What paints do you use?

trappedslider · Feb 22, 2019

I used Vallejo for the tank, and I like how they look, I do have some Citadel paints that haven't dried up.

S'mon · Feb 22, 2019

My current set is Army Painter. Their washes are very good, but I'd say their paints are a bit too thick; I think my old Vallejo Game Color paints edge them out in quality. I'm still getting good results with Army Painter, especially for ...painting armies.

Eg I did a set of 8 beastmen + warchief recently and they painted up fast and nicely; the AP mid-brown ink wash brought out the detail very well. A bit of that or similar to the Barbarian Flesh paint helped with flow, as did using my good sable brush.

S'mon · Feb 22, 2019

Flexor the Mighty! said:
Never had that issue with Vallejo. I give them a a couple coats of a matt varnish, army painter mostly, and haven't had issues.

Any paint on a pewter mini will wear off in play unless there's plenty of varnish. I agree, I don't find Vallejo GC any worse for this. I guess the very thick Army Painter paints might be slightly better, but in any case I prefer a thick coat of clear varnish for my gaming minis. I generally prefer gloss varnish too - I know, I'm a barbarian.

Flexor the Mighty! · Feb 22, 2019

S'mon said:
Any paint on a pewter mini will wear off in play unless there's plenty of varnish. I agree, I don't find Vallejo GC any worse for this. I guess the very thick Army Painter paints might be slightly better, but in any case I prefer a thick coat of clear varnish for my gaming minis. I generally prefer gloss varnish too - I know, I'm a barbarian.

Yes, yes you are.

I often will do a coat of gloss then the coats of a really matt varnish like army painter anti-shine. Depends on if its a PC mini that will have a lot of grubby mitts on it.

S'mon · Feb 22, 2019

Flexor the Mighty! said:
Yes, yes you are.

I often will do a coat of gloss then the coats of a really matt varnish like army painter anti-shine. Depends on if its a PC mini that will have a lot of grubby mitts on it.

I mostly GM in dimly lit pubs; often the light reflecting off my glossy minis is about the only illumination we have!

Flexor the Mighty! · Feb 22, 2019

S'mon said:
I mostly GM in dimly lit pubs; often the light reflecting off my glossy minis is about the only illumination we have!

All pubs should be dark and dank.

DeathbyDoughnut · Feb 23, 2019

This is all my opinion.

Army Painter, and Vallejo. Army Painter has the best washes hands down in the miniature painting business. The Army Shades are fantastic and I won't use any other wash. Vallejo and to a lesser extent Army Painter have the best pigment to medium ratio for most colors. Army Painter's resin base takes some time to get used to painting with because it works differently from Vallejo, but overall those are the two brands I use.

I don't like citadel paints, especially the washes. I live in the PNW so it may be my climate, but throughout the years I keep trying the GW paints especially washes, but I always always get frosting. Doesn't matter if it's Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, Drakenhof Nightshade, or what have you. Glaze brushed on, dipped, different brushes, different models, new pots, old pots, no water/medium mixed in, with water mixed in, with medium mixed in, retarder mixed in, I've even moved to different houses. I've tried it every which way and I always get a white haze where the wash settles. And I thought, maybe if I matte seal it then the white haze will go away. Nope. Clear coat just seals it there. Citadel Paints are the only paints I have this problem with.

Myrdin Potter · Mar 3, 2019

I use Michael’s craft paints and Army Painter washes. I have several decades of experience painting miniatures and for table use I find that the very cheap craft paints are fine. If I was painting for a show or competition I would use the more expensive ones mentioned above but I don’t think they are worth it for monsters or characters that will be handled.