just giving you a heads up when I clicked this video on my main page it took me to some endorsement/sponsor warning and I couldn't find this video to watch till I looked you up directly..
@@trovarion its a PSA about endorsed and paid content. just states that content creaters get paid to show specific content in their videos. when I clicked your video from the main page it took me to their website regarding it, then I went back and your video wasn't there as if I watched it already. so I had to go look for it to watch it. I've seen it twice in the past recently not exclusive to you but it seems like "sugestive" content is getting that PSA now (even though your content wasn't even tat suggestive..) ether way, thanks for the video, I've been struggling with some paints myself and was thinking of switch to a new "line" this video put that to bed.
@@trovarion seems like videos which have paid content (ads) in them, have this odd mouseover overlay button on frontpage. I've managed to click it and get to the google's "warning/explanation" of what paid content is several times. TH-cam-things, I guess :P
honestly the main reason i moved away from Citadel colors are the pots, i Hate those pots. i still use some of them but if i can get a replacer from Vallejo, AK or Two Thin Coats im doing it
Yeah I hate them, they just get all gammy at the top and then you can't close them properly. Except the contrast paints, because they're so much thinner and a lot of the time get used right out of the pot, the design is alright for those.
I think there is a criteria which is often overlooked, which is what does your local shop sell. citadel paint is great in that sense. I don't need to wait a week to get a colour I need. It's always fun to try a different brand, but if it's hard to find or has a minimum purchase amount then I'd think about sticking with the ones you can walk into most shops and buy
There’s one local store that sells a lot of Vallejo paints but yeah they don’t have a lot in stock or Vallejo themselves don’t have equivalent citadel paints, so I’ll go with citadel sometimes.
Just my 2 cents: Pretty much everywhere sells Vallejo. They have been the most consistent, reasonably priced and high quality paints I have come across. I used to get them on Amazon Prime UK for just over £2 (they are nearly 3 now) and they'd come either same or next day. The fact that they're on amazon makes such a huge difference for me.
I have to admit I've not really bought a lot of other paint ranges until a local shop started stocking them. I'm really lucky in that this shop en route home stocks AK and 2 Thin Coats, then this place called Boyes in my home town sells the whole Vallejo range and loads of cheap hobby tools - both stores stock citadel and colour forge sprays too.
The internet, don't pay premium prices for random quality paints in terrible pots when you can get pretty much anything delivered in 24-72 hours over most of the developed world.
I commented the same on most videos. Ultimately, everything is down to preferences and understanding the attributes of the paints and how you prefer to work. Your answer places the onus back on the viewer/painter to ask themselves what they are about and how they do their thing, which IMO is the only universal answer(a lot probably won't appreciate it, as you're not providing a cookie cutter shortcut answer, but that's too bad for those who are not using the chance to better understand themselves). If product X/Y/Z is enjoyable for you to work with and provides you with the results you're after, then that product is what you should use. Doesn't maker experimenting with different things wrong, but the intent for experimenting is to push the understanding of what different attributes/factors do to change your medium of choice. Just be aware that it's also very easy to end up experimenting for the sake of experimentation(that thing about whether or not you could/should).
I have painted with model color and citadel for the most part of my long painting journey. Some years ago AK released their 3rd gen and bought a couple of colours and I was so impressed I started replacing all my old paints with those and never looked back, even the silver metallics, which are dense and can be thinned with water without going all glittery.
Very useful video, which (with Ninjon's) is reminding me that there is a thing of too many paints. However as a historical gamer/painter I am looking for a lot of specific colours for one off tasks. Then organisation of the collection is vital.
Great buying advice, and this actually applies to many skills and crafts, not just painting. There's always a big consumer market hoping to take your money with new, slightly different products that do the same task. Once you have your core set of tools, try to limit new purchases to when a tool does a specific task much better and more conveniently than anything else.
A refreshing, non biased look at paint ranges! Watching your vid, unlike quite a few others out there, i feel safe in the knowledge that i am not being pushed toward certain ranges or companies as it lines your pocket. So, thank you Chris as that means a lot to me. I am one of those scale 75 fans, and their range tends to make up the bulk of my palette. Though as you mentioned, it does take a little time to really understand the paints better. Your overview of what to look for in a range was fantastic, and i cant wait to see what you do next :)
Non biased? th-cam.com/video/87oZw_hbuJo/w-d-xo.html >Paints are basically all good, they can't afford to put out crappy colours anymore and yet, when compared to artist paints, both for what the product you get is and as well as transparency of advertising (which mini paints label bottles with transparent/semi opaque/opaque? not AK or Vallejo) the product we receive in the mini painting world is decidedly sub par. At best mini paints are convenient, but this convenience is a trade off. One other thing to take note of - trovarion mentions that he wouldn't change his paint line to paint in a different way. He is married to the classic miniature painting methodology and people, particularly those interested in starting in the hobby should really ask themselves if they want to paint this way - can something similar be achieved in a different way? Do you need 20 shades of each primary colour?
Some of my favorite purchases were the fluorescent paints and the pearlescent transition paints . They aren't easy to work with , but I love the way they look as a final touch to my tyranids . I step away from model painting for 1 year and even that was enough time for several brands to vanish and new ones to rise up better than ever. Ty for the video really helps to get my bearing again.❤
Great video with high value for beginners! IMHO: bringing in Ninjons statements about picked / dumped colour lines into the video and explaining why not picking / dumping it four yourselves, underlines the essential message, that every one has his specific way to paint and pick his core colours, even more.
scale75 has a handful of colours that I just cant find anywhere else, like their metallic reds, bloodfest crimson, black leather. Many of their colours are quite saturated and great for glazing or filtering. While this function is mostly taken over by inks, scale75 sits better on a wet palette for me. I'd rather not have to grab another dry palette. Its for this same reason that I dont use Vallejo Metal Colour that much. Theyre great for airbrushing but are annoying to use on a wet palette.
I do like Scale 75, their blends are so smooth and the finish is so nice. The problem with the paints is that you have to SHAKE THE HECK OUT OF THEM. Like for two minutes every time you use them. I hold the bottle upside down and then furiously wave it like I'm hammering a nail I hate. That gives it a pretty good consistency. But yes they're not a beginner range, but they do things no other range does.
Scale 75 paints are what drove me to finally get one of those little paint shakers, because my arm would have detached from the socket by this point if I hadn't.
Really loving the Scale 75 line, and have a few of their smooth acrylics I need to try too. I agree, even with an agitator, you need to shake the piss out of them. Almost makes me want to buy a vortex mixer...almost
I have Game Colour ones and I'm not the biggest fan of their consistency. They come out gloopier than Citadel (Citadel usually much thicker so I have more control on the viscosity when adding water). Also its almost impossible to get the tiniest bit out when you only need very little, with pots this is easy. Mixing paints using pots is a pain though.
it's so nice (and actually helpful!) to see a video that isn't simply trying to come up with THE BEST PAINTS EVER and acknowledges that different paints simply work differently, not better or worse, so thanks for this.
You know the old saying, “emulation is the best form of flattery”. 😂 but you’re absolutely correct, paint is paint, and what works for one doesn’t work for another. Everyone should build a range based on personal needs. And my need is to religiously collect paint. Oh and models! It’s an addiction! 😂😂
found your video after i filmed mine and saw jons drop and then did some research. Yours is much more detailed and gave a lot of info I didn't think about. Also it made me realise some people are much crazier than me when it comes to buying/owning paints and it made me feel a little better, so thanks for that 😂
@@trovarionoh yes, when it comes to paint I have a problem. Those are just my mini paints, I won’t even get started on art paints, coloured pens and pencils and the stuff i ended up getting for my kids. I walk into an art store and laugh at their minimal selection. 😂 But in terms of videos. With over 500 hours every minute uploaded to TH-cam many things are going to be similar. So keep making great stuff mate, make what you want, ignore the haters. I’ll be watching!
