Best paints to buy for painting minis (and best place to order them online)?

[Ninjato]

Hi there,

I've been trying out Valejo paints for a while now, and the only store they're available at near me sells old ones that are so dried up the paint in the bottle is actually solid inside. I've pointed this out to the staff at the store and they just put it right back on the shelf...

I've not had much luck with the Valejo paints there in other ways. The reds I bought from this store ended up being glossy, not matter how much I shook them. In fact, various paints were glossy, even though the paints are suppose to be matte.

I was wondering if people think I've just been unlucky with Valejo, as they seem to be the most popular. I love the dropper pots as opposed to the flip lids of Citadel paints. I was so frustrated with the glossy and caked paints at this store that I was tempted to go back to the Citadel paints. However, the Citadel paints I used to used are all gone, only to be replaced by a very weird looking new range. I've read different reviews on the new Citadel paints and the reviewers seem to hate the new range.

So I'm a bit confused here. I like to choose (and practice) with quality paints I can depend on. I paint almost exclusively fantasy minis for D&D tabletop games. Any advice? I would also need a good store to order from online, as I'll be heading overseas in a little while. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Bloodhowl]

I like Reaper Master Series and Vallejo. I usually order my stuff from:

http://www.thewarstore.com/

This may not be a good a choice if you do not live in the US, but you didn't say where in the world you are.

 

[MAXXxxx]

I think you've been trying the Game color line, as the model color and air color are not glossy at all. Game color though... has it's issues.

some suggestions in paints (mostly made for mini-games):
- Coat'D'arms (le old citadel manufacturer and colors)
- P3 (mostly for the colors not available in other ranges, it's finish is a bit satin, but can be remedied at the end with varnish)
- Andrea paints (basically the same as VMC)
- I've been hearing great things about Reaper's paints
But generally I'd go for 1-2 colors from each line to test it, and even if I found one I like more than the others I'd still buy a mix from different manufacturers.

As for other acrylics/oils: I've heard/seen on video great ones that are made for artists, they are a lot more expensive though, but some colors were just ace.

for store: sorry can't give advice here, no idea what overseas means to you (eu, us or asia). The online shop I use the most is the "battlefield-berlin.de" and sometimes "figone.fr". I find almost all the paints/minis I want in these two. (Both are Eu based)

 

[Wyrmypops]

If I had to pick just one range I'd probably go with Vallejo Model, but we don't have to pick one range, so let's not.

Sounds like you did get unlucky your Vallejo. Those I have are fine, be they from the Game Colour, Model Colour or Air ranges.
P3 are good paints, and as Max said they have colours you wont find elsewhere. I use their Coal Black a lot.
Andrea similarly so. I picked up a few during a sale and their "dark orange" and "reddish brown" while not imaginatively titled were great for suggesting uses other paints would have had to work hard to address.
I likely had bad luck with the Reaper paints I tried. Finding that they slide off the mini at the least provocation. Other don't report that problem so mine are probably an anomaly. The range includes a number of "triads", particularly good for addressing colours that can be a problem to transition from shade/medium/highlight without moving into different hues. Like Purple and Flesh, saves highlighting an Indigo with a Violet instead of a lighter Indigo, or a dark ruddy skin tone with a lighter yellow one.
Though, Lifecolor do a Flesh Paint Set I rate highly. In it you get two triads. I use those exclusively for fleshes now.
GW's new range is rather spiffing. Good qualities, but not so competitively priced.

Really, just get bits and peices here and there. You'll end up with a custom fit collection rather than squeezing into something off the peg.

 

[moetle]

I like Reaper Master Series and Vallejo. I usually order my stuff from:

http://www.thewarstore.com/

This may not be a good a choice if you do not live in the US, but you didn't say where in the world you are.

I'm with Bloodhowl on this cept for the reaper paints. You can order direct from them and anything over 25 bucks is shipped for free. I have not ordered from the warstore in a while but they have excellent service, but i don't remember if they do the free shipping thing or not.

If the store your getting your paints from has hardened paints that they just put back on the shelf, I'd hazard to guess the other paints you have bought there may be bad as well. That may be why you are having trouble with them.

If you do a search here you will find a Billion threads from a billion people on what paints are best and all that rubbish. They all have wonderful advice but the bottom line will always be this: Try a few from each and pick the brands you like the best. A lot of us use paints from all the different brands as some colors work just better then others. Thats just a personal preference, not a law.

You can also catch a good deal on paint on ebay every once in a while too. Course you can order stuff from the cmon store too.

Moe

 

[brib4169]

If you have a hard time finding reliable local modeling paints, try the 'art' brands like golden, liquitex and windsor newton. Millions of starving artists cant be that wrong. Another nice thing about buying directly from reaper is their triad system and if you end up liking them and want to buy a bunch more, they have a build your own paint set that will save you a little $$ in the long run. But like the others said, try a few different brands before you buy into anything.

 

[Ninjato]

Thanks for all the advice.

The Valejo paints that were 'bad' were the Model series. But yeah I think I've just been unlucky. Only problem with ordering from the War Store is that I may be moving to Korea for a while and getting them to ship out there might be a pain. Reaper is awesome for ordering directly for minis, so maybe next time I'll try a few of their paints. If GW ever went back to their old paints, and in dropper bottles, that would be a dream come true. I'm at least somewhat familiar with those colours (but not the new ones).

I tried a black of P3 and it seemed pretty decent. I guess I'll have to find a good store that will deliver to Korea.

 

[Bloodhowl]

Thanks for all the advice.

The Valejo paints that were 'bad' were the Model series. But yeah I think I've just been unlucky. Only problem with ordering from the War Store is that I may be moving to Korea for a while and getting them to ship out there might be a pain. Reaper is awesome for ordering directly for minis, so maybe next time I'll try a few of their paints. If GW ever went back to their old paints, and in dropper bottles, that would be a dream come true. I'm at least somewhat familiar with those colours (but not the new ones).

I tried a black of P3 and it seemed pretty decent. I guess I'll have to find a good store that will deliver to Korea.

Double check the warstore shipping. I thought they ship to APO/FPO addy's, but I'm not 100% on that. Reaper might do the same.

 

[Zab]

The new GW ones are good. I would suggest trying several brands like P3, army painter, GW, Vallejo, the new minitaire line from badger and even craft paints from Americana. They all have various things they do well and not so well. With some many out there they tend to fill in each others gaps. I am just starting to branch out from GW myself and so i can honestly say just try any color from any range you think will work for what you need.

 

[ced1106]

If you're new to painting, try the Reaper Learn to Paint Kit 2: Beginning Skin and Cloth. The paints are in eye droppers (not flip-top pots), and it's less expensive to buy the kit than individual paints. Reaper will be revising its LTPKs after their Bones miniatures ship out.