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Sooo, recently I've burned through a bit of money testing different spray paint ranges, and I think I've come to the conclusion that GW brand sprays are the best, at least for me.

What do you guys think? What's your favourite brand and why?

GW cans apply well, they're not super sensitive to temperature/distance, they dry fast and hard, and I've not had an issue with paint chipping on anything primed with GW sprays. Recently I was trying out zenithal highlighting with spray cans (because I'm too lazy to set up my airbrush) and GW just seemed great for that.

The other ones I tried...

Vallejo: Love the colour selection and the fact they have matching hairy brush paints. They apply well, but for me their flaw is that many of them don't cure fully or take a very long time (read: months) to cure fully. I made a thread recently about that issue.

Montana Gold: Nice colours, dry hard, but very low pressure and I found it hard to apply a consistent coat on a detailed miniature because of that. I can see how these would be great for graffiti, but for painting models I struggled with the low pressure.

Montana Black: Similar to Montana Gold, but higher pressure, BUT still lower pressure than Vallejo or GW. I found these very sensitive to spraying distance and if you're not careful they'll leave a grainy finish. I can't use tricks like spraying from further away to create a different spray pattern because they'll become grainy. I know Marco Frisoni loves these and talks about using different caps, but I tried using the caps off my Vallejo sprays and had the same issue. I also pulled some caps off my GW sprays but they were a different style so I couldn't back-to-back the caps.

Liquitex: I didn't spend a lot of time with this one because the colour was quite different to what was shown on the cap, but I found this liked to flood the model, very thin. It seemed to dry okay and smooth enough, but I was trying to use it for a zenithal which was completely useless because my highlight colour just flooded into the recesses, lol. Perhaps spraying from further away they'll work better, but yeah, the colour was wrong so I didn't play around with them a whole heap.

Tamiya: I like Tamiya, they spray really well, though I still don't rate them as high as GW for controllability, and while they're great if your objective is a silky smooth finish on a scale model of an automobile, as a base layer for hairy brush acrylics they leave quite a slick surface. Tamiya are also hella expensive, individual cans are cheap but they're small, so if you're painting a whole army you'll need several cans and it'll add up to more even GW sprays.

Army Painter: Okay, so admittedly I didn't try these recently, several years ago I bought a few Army Painter sprays and they seemed really finicky and some left a rough finish, so I didn't really pursue them again this time.

It was with the zenithal that the GW paints really shone, I could vary the distance, apply it heavy or misty, do some quick localised bursts and the result is smooth and minimal dotting visible. But also the fact they dry fast and hard makes them nice.

Now, Krylon wasn't on my list because Krylon isn't super common over here, I did use them a couple of times when I was living in the USA but that was 10 years ago now and I wasn't trying to compare them to anything else.

So, am I wrong? Is another brand better? I'm far from a GW apologist, if I could give money to a different company that would be my first option, but in this case I feel like I've gone through a lot of alternatives and have landed back at GW.

My main problem now is that they don't make enough colours




*****Side note: I have a feeling some sprays may vary from country to country, maybe because certain propellants are banned in some regions? But I recall many years ago having a GW spray and it used a different propellant to someone elsewhere in the world.

I've never had any problems with GW paints so its fair to say that they are one of the better companies, if not the best.

I've used a fair amount of spray paints in the past, I've had good results from GW, Vallejo, Tamiya and Halfords in the past. I've also had mostly good results from Army Painter sprays, except for the yellow which I wouldn't go near again.

For purely priming purposes Halfords sprays are my gold standard, although I think they can only be purchased in the UK. Tamiya are excellent too, but as you say, too pricy.

I'd like to try out the TT Combat sprays, would love to know if anybody has any experience with them.

Norway aint mutch different in this hobby then what it is for you folks "down under". What is the core issue here is that tabletop miniature games is uknown unlike boardgames and roleplaying games, so paint products that is avalible is pretty mutch limited to vallejo, humbrol and tamiya. Thouse few web based FLGS that do sell tabletop miniature games allso sells GW products so thouse 3 brands is what exists for us off the shelf. Army Painter used to have a good presence, but not anylonger, they are hard to come by, so i have not tried them.

Of thouse 3 i agree with OP claims.
GW is deffo the moust beginner friendly rattlecans to use. 400ml in combo with a realy solid propellant makes it a nobrainer for our hobby. 98% of my minis are either primed or basecoated with GW sprays.