There is just SO much choice these days. When I started painting in '89, I had like 20 paints (Citadel Colour and Creature sets, plus one or two extras). Looking at getting back into the hobby again, and there is almost option paralysis. Videos like this are very helpful when considering which route to go down.
I'm in the same boat mate! Options for days! I think I'm going to pick up the army painter fanatic set, because of the availability/price ratios, and it'll give me a good base of paints to work with :)
Haha, was just about to write the same. I managed for many years with just 20 paints plus some cheapo craft paints for mixers and terrain. I’m now up to about 50 and it’s already too many. It’s pre-thinned airbrush paint that’s the real troublemaker as it forces you to duplicate colours.
A fellow fluor paint enthusiast here. After a decent amount of testing I have concluded I like the Golden High Flow ones and the Amsterdam Ink ones the most. I don't really like of the hobby brands and sadly also not the Daler Rowney ones either. I did a light fastness test by exposing them to sunlight for the better part of a year (east facing window, so maybe 2 hours of sunlight on everage). The more powerful the fluorescent, the more they faded. For example the fluor green from Daler Rowney did okayish, but was never bright to begin with. Like it's a blend of fluorescent green pigment and a regular pigment making it less fluorescent, but also more resistant to fading.
Not mentioned here, but I have to say I really like the two-thin-coats line from Duncan. It´s close to Citadel, but comes in a dropper and many of the paints have better properties, especially colours like White. White Star from TTC is really good for example
that dry/chalky brush feeling is so relatable, i always thought it was a skill issue. i will for sure try some new paints to see if the issue is mitigated. I normally stick to the paints i already have unless i need a new color but this video has shown me that sometimes it is certainly worth it to test new paints
Thanks for the video. I'm a Scale75 happy user. While I agree that they are probably not suited for beginners, I find them to be a little underrated, especially the Fantasy&Games range which, for me, is amazing (and adds that punch that the regular, very matt range might lack sometimes). Once learned hot to work with them I started having a lot of fun, and the more I use them the more I like them. It's not the perfect range(s) of course, I have introduced a few AKs to fill a gap or two (Wine red and Burnt red for example, man they rock), but overall I'm really happy.
I was actually pretty pleased this came out around the same time as Ninjon did something similar. Considering the subject matter is very, well, subjective, it's nice to get multiple artists' opinions on the same topic.
Being still a novice in the hobby, early on, MY biggest pet peeve is mixing colors(still is to an extent). From lighting to darkening is fine, but trying to get the right hue mixing two colors is always where I get dumbfounded. I ended buying a lot more colors that I used maybe three times, or even less, and ended up wasting much more money than I needed to. I reciprocated some of that money back selling a ton of unused colors, but I approached it wrong. The same could be said about brushes, which thankfully I have found my go to's in the hobby
Subscribed. I used to be very happy with Vallejo but since I learned that they had been bought by a private equity firm I have become very suspicious about their quality control. Plus, the recent lawsuit revealed that they lack to down emphasis on manufacturing quality. I recently moved to the Philippines and am looking forward to trying locally manufactured paints such as Hi Ro.
I was moderately surprised to hear the words "artist grade" as you panned over tubes of Winton... I can definitely understand the comments later on about the workflow oils have. It's something you either enjoy, or it's an annoying obstacle that you're constantly fighting against. Definitely have to agree about personal preference being a huge factor. I personally LOVE Gamblin's oil paints. Colour selection works well for me, I'm perfectly fine with the fact most of the pigments I've chosen are transparent or semi-transparent, and most importantly I love just how smooth and creamy they are. Others prefer a thicker bodied paint, and that's perfectly fine.
If you have a FLGS nearby I also recommend making one of their available ranges your core range. It's very convinient to be able to pick up one or two paints whenever you need them instead of shipping them to you. If you are like me you probably buy more paints than you need just to make the shipping costs go away.
Seconded. Especially if one doesn't live in the US, EU, UK etc. I use as much Vallejo as I can get my hands on; but my other go-to is Mig-Ammo-for-Figures, which is actually really good; handles similar to Vallejo as far I can tell, honestly.
Great video, glad you took time to discuss the nuances and subjectivity of the subject. Case in point, Scalecolor Artist range are my absolute favorite paints of all time, took zero time for me to adjust. It's to the point that when I learned they created new sets (including a fluorescent one!) I immediately got all of them, no regrets. At the same time the Vallejo Model range gave me nothing but frustration, especially the metallics, outside of the simplest applications. I do like their blacks and blues though and all the non-paint products like the brush-on primer, thinner, mediums, etc.
My first acrylics were Flames of War colors, modified Vallejo paints. Stuck with Vallejo ever since. The GC paints overall are a super improvement over model color but still use model color some for WWII. The new bottles are awesome as well. So I'm comfortable with them and make my own washes, etc. When one is lacking in any way I'll buy and eventually find it in another brand. I have been interested in the Kimera core set and will grab one at some point. Good video, thanks.
This is an ace video and bang on point. Most painters find personal preferences depending on how they paint. One thing I would suggest is selling on paint you no longer use. I got back into the hobby back in 2018 by purchasing as joblot of AP Warpaints. Over time I found the paint types I prefer and recently sold on all of my old AP, GSW and duplicates for a small amount of money (£50 for 200 paints). The buyer was made up as they were also just getting back into the hobby.
Thanks for the video. I started mini painting with army painter and I'm used to the way their paints work and how I get the results I want. I'm really thinking hard about getting the new rangerange but as you said in the video, there is no actual need to do so. Instead I'll buy the new colors when the old ones are done or I don't have it yet. ✌️
Joined this hobby 5 years ago with a gunpla/scale modeling background. All my paints come from standard US art stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels who carry my to-go-to brands for cheap, vallejo, liquitex, and Tamiya(shoutout to the flat white!) for cheap, especially during paint sales. Iv tried citadel paints, mainly from the intro model/paint sets from 9th and 10th edition. Iv tried a few contrast paints just to see what the hype was, but just prefer inks. The only benefit this hobby has given me is swapping most my vallejo paints for the new game color paints. Iv tried one paint from Pro Acryl and am considering adding those to my collection primarily for this hobby.
I really like this video, I've enjoyed watching this topic covered lately by those other channels that you mention. I really relate to your mentality: I like to have my core paints from the same brand for consistency. When I started painting I mostly bought old Game Color but after a year or so I realized I didnt like them, sold them and bought some AK and Model Color. After testing them I gravitated towards AK because I like more their consistency (both the paint medium and the range). Almost all my normal paints are AK, then I have some metallics from vallejo (steel, gunmetal and silver from Mecha Colors are amazing, skip the golds though, on the other hand I've had good luck with golds and bronzes from AK but not the silvers), a few vallejo xpress and army painter speedpaints, 3 citadel washes for metallics (vallejo washes mat them down too much) and a couple of the new Game Color for saturation, although I've got most of the new AK Colorpunch ones. I used to have a few more of the new Game Color but I don't really like how they dilute and brush, Im so used to the creaminess of AK.
Ofc the main difference betwen this and Ninjon's is the lack of ragebait in the title and thumbnail! :D In all seriousness, a really good video and I'm starting to look at expanding into new ranges as I'm really struggling with some citadel paints and their constant separation and the fact their pots are awful. I've used some of the Vallejo heavy pigment range and they're great but need a lot of management to get into a workable state. You're 100% spot on with the vallejo air metallic range. I've never used any metallics that come close to them, it's a shame their golds arent nearly as good as the silvers though.
To get rid of Vallejo Metal Color Gold‘s green tint, just mix it with a few drops of Copper from the same range. You do not need much at all to get an incredible warm Gold on par with the other metallics & with more Copper it yields a lovely red-gold. But I‘m just a fan of those metallics… as standalone, mixed or tinted with inks or contrast. Only negative: caps get messy after intense shaking (necessary b/c don’t get to paint regularly).
