before discovering them (Scale 75 are pretty new afaik).

Fantastic insight and advice. My thanks. Do you have some examples (of your own?) to show in those paints?

Warcolours offer some very reasonable alternatives to Citadel. Their range is still growing, but the paint is a very fine pigment and doesn't gum up detail or obscure anything.
You can layer and blend very well with them, and they are super into community feedback.

 krazynadechukr wrote:

 sockwithaticket wrote:
The acryllic lines (vallejo, reaper, P3 etc.) are generally much of a muchness in terms of general quality, though every line seems to have a few lesser colours. Where they differ tends to be in terms of behaviour, finish and initial thickness.

I prefer a matte finish so I use Vallejo Model Colour, Reaper Master Series and Scale 75 quite a lot, but I also have plenty of Vallejo Game Colour plus a few pots of Coat d'Arms and P3 which tend to dry a bit glossier (I'll usually put some Reaper Anti-Shine Additive into these to give them a matte finish).

Scale 75 paints are suuuuper dense, so require quite a bit of thinning before you can use them. Vallejo and Reaper vary. P3 and Coat d'Arms are often ready to go from the pot, require very little thinning.


For what it's worth, if I had my time again, I'd go all in on Reaper or Scale 75. I'd already acquired a lot of Vallejo before discovering them (Scale 75 are pretty new afaik).

Fantastic insight and advice. My thanks. Do you have some examples (of your own?) to show in those paints?

Quite honestly, outside of using a decent acryllic paint, the paint range that you use has very little do with the quality of a painted miniature, it is far more reliant on individual skill. Most high end painters use a mix of paints, depending upon what they are painting individual, I myself using paints from GW, Vallejo, P3, Tamiya and Minitare, and they all may be used on a single mini.

Any of the Vallejo or Reaper series are probably the best for you as they come in dropper bottles and you get 17ml as opposed to 12ml.

 krazynadechukr wrote:
Fantastic insight and advice. My thanks. Do you have some examples (of your own?) to show in those paints?

Ah you give me too much credit, most people on the forum could tell you the same, but you're most welcome.

Yep, here's a few examples, I'm not an astonishing painter by any means:

This is my most recently completed model:



Fur - Vallejo Game Colour Charred Brown ( + Reaper anti shine), Reaper Master Series Pure Black and Vallejo Model Colour Dark Sand was added to make highlights.
'Skin' - same as above but used Reaper Master Series Ashen Brown to make highlights.
Claws and Teeth - RMS Aged Bone triad (Bone Shadow, Aged Bone and Polished Bone
Strait Jacket - RMS Vampiric Skin triad (Vampiric Shadow, Vampiric Skin, Vampiric Highlight)
Trousers - VGC Olive Drab (+ anti shine), RMS pure black and VMC Dark Sand to do highlights
Skulls - VGC Bonewhite, VMC Ivory, Vallejo Pale Grey wash + Vallejo Umber wash mixed 50/50
Soil - VMC Burnt Umber, VMC Leather Brown, RMS Terran Khaki
Headstone - VMC German Grey, VMC Basalt Grey, VMC Neutral Grey




Black - Army Painter Matt Black, VMC Neutral Grey
White - VGC Stonewall Grey, VGC Ghosty Grey, VMC White (and patience, lots of patience).
Red Armour/Gear - GW Scab Red (now OOP), VGC Ghosty Grey added for highlights
Purity Seals - Paper: RMS Khaki triad (Khaki Shadow, Terran Khaki, Khaki Highlight); Wax: P3 Sanguine Base, P3 Sanguine Highlight
Pouches/Holster - VMC Hull Red, VMC Burnt Cadmium Red, Army Painter Strong Tone (brown wash)
Gold - RMS Old Bronze, Army Painter Gun Metal, Army Painter Strong Tone,
Bronze - VGC Tinny Tin, AP Strong Tone
Silver - AP Gun Metal, AP Dark Tone (black wash)
Blood Tanks - RMS Pure Black, VGC Heavy Red
Laurel - RMS Pure Black, VGC Scurvy Green




Armour - RMS Blackened Steel, AP Dark Tone
Greatcoat - RMS Pure Black, Scale 75 Eclipse Grey, VMC Black Grey
Boots - RMS Pure Black, VMC Leather Brown, VMC Dark Sand for highlights, AP Strong Tone
Skin - RMS Tanned Shadow, Tanned Skin
Pouches - Can't remember
Holster - VMC Hull Red, VMC Dark Sand for highlights
Gun - AP Gun Metak, AP Dark Tone. Can't remember the handle.