Now i dont know if it is the type of propellant beeing used, or simply the pressure inside the cans, but Vallejo rattlecans has a weaker pressure so the spray cone behaves differently. That means i find it easier to apply the zenith effect using Vallejo then GW. Paint quality between vallejo and gw i cant notice any differences for my painting level, exept for white primer. GWs scull white is HORRIBLE and i avoid it. Vallejo rattlecan white is night and day in comparisment.

Tamiya with their mutch smaller rattlecans and even lower pressure is tricky to use, smells alot and is deffo designed for automative models(atleast the PS range) I have some 1/27 rc cars with plastic hardbody and on them tamiya rattlecans works so mutch better then GW or vallejo.

There is 4th option i have found in a local shop, a brand called Mr Colour but i have never tested them, their rattlecans are same size as Tamiya TS rattlecans so i am expecting the same result as Tamiya.

Now, Krylon wasn't on my list because Krylon isn't super common over here, I did use them a couple of times when I was living in the USA but that was 10 years ago now and I wasn't trying to compare them to anything else.

I swear by Krylon, i refuse to use GWs overpriced paints at all.

Not only is it cheaper but the newer product lines like fusion or fusion for plastics make some of the best primer and primary base colors.

the key to using it is multiple light coats, as it usually dries to the touch within 10 minutes this is very easy to do.

For detail work and secondary colors i use the AV model color and game color lines. Vallejo also makes some fantastic washes.

They all seem to work fine with the krylon paint lines rather the material be plastic, metal, or resin.

What really irritates me with the recent trend (especially with Krylon) for the 'any angle spray' that is becoming more common. This means you cannot spray, then turn the can upside down to spray for a second to clear the nozzle. Every time after a few uses the nozzle gets clogged since you cannot clear it out after you spray.

Of course you can remove the nozzle and sit it in spirits, but what an enormous hassle. I have no need to spray upside down, so give me a can without the 'any angle spray' feature any day.

I find the Wraithbone primer always mis-sprays on me, but I love the grey-seer primer. I only use the Bronze primer, and greyseer and love them both.

For painting I vastly prefer competitors to Citadel paints but for sprays I find Citadel to be one of the best.

I use Citadel's wraithseer for minis but I use Krylon Fusion for terrain I'm painting.

I have found that GW's black primer is the best for me. I've tried several other miniature spray primers over the years and I still swear by GW.

It's annoying that it's so expensive, but I find the results are worth the money in the end.

A resounding, Yes.

GW's spray paints are the best I've used. 25+ years experience and they repeatedly outperform everything else I've tried and by a significant margin. They are a bit expensive compared to other brands, but the quality and color are consistent which makes them worth it.


I have tried Army Painter several times over the years since their introduction and I can say without hesitation that Army Painter is complete trash.

 Undead_Love-Machine wrote:
I'd like to try out the TT Combat sprays, would love to know if anybody has any experience with them.

I've had okay results - some cans feel slightly lower pressure though which isn't my preference. I used TTC to prime and basecoat Horus Heresy Space Wolves and was pleased with the results. Most of the other times I've used them it's been to spray MDF terrain.
My go-to primer at the moment is ColourForge - very happy with those cans, good spray pressure and cans are a bit larger than GW/TTC/etc, but doesn't mean I won't use TTC again.

There are other options of course. Try stuff like https://www.herebegeeks.com/tabletop-games/priming-with-gesso/

I've tried GW, Vallejo, Testors, Army Painter, and several different types of Krylon. GW is by far the best. The others were either too slick to paint over, too grainy for anything but terrain, or went on too thick/thin. They also don't bond as well. GW primer for whatever reason seems chemically bonded to the plastic. I can strip my minis and leave them in for days, all paint comes off, all other brands of primer come off, GW primer is still there. It's handy because if I want to repaint a model, I can strip, do 1 super light tack coat for a fresh surface, and start painting.

I think the real question is: who actually makes GW's spray paints for them, and can you then buy them (at least the standard colors) from that company at a lower price?

I've gone up and down and tried TONS of spray paints.

For expensive stuff, Tamiya is my favourite.

But I don't go expensive.

"Krylon Chalky Finish: Ultra Matte" is what I use exclusively. Don't be fooled by the title: the spray goes on incredibly smooth and it is around $10USD per can.