This is a great approach. ProAcryl has been my go-to range for a while, but since their color selection is still pretty limited, so I was excited when Warpaints Fanatic was announced. After getting a chance to try them and liking them, I ordered individual bottles to augment my ProAcryl collection of colors. Probably the best benefit out of Army Painter's new line isn't even the formula or how they perform, it's that their grouping of colors makes it very easy to find what I (or any beginner/intermediate painter) want and pick out just what I need. AK's range feels all over the place in comparison and bloated with too many weird one-off collections of paints. I probably would have gone with AK Gen 3 much earlier if it was easier to parse through what I wanted from them and they were a little more available in the USA, as I really enjoy how they perform too.
Was thinking of trying a few ProAcryl paints. Any suggestions as to the most useful colours? I mostly paint historical stuff so have little use for bright violets and blushing oranges. They’re pretty expensive in Europe at about $7 a bottle.
All of the complaints I have seen with Scale 75 paints seem to revolve around the medium turning chalky when thinned. Here is a tip, use Vallejo flow improver or Scale 75 brand thinner. And for glazing, use an actual glaze medium.
Vallejo Model, Game, Inks and Washes, Green Stuff chameleon paints, AP Speed paints 1.0, GW Nuln and Agrax. Vallejo is my core, because they are the easiest to get here, and also the best value. My entire paint collection is less than 100 paints. "These Artist Colors from Scale75 are not my thing." - Displays the deluxe wooden box from every angle possible, with glowing red light behind it. 😂
I find vallejo really solid. Prices are fair and the dropper bottles are also great, because you are not tempted to dip a brush into the pot, getting color deep into the brush and ruining it.
I really enjoy these videos, I have not painted miniatures in 10 years and i'm getting back in to it at the moment. But its a jungle out there and everything I thought I knew, is outdated and irrelevant, theres a way better market with better options now, you help me understand what is what. Thanks a lot.
I've been painting with Kimera a lot, but like you, i also find myself often needing that specific blend for consistent purposes. I mostly use the inktensity sets from scale75, but i never touch their basic paints. For those, i mostly supliment with AK and vallejo, but only a few. I try to preserve my original wave one set of kimera, cause i find that their quality and texture dropped a lot with newer releases. I do keep their artist specific sets around for some extra blends though.
I have the same paints pile of shame. When I ame to the hobby I learned on Duncan's videos so basis of my paint range was the Citadel. With the time I switched to Vallejo air range, but then I understood that it's not my cup of tea. Their Model color range was much better but still something was missing. Finally I came to AK 3rd gen and till this day it's the best paint range for me. Most colors range are really felt like velvet consistency and I like how it leaves the brush (some particular colors like 'Dirty Red' are really make me insane in a good way with their vibrancy and saturation). Recently I bought Kimera colors and Abteilung acrylic dense colors, but didn't try them yet in a big project, but seems they have similar quality as AK. So, I totally agree with author that each paints range could be the best range for particular painter. For me AK is the most understandable and friendly color range, but is i could mix colors as a professional, I think I'd use Kimera more. And, yes, there is nothing drive me mad more than the paints which don't do their purposes as I exect withour reasons (freaking whites!!!). Happy painting! )
Honestly, the journey on some of these 'FOMO' or obsessive collecting stuff matters more to me than the result - i.e how much I used it in the end etc. It was the research, learning all about the topic, listening to experts, comparing, searching and assembling... that has value in and of itself to me. I used to feel guilty not using everything much, but then I realize I had enjoyed it anyways.
AK interactive it hard to find where I live, but I have been enjoying them when I find them. My next go to is Vallejo. The consistency with both brands are just what I want in a paint range.
I pretty much use Vallejo as there is a store thats a 15min walk away that do almost the entire range of them. I usually pick up colours that will help me make flesh look better and nmm, grey, white and blacks are a must as well. I will get some army painter fanatic stuff and speedpaints as well as I love the Vallejo xpress range.
AK is really good, and I've built up quite a number of their colors one or two bottles at a time thanks to a local hobby shop that stocks them. I tried a few Scale 75 colors a couple years back and I agree with Ninjon and Trovarion that the weird gel-like consistency of them is terrible. Which sucks, because they have neat shades, especially in the Fantasy line.
One of my big surprises was that while I liked Scale 75 paints in and of themselves, I tend to mix different paint brands together. Mixing the gel based 75 with other medium based brands left me with wildly inconsistent texture that drove me crazy.
I have Vallejo paints. They work for me. So I simply havent tried others save Citadel in the past. And I have some Greenstuff world dipping inks as well for tinting/darklining and so on. I dont buy a color I already have if it works. I have used citadel almost exclusively before as those were the ones easily available to me. But after 10+ years out of the hobby they were all rock hard thanks to the pots... and my 5 vallejo bottels still good to go. Hence the shift. My only paint pile if shame are the 8 or so bottles of Vallejo that for some reason were very glossy despite not labeled as gloss, especially compared to the other matt drying ones. Put them in paint jail so I dont pick them up when painting. I will concider another brand if I can get it and I almost ran out of said color.
I like this subject, even after already seeing Ninjohns video. Dry Pigments and Inks are next and my "to learn" list, think I'm going dry pigment first.
I started with a Vallejo Model Color set on Amazon, then bought a couple of colors here and there as needed. Then I ended up buying a specific color just to paint a couple of lines instead of just mixing and I sold some of them leaving just base and highlight of primary colors, metallics and washes.
I started with the old Vallejo GC and immediatly splurged into the new GC. I also have a set of AK 3rd Gen pastels and fluos. I do regret that I didnt go to AK for regular acrylics since the new VGC has this bubble issue. Lesson: never go all in into something new and stick with what works for you
I sold all my Vallejo old GC and got into AK 3rd gen. When the new GC came out I bought 8 colors to try and didn't really like them. I kept only 2 for saturation and hue, but now that I ordered the new AK color punch line I might get rid of those as well.
Ive been trying to simplify, starting with a base of kimera for the basics but now im looking for another small paint range to boost variation and then leave it there.
I see a lot of mini painters using Daler FW inks, just be careful of the lightfastness. I use Liquitex only as their inks are archival quality and the price is basically the same
I've bought into scale75 years ago, when getting consistent matte finish was what made them special. Difficult to work with, require a lot of shaking before use and not that great altogether (except for reds, which I like a lot). Now I just want to use up so much of my stock, thst it is justified to slowly transition to Kimera or Proacryl.
What i can recommend (considering oils) and don´t see used anywhere - when it comes to Energy Weapons or Flames or anything that needs a real bright core (maybe even in multiple steps) - everyone seems to be using regular inks for the white - which is fine - but it can be a bit more tricky than just using white oil paint thinned down to a wash. It´s basically panel lining in white and the (good) oil paints have so much pigment - it does the job perfectly and much easier with the added possibility of removing/cleaning it... just saying :)
My paint pile of shame is all my citadel paints lol. They’re in drawers and never get used even though i recanted pretty much the entire range (contrast, ‘base’ and ‘layer’ paints. Im fully bought into Vallejo now - mostly the new game color, xpress, and a bunch of old model colors. Ill eventually check out AK and Pro Acryl but really don’t feel any need to do so right now.
i have started the process of converting from GW to AK paints bar the exception of metalics, washes and conrasts, those GW actually does well tho i will have to look elsewhere to replace some of the more cartoony and vibrant GW colors
I personally LOVE using Vallejo, it being the only range I really use aside from the 3 citadel paints I have, those being The Fang for my Tau, Abaddon Black because I ran out of black and my LGS was out of Vallejo, and Retributor armor
Totally agree about Reaper MSP. I've been fighting with them and I'm just about done with them. Thinking about saving them for an airbrush. Do you have experience running them through an airbrush? Also agree on your take with Scale 75. I'm about to ditch those too.
I saw where you referenced craft world studios in your video. I really liked them when I found their channel but they haven’t put out anything in almost a year. Do you know what happened to them by chance?