Did this guy before I found Reaper's awesome anti-shine additive
Robes - RMS Pure Black, VGC Cayman Green, VMC Dark Sand for highlights.

That's all I'll say on him since this is getting pretty long now!


Anyway, hopefully these examples get accross that Reaper, Scale 75 and VMC tend to dry matte, where unmodified VGC and a couple of the others tend to dry a bit glossier.


To end up painting like the example picture you posted will take a heck of a lot more than just switching brands, though it will help a little since GW paints tend to finish a bit glossy and are generally less realistic in their tones in ym experience. Ditto VGC, P3 and Coat d'Arms.

 sockwithaticket wrote:

Yep, here's a few examples, I'm not an astonishing painter by any means

You don't give yourself nearly enough credit. Outstanding job.

Thanks Winter. 17ml is a great point.

Sockwithaticket that's a very nice clean style you got there!

Ultra Grey wrote:

 sockwithaticket wrote:

Yep, here's a few examples, I'm not an astonishing painter by any means

You don't give yourself nearly enough credit. Outstanding job.

You're very kind thank you, but as seen in the OP example I've a long way to go.

krazynadechukr wrote:Thanks Winter. 17ml is a great point.

Sockwithaticket that's a very nice clean style you got there!

Thank you very much, I definitely prefer clean painting.

Some extra info on pot sizes and types:

None of the other brands seem to have the drying out problems that GW do, regardless of whether they're flip-tops or dropper bottles. I can't recall ever having seen any of them as beong more expensive than GW, even Reaper which is (for us in the UK at least) probably the next priciest of the bunch.

Reaper comes in 12 ml droppers. Coat d'Arms, P3 and Wargames Foundry in 18ml flip-tops while Vallejo, Scale 75 and Army Painter are in 17ml droppers.

I love that photo at the top

That type of color scheme would be very P3 friendly, IMO. You could, of course, achieve it with Vallejo.

Ultra Grey wrote:

 sockwithaticket wrote:

Yep, here's a few examples, I'm not an astonishing painter by any means

You don't give yourself nearly enough credit. Outstanding job.

i was going to say the same thing...
very nice work, sock...


as anyone who has read my posts on the subject knows, i am firmly in the P3 camp...
i prefer the satin finish for my painting style...

luckily, you can mix and match acrylics all you want, so it is easy enough to try a bottle from each range, and see what you like best...
even the brands i have tried, and not liked, have ended up having some kind of utility for a specific look...
for example, i bought the Reaper Black, thinking that you can't go wrong with black, and didn't like the matte finish...
then i found that if i mixed it 1-1 with P3 Armor Wash (which dries a bit glossy), it made an awesome tint for black metal...
now i have a great new technique i never would have discovered if i weren't willing to experiment...
that's the fun of painting!!!

cheers
jah

I think I will order some P3 from Privateer Press.

 krazynadechukr wrote:
I think I will order some P3 from Privateer Press.

I think you'll like them The only thing I don't like about P3 paints (other than I wish there were more colors) is that the caps break off on me at the hinge >.< I end up pouring them into old GW pots of used up Nuhln Oil and Agrax Earthsahde

 Talys wrote:

 krazynadechukr wrote:
I think I will order some P3 from Privateer Press.

I think you'll like them The only thing I don't like about P3 paints (other than I wish there were more colors) is that the caps break off on me at the hinge >.< I end up pouring them into old GW pots of used up Nuhln Oil and Agrax Earthsahde

Since it's my first time with P3, I 'll be gentle.

 Talys wrote:

 krazynadechukr wrote:
I think I will order some P3 from Privateer Press.

I think you'll like them The only thing I don't like about P3 paints (other than I wish there were more colors) is that the caps break off on me at the hinge >.< I end up pouring them into old GW pots of used up Nuhln Oil and Agrax Earthsahde

That's one of the wonderful joys of using those pots I haven't had that happen to any of my P3 pots but it happened a lot to my old GW pots (from 15 or so years ago when they used similar pots). I actually haven't used my P3 paints all that much though. Not because I hate them or anything, mostly I just haven't had need to use the colours I own in the P3 range very often.

I'd rather have tops breaking off than paints drying out in the current GW pots

the trick is to keep the inside rim of the lids clean, and press more on the back than the front as you close the lid...
it makes a huge difference...

cheers
jah

give warcolours a try.

we had really good comments from the users.