If your region has it, you have nothing to lose by trying it out. Its saved me a ton of $!

I use Hycote for priming. They have a great white, grey and black.

Also tried Kobra recently. It covers well and you get a good finish, but it’s super stinky and pretty low pressure delivery.

For black, I prefer Dupli-Color Black Sandable Primer ever since Mike McVey's wife recommended it while they were working for Privateer Press years ago. For grey, I use the Touch N Tone from Rustoleum but I would still like to find one that's closer to Mechnicus Standard Grey in color.

My current go to for rattle cans is Rustoleum. Excellent coverage, great colour selection at a reasonable price.

I haven't used GW in a few years, but I did like them. Caliban Green especaially. Their so-called black and white "primers" were a bit naff. But that may have changed in the last 10ish years.

Only other brand i've used is Army Painter and from memory they were ok. Again, probably ~6-7 years since I used them though.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
I think the real question is: who actually makes GW's spray paints for them, and can you then buy them (at least the standard colors) from that company at a lower price?

I would be interested to know this too. Coat de Arms used to make the pre-2012 paints.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
I think the real question is: who actually makes GW's spray paints for them, and can you then buy them (at least the standard colors) from that company at a lower price?

That's a good question, the GW cans say "Made in the UK" on them, so that might limit the number of options for who is making them? Vallejo and Liquitex are made in Spain, Montana is Germany.

I don't know if there are any other UK brands available here in Australia.
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 FrozenDwarf wrote:
GWs scull white is HORRIBLE and i avoid it.

 Snrub wrote:
Their so-called black and white "primers" were a bit naff.

GW's old Skull White wasn't great, though personally I didn't have huge problems with it I did find if I sprayed it on a hot day it'd go grainy and for my Tyranids where I applied ink straight over the primer it could be problematic as sometimes the ink/wash would be attracted to the raised areas instead of the crevices.

I never had a problem with Corax White but I only ever bought one can of it, a lot of people say they hate it. But I did prefer Tamiya's primer to it still.

I've been loving their new White Scar spray though, I've sprayed it in varying weather (good old roll-of-the-dice Melbourne weather, lol) and from varying distances and so far it's always come out good. That's what I've been using for the zenithal spraying.

I've used GW sprays for years and never had any problems with any of them, started using Vallejo last year because of the lack of colours GW had (wish they would stop withdrawing colours) So far, the only problem one I've had is the yellow, no matter what I do it comes out shiny and bubbly.

 Ghaz wrote:
For black, I prefer Dupli-Color Black Sandable Primer ever since Mike McVey's wife recommended it while they were working for Privateer Press years ago. For grey, I use the Touch N Tone from Rustoleum but I would still like to find one that's closer to Mechnicus Standard Grey in color.

Seconded on Dupli-Color Black Sandable Primer. It’s been said that Dupli-Color used to make the Privateer Press sprays back in the day. Can’t confirm though.

The Interweb (i.e. Stahly ) suggests that HMG Manchester makes citadel paints, after the contract came back into the UK.

GW is better than Army Painter and Rustoleum/other low budget art brands. They are probably the best acrylic spray cans I have used. The best overall rattle can I have ever used, by far, is the Wilko own brand spray primer but I believe that is enamel. Wish they made that in black......

 spacewolf407 wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
For black, I prefer Dupli-Color Black Sandable Primer ever since Mike McVey's wife recommended it while they were working for Privateer Press years ago. For grey, I use the Touch N Tone from Rustoleum but I would still like to find one that's closer to Mechnicus Standard Grey in color.

Seconded on Dupli-Color Black Sandable Primer. It’s been said that Dupli-Color used to make the Privateer Press sprays back in the day. Can’t confirm though.

The old MSDS for the P3 primer says that it’s Duplicolour. So confirming that for you.
I’ve never had a problem with the problematic drying that the OP has experienced with the Vallejo sprays.
They are my go-to as I’ve never encountered a problem with them.
Army Painter sucks and after about two figures I find the nozzle always clogs or it just starts leaking out the top, so I avoid them at all costs.
I have a local retailer that carry’s Tamaiya and they work quite well but are pricey.

For the person not able to get the Vallejo yellow to go on smooth - spray with white or off white first. Once you have a solid coat, spray with yellow and it goes on super smooth and opaque. It took me a couple of experiments to figure that one out. The taxi I linked is Vallejo white then yellow over top.