Nice video, as always! I'm kind of a new painter, just having started in early 2023, but I agree with not limiting oneself to one set of colors. I have a mix of different ranges and it's been working great for me, most are citadel though, since those are easy to get for me. I usually don't comment, but I always like your videos! I don't want to come across as rude, but I noticed something very small that I've not noticed before. When you have your arms on the table and you're talking into the camera, every time you move your arms, the camera shakes a bit. It's not really a big deal, and I'd be perfectly fine to never see it addressed, just something I noticed that I figured you might want to know about. If not, sorry :/ Have a nice day!
I'm a bit of an odd duck in that the majority of my paint rack is a mix of the new Army painter, TTcombat, and Green Stuff World. The AP because of the ese of availability, the TTcombat because I kickstarted it and I like some of there colors a lot plus nice and matte, and GSW because the newer Maxx Formula stuff is very matte and in some cases, like lapis lazuli, will just punch you in the face with pigment.
We all have different levels of skill and interest for painting. I think the experimentation is good. But you bring up a good point. You don't need to buy a mega paint set, to test out a new set of paints. I do think one or two colors is not the best method though. I would go with the starter sets because that will give you more colors and variety to get a better feel for how the set will perform. Then you might find you hate one color and love another. Locally for me, I can only purchase Games Workshop paints. Everything else is mail order. It would be different if I could buy one or another locally.
Kimera :Only with airbrush in a finish way. Scale 75 :Drybrush excellent and nice metallics. Citadel :All Base and Layer removed in 30ml drop bottles. Tamiya : Only with airbrush. Vallejo model color(not the new range) : good but problem wh pigment séparation,so add metallics balls ans shake hard. Vallejo game air and Color :All good used.. Monument Hobbie Pro acryl:Best in airbrush,no clooging on the tip. Citadel contrast,shade:Excellent. AK 3gen :Excellent. Iwata and Garage kit US colors:Only used for expensive and rare figures. FW inks and Liquitex:Not used very much. Have to try Duncan Rhodes,P3,Star Wars paint..
I started using Vallejo in 90s when I strted painting. Never regretted and sticked with Vallejo since then. Occasionally I pick some colors from AK. I was gifted with Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0, they are good, but once again, vallejo. Xpress Colors for me are a way better variant of contrast paints. Never used Citadel and will never use citadel. Vallejo has everything I need and AK gives some choice picks. For effects and washes - Tamiya. There is nothing in mini painting lines which can even REMOTELY come close to Tamiya Panel LIner.
started painted some of my 3d printed models a month or 2 ago so i bought some cheap paints from amazon, what a mistake! bought some vellajo paints ans wow what a difference! im very very far from being a decent painter but with good paints its alot easier i find
I love my Kimera (they do almost all my base colours), but I have seen some results from others that my paints do not do (with colours that I have). That does imply their quality control isn't great.
The only thing i learned so far is everey paint range has hit and miss colors...there is just try and error, listening to recommendations and search for a color that works best for you
I think its also applications. Ive moved into using Golden Acrylics for most of my power armour and metallic surfaces, but for organic surfaces and textures im still using my Army Painter 1.0 (i know, but its what i have). I'll still probably upgrade to either the new Fanatic Set, or maybe a Vallejo or Monument Hobbies set to replace those.
One thing I noticed is that acrylic inks can be really hard on brushes, should I be washing them at some point between large batches of painting or is it okay to save them to the end? What should I used to clear them off the brush well or do I just need a brush to sacrifice for it?
It's amazing, but I would not throw away a line of paints that you are perfectly happy with just to get it, only because "Youtubas". I hope that was the message of the video 😅
@@trovarion seems like a great place to start, though. especially since i don't have a lot of paints at all. 🤔 also, great video. keep up the good work! 👍
Vallejo and AK have become my core along some Citadel paints that I like enough to accept them being in pots. But I still haven't found a good set of reds that I can use for my Blood Ravens. So many reds want to be very warm and orange when it comes to highlights instead of going from a dark red, kinda normal "Mepthiston" like red, and then a somewhat colder highlight or two. I wish I could just test some colors before I buy them since it quickly becomes expensive... Anyone got any good ideas for the kind of colder red highlight I'm looking for?
also, i personally use a mix of glaze medium, flow improver, thinner and water - this makes pretty much all paints act the same way when thinned with surfactants, and glaze medium adds binder which makes overthinning almost impossible. when thinned a lot it acts like contrast paints/washes too.
I completely agree i have nearly the same thing as i moved to ak interactive as my main and vallejo as my main airbrush paint. I don’t know if this is relevant to anyone but i have found bad results from mixing ak interactive with vallejo flow improver, hence why i use one brand for airbrush and the other for painting.
Video comes out in the same timing than I was thinking of buying AK paints because my scale artist was too hard/long too use for simple things (probably a skill issue from me too hard to manage ..)💸
Quick summary is: buy a few paints of each manufacturers at the begining, test how each works for you for brush and airbrush. Then choose the one you prefer most. Use your own experience not others. As what works for orhers may not feels well for you.
My one problem with ak paints is that I find their online swatches aren’t very good. A few times the colour has been quite different to what I expected which means I often choose pro acryl or Vallejo model colour over them
I have like 5 paints from each range that i love. All have good coverage and i enjoy the familiarity of knowing what i can do with them. Dont think i would ever buy a whole range, each colour may behave differently and most of the set could be a total waste. Also Rakarth Flesh is probably my favourite of any paint. Incredibly good at pretty much everything. Go get some Rakarth flesh everybody.
Christoph es gibt genau zwei Dinge die ich gerne mal von dir sehen würde. Einmal wie du einen Night Lord malst, bis jetzt war das beste was ich da gesehen habe von Richard Gray der den Night Lords eine interessante Textur gegeben hat. Das zweite ware ein Colossus von Marvel. Das ganze Metal an dem Character kann nie richtig gut in Szene gesetzt werden irgendwie, da würde ich wirklich gerne wissen ob du eher nmm oder tmm einsetzt um der Miniatur einen guten Schliff zu geben. Ich liebe dein Zeug, deine Videos haben mich echt nach vorne geschoben.
Thanks for the reminder! I was getting close to buying a big lot of paints i mostly don't need. Yes it's cheaper to buy a $300 paint set if you're going to need ALL the paints. But I certainly don't need them all. It's better to buy 6 paints individually. Turns out that's cheaper than $300. 😅
Thank you INTO THE AM for these Elevated Everyday Graphic Tees! Get yours now and get 10% off site-wide when you click this link: intotheam.com/TROV
just giving you a heads up when I clicked this video on my main page it took me to some endorsement/sponsor warning and I couldn't find this video to watch till I looked you up directly..
@@cartorius what exactly did the warning say? how weird...
@@trovarion its a PSA about endorsed and paid content. just states that content creaters get paid to show specific content in their videos. when I clicked your video from the main page it took me to their website regarding it, then I went back and your video wasn't there as if I watched it already. so I had to go look for it to watch it. I've seen it twice in the past recently not exclusive to you but it seems like "sugestive" content is getting that PSA now (even though your content wasn't even tat suggestive..) ether way, thanks for the video, I've been struggling with some paints myself and was thinking of switch to a new "line" this video put that to bed.
@@trovarion seems like videos which have paid content (ads) in them, have this odd mouseover overlay button on frontpage. I've managed to click it and get to the google's "warning/explanation" of what paid content is several times. TH-cam-things, I guess :P
honestly the main reason i moved away from Citadel colors are the pots, i Hate those pots. i still use some of them but if i can get a replacer from Vallejo, AK or Two Thin Coats im doing it
I swear they make them bad deliberately so paint dries/you spill more...
I am the exact same way.
Yall need to cut the hinge off the pots if you are having trouble with them.lol.
Yeah I hate them, they just get all gammy at the top and then you can't close them properly. Except the contrast paints, because they're so much thinner and a lot of the time get used right out of the pot, the design is alright for those.
the pots are great for shades and washes. I HATE them for their standard range. It makes air brushing a PITA
I think there is a criteria which is often overlooked, which is what does your local shop sell. citadel paint is great in that sense. I don't need to wait a week to get a colour I need. It's always fun to try a different brand, but if it's hard to find or has a minimum purchase amount then I'd think about sticking with the ones you can walk into most shops and buy
There’s one local store that sells a lot of Vallejo paints but yeah they don’t have a lot in stock or Vallejo themselves don’t have equivalent citadel paints, so I’ll go with citadel sometimes.
Just my 2 cents: Pretty much everywhere sells Vallejo. They have been the most consistent, reasonably priced and high quality paints I have come across. I used to get them on Amazon Prime UK for just over £2 (they are nearly 3 now) and they'd come either same or next day. The fact that they're on amazon makes such a huge difference for me.
I have to admit I've not really bought a lot of other paint ranges until a local shop started stocking them. I'm really lucky in that this shop en route home stocks AK and 2 Thin Coats, then this place called Boyes in my home town sells the whole Vallejo range and loads of cheap hobby tools - both stores stock citadel and colour forge sprays too.
GW employee spotted 😂
The internet, don't pay premium prices for random quality paints in terrible pots when you can get pretty much anything delivered in 24-72 hours over most of the developed world.
I commented the same on most videos. Ultimately, everything is down to preferences and understanding the attributes of the paints and how you prefer to work. Your answer places the onus back on the viewer/painter to ask themselves what they are about and how they do their thing, which IMO is the only universal answer(a lot probably won't appreciate it, as you're not providing a cookie cutter shortcut answer, but that's too bad for those who are not using the chance to better understand themselves).
If product X/Y/Z is enjoyable for you to work with and provides you with the results you're after, then that product is what you should use. Doesn't maker experimenting with different things wrong, but the intent for experimenting is to push the understanding of what different attributes/factors do to change your medium of choice. Just be aware that it's also very easy to end up experimenting for the sake of experimentation(that thing about whether or not you could/should).
I have painted with model color and citadel for the most part of my long painting journey. Some years ago AK released their 3rd gen and bought a couple of colours and I was so impressed I started replacing all my old paints with those and never looked back, even the silver metallics, which are dense and can be thinned with water without going all glittery.
Same, AK is my top paint.
Very useful video, which (with Ninjon's) is reminding me that there is a thing of too many paints. However as a historical gamer/painter I am looking for a lot of specific colours for one off tasks. Then organisation of the collection is vital.
Thanks for sharing! I guess it makes sense in that context.
This really was some great timing. It was really useful to be able to watch your video and Ninjon's video so close together. Thanks
Great buying advice, and this actually applies to many skills and crafts, not just painting. There's always a big consumer market hoping to take your money with new, slightly different products that do the same task. Once you have your core set of tools, try to limit new purchases to when a tool does a specific task much better and more conveniently than anything else.
A refreshing, non biased look at paint ranges! Watching your vid, unlike quite a few others out there, i feel safe in the knowledge that i am not being pushed toward certain ranges or companies as it lines your pocket.
So, thank you Chris as that means a lot to me.
I am one of those scale 75 fans, and their range tends to make up the bulk of my palette. Though as you mentioned, it does take a little time to really understand the paints better.
Your overview of what to look for in a range was fantastic, and i cant wait to see what you do next :)
Non biased? th-cam.com/video/87oZw_hbuJo/w-d-xo.html
>Paints are basically all good, they can't afford to put out crappy colours anymore
and yet, when compared to artist paints, both for what the product you get is and as well as transparency of advertising (which mini paints label bottles with transparent/semi opaque/opaque? not AK or Vallejo) the product we receive in the mini painting world is decidedly sub par. At best mini paints are convenient, but this convenience is a trade off.
One other thing to take note of - trovarion mentions that he wouldn't change his paint line to paint in a different way. He is married to the classic miniature painting methodology and people, particularly those interested in starting in the hobby should really ask themselves if they want to paint this way - can something similar be achieved in a different way? Do you need 20 shades of each primary colour?
Some of my favorite purchases were the fluorescent paints and the pearlescent transition paints . They aren't easy to work with , but I love the way they look as a final touch to my tyranids . I step away from model painting for 1 year and even that was enough time for several brands to vanish and new ones to rise up better than ever. Ty for the video really helps to get my bearing again.❤
Every artist prefers a certain product and proves the ones they use are good for them. To each their own. Great vid, bud.
Great video with high value for beginners! IMHO: bringing in Ninjons statements about picked / dumped colour lines into the video and explaining why not picking / dumping it four yourselves, underlines the essential message, that every one has his specific way to paint and pick his core colours, even more.
scale75 has a handful of colours that I just cant find anywhere else, like their metallic reds, bloodfest crimson, black leather. Many of their colours are quite saturated and great for glazing or filtering. While this function is mostly taken over by inks, scale75 sits better on a wet palette for me. I'd rather not have to grab another dry palette. Its for this same reason that I dont use Vallejo Metal Colour that much. Theyre great for airbrushing but are annoying to use on a wet palette.
I do like Scale 75, their blends are so smooth and the finish is so nice. The problem with the paints is that you have to SHAKE THE HECK OUT OF THEM. Like for two minutes every time you use them. I hold the bottle upside down and then furiously wave it like I'm hammering a nail I hate. That gives it a pretty good consistency. But yes they're not a beginner range, but they do things no other range does.
Scale 75 paints are what drove me to finally get one of those little paint shakers, because my arm would have detached from the socket by this point if I hadn't.
Really loving the Scale 75 line, and have a few of their smooth acrylics I need to try too. I agree, even with an agitator, you need to shake the piss out of them. Almost makes me want to buy a vortex mixer...almost
I love Vallejo paints. The game color and xpress color ranges make up my entire collection and I think they do a fine enough job
I have Game Colour ones and I'm not the biggest fan of their consistency. They come out gloopier than Citadel (Citadel usually much thicker so I have more control on the viscosity when adding water). Also its almost impossible to get the tiniest bit out when you only need very little, with pots this is easy. Mixing paints using pots is a pain though.
it's so nice (and actually helpful!) to see a video that isn't simply trying to come up with THE BEST PAINTS EVER and acknowledges that different paints simply work differently, not better or worse, so thanks for this.
You know the old saying, “emulation is the best form of flattery”. 😂 but you’re absolutely correct, paint is paint, and what works for one doesn’t work for another. Everyone should build a range based on personal needs.
And my need is to religiously collect paint. Oh and models! It’s an addiction! 😂😂
found your video after i filmed mine and saw jons drop and then did some research. Yours is much more detailed and gave a lot of info I didn't think about. Also it made me realise some people are much crazier than me when it comes to buying/owning paints and it made me feel a little better, so thanks for that 😂
@@trovarionoh yes, when it comes to paint I have a problem. Those are just my mini paints, I won’t even get started on art paints, coloured pens and pencils and the stuff i ended up getting for my kids.
I walk into an art store and laugh at their minimal selection. 😂
But in terms of videos. With over 500 hours every minute uploaded to TH-cam many things are going to be similar. So keep making great stuff mate, make what you want, ignore the haters. I’ll be watching!
@@thestateofplay2023I’m also addicted to buying paint! And I organized them neatly and beautifully, so they are aesthetically pleasing 🤣😂.
There is just SO much choice these days. When I started painting in '89, I had like 20 paints (Citadel Colour and Creature sets, plus one or two extras). Looking at getting back into the hobby again, and there is almost option paralysis. Videos like this are very helpful when considering which route to go down.
I'm in the same boat mate! Options for days! I think I'm going to pick up the army painter fanatic set, because of the availability/price ratios, and it'll give me a good base of paints to work with :)
Haha, was just about to write the same. I managed for many years with just 20 paints plus some cheapo craft paints for mixers and terrain. I’m now up to about 50 and it’s already too many.
It’s pre-thinned airbrush paint that’s the real troublemaker as it forces you to duplicate colours.
A fellow fluor paint enthusiast here. After a decent amount of testing I have concluded I like the Golden High Flow ones and the Amsterdam Ink ones the most. I don't really like of the hobby brands and sadly also not the Daler Rowney ones either. I did a light fastness test by exposing them to sunlight for the better part of a year (east facing window, so maybe 2 hours of sunlight on everage). The more powerful the fluorescent, the more they faded. For example the fluor green from Daler Rowney did okayish, but was never bright to begin with. Like it's a blend of fluorescent green pigment and a regular pigment making it less fluorescent, but also more resistant to fading.
Not mentioned here, but I have to say I really like the two-thin-coats line from Duncan. It´s close to Citadel, but comes in a dropper and many of the paints have better properties, especially colours like White. White Star from TTC is really good for example
that dry/chalky brush feeling is so relatable, i always thought it was a skill issue. i will for sure try some new paints to see if the issue is mitigated.
I normally stick to the paints i already have unless i need a new color but this video has shown me that sometimes it is certainly worth it to test new paints
Thanks for the video. I'm a Scale75 happy user. While I agree that they are probably not suited for beginners, I find them to be a little underrated, especially the Fantasy&Games range which, for me, is amazing (and adds that punch that the regular, very matt range might lack sometimes). Once learned hot to work with them I started having a lot of fun, and the more I use them the more I like them.
It's not the perfect range(s) of course, I have introduced a few AKs to fill a gap or two (Wine red and Burnt red for example, man they rock), but overall I'm really happy.
Also Scale 75 painted minis smell like vanilla. It’s not mentioned enough.
I was actually pretty pleased this came out around the same time as Ninjon did something similar. Considering the subject matter is very, well, subjective, it's nice to get multiple artists' opinions on the same topic.
Being still a novice in the hobby, early on, MY biggest pet peeve is mixing colors(still is to an extent). From lighting to darkening is fine, but trying to get the right hue mixing two colors is always where I get dumbfounded. I ended buying a lot more colors that I used maybe three times, or even less, and ended up wasting much more money than I needed to. I reciprocated some of that money back selling a ton of unused colors, but I approached it wrong. The same could be said about brushes, which thankfully I have found my go to's in the hobby
Subscribed. I used to be very happy with Vallejo but since I learned that they had been bought by a private equity firm I have become very suspicious about their quality control. Plus, the recent lawsuit revealed that they lack to down emphasis on manufacturing quality. I recently moved to the Philippines and am looking forward to trying locally manufactured paints such as Hi Ro.
This was a great unbiased video which really helped, thanks!
I was moderately surprised to hear the words "artist grade" as you panned over tubes of Winton... I can definitely understand the comments later on about the workflow oils have. It's something you either enjoy, or it's an annoying obstacle that you're constantly fighting against.
Definitely have to agree about personal preference being a huge factor. I personally LOVE Gamblin's oil paints. Colour selection works well for me, I'm perfectly fine with the fact most of the pigments I've chosen are transparent or semi-transparent, and most importantly I love just how smooth and creamy they are. Others prefer a thicker bodied paint, and that's perfectly fine.
If you have a FLGS nearby I also recommend making one of their available ranges your core range. It's very convinient to be able to pick up one or two paints whenever you need them instead of shipping them to you. If you are like me you probably buy more paints than you need just to make the shipping costs go away.
Seconded. Especially if one doesn't live in the US, EU, UK etc. I use as much Vallejo as I can get my hands on; but my other go-to is Mig-Ammo-for-Figures, which is actually really good; handles similar to Vallejo as far I can tell, honestly.
SCALE 75 are great colors........just shake well and ...yes ...for a long time.😢 A vortex shaker is necessary and will be a great help.
Great video, glad you took time to discuss the nuances and subjectivity of the subject. Case in point, Scalecolor Artist range are my absolute favorite paints of all time, took zero time for me to adjust. It's to the point that when I learned they created new sets (including a fluorescent one!) I immediately got all of them, no regrets. At the same time the Vallejo Model range gave me nothing but frustration, especially the metallics, outside of the simplest applications. I do like their blacks and blues though and all the non-paint products like the brush-on primer, thinner, mediums, etc.
My first acrylics were Flames of War colors, modified Vallejo paints. Stuck with Vallejo ever since. The GC paints overall are a super improvement over model color but still use model color some for WWII. The new bottles are awesome as well. So I'm comfortable with them and make my own washes, etc. When one is lacking in any way I'll buy and eventually find it in another brand.
I have been interested in the Kimera core set and will grab one at some point. Good video, thanks.
This is an ace video and bang on point. Most painters find personal preferences depending on how they paint. One thing I would suggest is selling on paint you no longer use. I got back into the hobby back in 2018 by purchasing as joblot of AP Warpaints. Over time I found the paint types I prefer and recently sold on all of my old AP, GSW and duplicates for a small amount of money (£50 for 200 paints). The buyer was made up as they were also just getting back into the hobby.
Thanks for the video. I started mini painting with army painter and I'm used to the way their paints work and how I get the results I want.
I'm really thinking hard about getting the new rangerange but as you said in the video, there is no actual need to do so.
Instead I'll buy the new colors when the old ones are done or I don't have it yet.
✌️
Joined this hobby 5 years ago with a gunpla/scale modeling background. All my paints come from standard US art stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels who carry my to-go-to brands for cheap, vallejo, liquitex, and Tamiya(shoutout to the flat white!) for cheap, especially during paint sales. Iv tried citadel paints, mainly from the intro model/paint sets from 9th and 10th edition. Iv tried a few contrast paints just to see what the hype was, but just prefer inks. The only benefit this hobby has given me is swapping most my vallejo paints for the new game color paints. Iv tried one paint from Pro Acryl and am considering adding those to my collection primarily for this hobby.
started painting with speedpaints 2.0, now im using warpaints fanatic and loving em. great paints.
I really like this video, I've enjoyed watching this topic covered lately by those other channels that you mention. I really relate to your mentality: I like to have my core paints from the same brand for consistency. When I started painting I mostly bought old Game Color but after a year or so I realized I didnt like them, sold them and bought some AK and Model Color. After testing them I gravitated towards AK because I like more their consistency (both the paint medium and the range). Almost all my normal paints are AK, then I have some metallics from vallejo (steel, gunmetal and silver from Mecha Colors are amazing, skip the golds though, on the other hand I've had good luck with golds and bronzes from AK but not the silvers), a few vallejo xpress and army painter speedpaints, 3 citadel washes for metallics (vallejo washes mat them down too much) and a couple of the new Game Color for saturation, although I've got most of the new AK Colorpunch ones. I used to have a few more of the new Game Color but I don't really like how they dilute and brush, Im so used to the creaminess of AK.
Ofc the main difference betwen this and Ninjon's is the lack of ragebait in the title and thumbnail! :D
In all seriousness, a really good video and I'm starting to look at expanding into new ranges as I'm really struggling with some citadel paints and their constant separation and the fact their pots are awful. I've used some of the Vallejo heavy pigment range and they're great but need a lot of management to get into a workable state.
You're 100% spot on with the vallejo air metallic range. I've never used any metallics that come close to them, it's a shame their golds arent nearly as good as the silvers though.
Also the lack of blatant shilling 😅
To get rid of Vallejo Metal Color Gold‘s green tint, just mix it with a few drops of Copper from the same range. You do not need much at all to get an incredible warm Gold on par with the other metallics & with more Copper it yields a lovely red-gold.
But I‘m just a fan of those metallics… as standalone, mixed or tinted with inks or contrast.
Only negative: caps get messy after intense shaking (necessary b/c don’t get to paint regularly).
This is a great approach. ProAcryl has been my go-to range for a while, but since their color selection is still pretty limited, so I was excited when Warpaints Fanatic was announced. After getting a chance to try them and liking them, I ordered individual bottles to augment my ProAcryl collection of colors.
Probably the best benefit out of Army Painter's new line isn't even the formula or how they perform, it's that their grouping of colors makes it very easy to find what I (or any beginner/intermediate painter) want and pick out just what I need. AK's range feels all over the place in comparison and bloated with too many weird one-off collections of paints. I probably would have gone with AK Gen 3 much earlier if it was easier to parse through what I wanted from them and they were a little more available in the USA, as I really enjoy how they perform too.
Was thinking of trying a few ProAcryl paints. Any suggestions as to the most useful colours? I mostly paint historical stuff so have little use for bright violets and blushing oranges. They’re pretty expensive in Europe at about $7 a bottle.
All of the complaints I have seen with Scale 75 paints seem to revolve around the medium turning chalky when thinned. Here is a tip, use Vallejo flow improver or Scale 75 brand thinner. And for glazing, use an actual glaze medium.
Vallejo Model, Game, Inks and Washes, Green Stuff chameleon paints, AP Speed paints 1.0, GW Nuln and Agrax. Vallejo is my core, because they are the easiest to get here, and also the best value. My entire paint collection is less than 100 paints.
"These Artist Colors from Scale75 are not my thing." - Displays the deluxe wooden box from every angle possible, with glowing red light behind it. 😂
I find vallejo really solid. Prices are fair and the dropper bottles are also great, because you are not tempted to dip a brush into the pot, getting color deep into the brush and ruining it.
I really enjoy these videos, I have not painted miniatures in 10 years and i'm getting back in to it at the moment. But its a jungle out there and everything I thought I knew, is outdated and irrelevant, theres a way better market with better options now, you help me understand what is what. Thanks a lot.
The green stuff fluorescent paints are awesome! Sad that mine dried out in between my painting stints 😢
I've been painting with Kimera a lot, but like you, i also find myself often needing that specific blend for consistent purposes. I mostly use the inktensity sets from scale75, but i never touch their basic paints. For those, i mostly supliment with AK and vallejo, but only a few. I try to preserve my original wave one set of kimera, cause i find that their quality and texture dropped a lot with newer releases. I do keep their artist specific sets around for some extra blends though.
Thank you for the information on different paint companies out there my go to for years are Reaper and Privateer Press Paint
I have the same paints pile of shame. When I ame to the hobby I learned on Duncan's videos so basis of my paint range was the Citadel. With the time I switched to Vallejo air range, but then I understood that it's not my cup of tea. Their Model color range was much better but still something was missing. Finally I came to AK 3rd gen and till this day it's the best paint range for me. Most colors range are really felt like velvet consistency and I like how it leaves the brush (some particular colors like 'Dirty Red' are really make me insane in a good way with their vibrancy and saturation).
Recently I bought Kimera colors and Abteilung acrylic dense colors, but didn't try them yet in a big project, but seems they have similar quality as AK.
So, I totally agree with author that each paints range could be the best range for particular painter. For me AK is the most understandable and friendly color range, but is i could mix colors as a professional, I think I'd use Kimera more.
And, yes, there is nothing drive me mad more than the paints which don't do their purposes as I exect withour reasons (freaking whites!!!).
Happy painting! )
I liked your breakdown of "what to look for in a miniature paint" and I think it would be worth an extended discussion
Honestly, the journey on some of these 'FOMO' or obsessive collecting stuff matters more to me than the result - i.e how much I used it in the end etc. It was the research, learning all about the topic, listening to experts, comparing, searching and assembling... that has value in and of itself to me. I used to feel guilty not using everything much, but then I realize I had enjoyed it anyways.
AK interactive it hard to find where I live, but I have been enjoying them when I find them. My next go to is Vallejo. The consistency with both brands are just what I want in a paint range.
I pretty much use Vallejo as there is a store thats a 15min walk away that do almost the entire range of them. I usually pick up colours that will help me make flesh look better and nmm, grey, white and blacks are a must as well. I will get some army painter fanatic stuff and speedpaints as well as I love the Vallejo xpress range.
I'm really liking the AK3rd gen right now. I'm slowly replacing my citadel paints with them as I run out.
I would also recommend the green stuff world metallic pigments, they are great for tweaking colors or creating new ones
AK is really good, and I've built up quite a number of their colors one or two bottles at a time thanks to a local hobby shop that stocks them. I tried a few Scale 75 colors a couple years back and I agree with Ninjon and Trovarion that the weird gel-like consistency of them is terrible. Which sucks, because they have neat shades, especially in the Fantasy line.
I would like to see how modern painters react to old school paints like Humbrol, Pactra, Poly Scale and Testors. :)
One of my big surprises was that while I liked Scale 75 paints in and of themselves, I tend to mix different paint brands together. Mixing the gel based 75 with other medium based brands left me with wildly inconsistent texture that drove me crazy.
Oh boy, I loved this vid! I completely agree with the minimal use of contrast paints then the AK ultramatt varnish in the toolbox.
I have Vallejo paints. They work for me. So I simply havent tried others save Citadel in the past. And I have some Greenstuff world dipping inks as well for tinting/darklining and so on. I dont buy a color I already have if it works.
I have used citadel almost exclusively before as those were the ones easily available to me. But after 10+ years out of the hobby they were all rock hard thanks to the pots... and my 5 vallejo bottels still good to go. Hence the shift. My only paint pile if shame are the 8 or so bottles of Vallejo that for some reason were very glossy despite not labeled as gloss, especially compared to the other matt drying ones. Put them in paint jail so I dont pick them up when painting.
I will concider another brand if I can get it and I almost ran out of said color.
I like this subject, even after already seeing Ninjohns video. Dry Pigments and Inks are next and my "to learn" list, think I'm going dry pigment first.
I started with a Vallejo Model Color set on Amazon, then bought a couple of colors here and there as needed. Then I ended up buying a specific color just to paint a couple of lines instead of just mixing and I sold some of them leaving just base and highlight of primary colors, metallics and washes.
Thanks for the video! Lots of paint choices. I appreciate you sharing your insights!
I started with the old Vallejo GC and immediatly splurged into the new GC. I also have a set of AK 3rd Gen pastels and fluos. I do regret that I didnt go to AK for regular acrylics since the new VGC has this bubble issue. Lesson: never go all in into something new and stick with what works for you
I sold all my Vallejo old GC and got into AK 3rd gen. When the new GC came out I bought 8 colors to try and didn't really like them. I kept only 2 for saturation and hue, but now that I ordered the new AK color punch line I might get rid of those as well.
Honestly I'm really interested in your storage for paints. I'd love for you to release a guide!
There is a link to the racks in the description!
Ive been trying to simplify, starting with a base of kimera for the basics but now im looking for another small paint range to boost variation and then leave it there.
I see a lot of mini painters using Daler FW inks, just be careful of the lightfastness. I use Liquitex only as their inks are archival quality and the price is basically the same
I've bought into scale75 years ago, when getting consistent matte finish was what made them special. Difficult to work with, require a lot of shaking before use and not that great altogether (except for reds, which I like a lot). Now I just want to use up so much of my stock, thst it is justified to slowly transition to Kimera or Proacryl.
What i can recommend (considering oils) and don´t see used anywhere - when it comes to Energy Weapons or Flames or anything that needs a real bright core (maybe even in multiple steps) - everyone seems to be using regular inks for the white - which is fine - but it can be a bit more tricky than just using white oil paint thinned down to a wash. It´s basically panel lining in white and the (good) oil paints have so much pigment - it does the job perfectly and much easier with the added possibility of removing/cleaning it... just saying :)
My paint pile of shame is all my citadel paints lol. They’re in drawers and never get used even though i recanted pretty much the entire range (contrast, ‘base’ and ‘layer’ paints.
Im fully bought into Vallejo now - mostly the new game color, xpress, and a bunch of old model colors. Ill eventually check out AK and Pro Acryl but really don’t feel any need to do so right now.
I paint mine with $2/75ml cheapo chinezium. Works fine for me. Thin the on a wet palette and it is perfectly adequate for me.
i have started the process of converting from GW to AK paints
bar the exception of metalics, washes and conrasts, those GW actually does well
tho i will have to look elsewhere to replace some of the more cartoony and vibrant GW colors
I personally LOVE using Vallejo, it being the only range I really use aside from the 3 citadel paints I have, those being The Fang for my Tau, Abaddon Black because I ran out of black and my LGS was out of Vallejo, and Retributor armor
Totally agree about Reaper MSP. I've been fighting with them and I'm just about done with them. Thinking about saving them for an airbrush. Do you have experience running them through an airbrush?
Also agree on your take with Scale 75. I'm about to ditch those too.
I saw where you referenced craft world studios in your video. I really liked them when I found their channel but they haven’t put out anything in almost a year. Do you know what happened to them by chance?
Patreon pays more.
Nice video, as always!
I'm kind of a new painter, just having started in early 2023, but I agree with not limiting oneself to one set of colors. I have a mix of different ranges and it's been working great for me, most are citadel though, since those are easy to get for me.
I usually don't comment, but I always like your videos!
I don't want to come across as rude, but I noticed something very small that I've not noticed before. When you have your arms on the table and you're talking into the camera, every time you move your arms, the camera shakes a bit. It's not really a big deal, and I'd be perfectly fine to never see it addressed, just something I noticed that I figured you might want to know about. If not, sorry :/
Have a nice day!
I'm a bit of an odd duck in that the majority of my paint rack is a mix of the new Army painter, TTcombat, and Green Stuff World. The AP because of the ese of availability, the TTcombat because I kickstarted it and I like some of there colors a lot plus nice and matte, and GSW because the newer Maxx Formula stuff is very matte and in some cases, like lapis lazuli, will just punch you in the face with pigment.
We all have different levels of skill and interest for painting. I think the experimentation is good. But you bring up a good point. You don't need to buy a mega paint set, to test out a new set of paints. I do think one or two colors is not the best method though. I would go with the starter sets because that will give you more colors and variety to get a better feel for how the set will perform. Then you might find you hate one color and love another. Locally for me, I can only purchase Games Workshop paints. Everything else is mail order. It would be different if I could buy one or another locally.
Kimera :Only with airbrush in a finish way.
Scale 75 :Drybrush excellent and nice metallics.
Citadel :All Base and Layer removed in 30ml drop bottles.
Tamiya : Only with airbrush.
Vallejo model color(not the new range) : good but problem wh pigment séparation,so add metallics balls ans shake hard.
Vallejo game air and Color :All good used..
Monument Hobbie Pro acryl:Best in airbrush,no clooging on the tip.
Citadel contrast,shade:Excellent.
AK 3gen :Excellent.
Iwata and Garage kit US colors:Only used for expensive and rare figures.
FW inks and Liquitex:Not used very much.
Have to try Duncan Rhodes,P3,Star Wars paint..
I started using Vallejo in 90s when I strted painting. Never regretted and sticked with Vallejo since then.
Occasionally I pick some colors from AK. I was gifted with Army Painter Speedpaints 2.0, they are good, but once again, vallejo. Xpress Colors for me are a way better variant of contrast paints.
Never used Citadel and will never use citadel. Vallejo has everything I need and AK gives some choice picks. For effects and washes - Tamiya. There is nothing in mini painting lines which can even REMOTELY come close to Tamiya Panel LIner.
started painted some of my 3d printed models a month or 2 ago so i bought some cheap paints from amazon, what a mistake! bought some vellajo paints ans wow what a difference! im very very far from being a decent painter but with good paints its alot easier i find
I love my Kimera (they do almost all my base colours), but I have seen some results from others that my paints do not do (with colours that I have). That does imply their quality control isn't great.
u also gotta love that scale 75 spills like crazy in the bottlecaps. at least mine do
The only thing i learned so far is everey paint range has hit and miss colors...there is just try and error, listening to recommendations and search for a color that works best for you
I think its also applications. Ive moved into using Golden Acrylics for most of my power armour and metallic surfaces, but for organic surfaces and textures im still using my Army Painter 1.0 (i know, but its what i have). I'll still probably upgrade to either the new Fanatic Set, or maybe a Vallejo or Monument Hobbies set to replace those.
One thing I noticed is that acrylic inks can be really hard on brushes, should I be washing them at some point between large batches of painting or is it okay to save them to the end? What should I used to clear them off the brush well or do I just need a brush to sacrifice for it?
"there is no best miniature paint, except AK interactive simply make the best paints." - trovarion and ninjon 2024. 😂
It's amazing, but I would not throw away a line of paints that you are perfectly happy with just to get it, only because "Youtubas". I hope that was the message of the video 😅
@@trovarion seems like a great place to start, though. especially since i don't have a lot of paints at all. 🤔 also, great video. keep up the good work! 👍
@@arvidr 100% - if you are just starting out, very good set to get!
*laugh-cries in Golden High Flow and Fluid as well as Molotov One4All and Createx Wicked*
That also depends on how forgiving your moral compass is.
And here I am running only scale colors... But I do like em :)
No need to change it if it works for you!
Vallejo and AK have become my core along some Citadel paints that I like enough to accept them being in pots. But I still haven't found a good set of reds that I can use for my Blood Ravens. So many reds want to be very warm and orange when it comes to highlights instead of going from a dark red, kinda normal "Mepthiston" like red, and then a somewhat colder highlight or two. I wish I could just test some colors before I buy them since it quickly becomes expensive...
Anyone got any good ideas for the kind of colder red highlight I'm looking for?
also, i personally use a mix of glaze medium, flow improver, thinner and water - this makes pretty much all paints act the same way when thinned with surfactants, and glaze medium adds binder which makes overthinning almost impossible. when thinned a lot it acts like contrast paints/washes too.
But what if i want to use them unthinned...hmmmmmm ;)
@@trovarion then just a tad on the brush instead of drop on the paint, and it goes really well ;p i usually paint pretty thick as a scale75 owner ;D
Thanks for the update!
The inclusion of Ninjons video in this had me ROLLING. Watched both and got good info from each :)
I backed the waves 1,2,3 of two thins coats. Ive been extremely happy so far.
I completely agree i have nearly the same thing as i moved to ak interactive as my main and vallejo as my main airbrush paint. I don’t know if this is relevant to anyone but i have found bad results from mixing ak interactive with vallejo flow improver, hence why i use one brand for airbrush and the other for painting.
Video comes out in the same timing than I was thinking of buying AK paints because my scale artist was too hard/long too use for simple things (probably a skill issue from me too hard to manage ..)💸
Quick summary is: buy a few paints of each manufacturers at the begining, test how each works for you for brush and airbrush. Then choose the one you prefer most. Use your own experience not others. As what works for orhers may not feels well for you.
As a beginner painter, I tend to go with citadel and Vallejo cause those are the most common in video tutorials and I want to follow along exactly.
My one problem with ak paints is that I find their online swatches aren’t very good. A few times the colour has been quite different to what I expected which means I often choose pro acryl or Vallejo model colour over them
I have like 5 paints from each range that i love. All have good coverage and i enjoy the familiarity of knowing what i can do with them. Dont think i would ever buy a whole range, each colour may behave differently and most of the set could be a total waste.
Also Rakarth Flesh is probably my favourite of any paint. Incredibly good at pretty much everything. Go get some Rakarth flesh everybody.
Christoph es gibt genau zwei Dinge die ich gerne mal von dir sehen würde. Einmal wie du einen Night Lord malst, bis jetzt war das beste was ich da gesehen habe von Richard Gray der den Night Lords eine interessante Textur gegeben hat.
Das zweite ware ein Colossus von Marvel. Das ganze Metal an dem Character kann nie richtig gut in Szene gesetzt werden irgendwie, da würde ich wirklich gerne wissen ob du eher nmm oder tmm einsetzt um der Miniatur einen guten Schliff zu geben.
Ich liebe dein Zeug, deine Videos haben mich echt nach vorne geschoben.
My go to is Pro Acrylic and Vallejo
If you were to pick a single color to use as your goto enamel wash, what would it be? Burnt Umber? Van Dyke Brown? Burnt Sienna? Other?
Thanks for the reminder! I was getting close to buying a big lot of paints i mostly don't need. Yes it's cheaper to buy a $300 paint set if you're going to need ALL the paints. But I certainly don't need them all. It's better to buy 6 paints individually. Turns out that's cheaper than $300. 😅