Cheapest place to buy mini paints?

[ced1106]

More info:

If you're a n00b, Reaper will release a new set of Learn to Paint Kits, with their plastic Bones miniatures, around December. Unfortunately, product info hasn't been released, but, if it's like the current editions, we're talking 8 paints in eye dropper, Reaper brushes, Bones minis, and n00b instructions for $20 plus shipping: http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=89774

fwiw, The current LTPKs, despite the ad pics, come in eye droppers, if bought directly from Reaper. At $25, that comes out to about $3 a bottle with two mini's, brushes, and instructions. Not super cheap, but a good price IF you're a n00b. Anyway, I'm leery of buying LTPKs from OLGS, since I don't know if the paint is still usable, or if they're in eye droppers: http://www.thewarstore.com/howtopaintkits.html

I'm definitely looking forward to Black Friday. If anyone sees any BF sales on W&N 7 or Raphael brushes, PLEASE send me a PM!

 

[Bloodhowl]

It may not specifically go on sale, but often times there is a discount code that can be applied to any purchase at checkout. If they send me a discount code, I'll post it.

ANNNNDDDDD Here is the promised info, direct from the WarStore.Com Newsletter!:

• At its heart Black Friday is an extra 5% discount on everything we sell! Woo Hoo! I must be nuts. Anyway, when using the shopping cart just type the words "Black Friday" into the coupon section of the checkout screen. BAM! An extra 5% off the order total! It's like internet magic!
  Please Note: YOU MUST ENTER THE CODE TO GET THE DISCOUNT!
  
• There is more to Black Friday than just the extra discount!
  Check out the website tonight for special purchase deals, overstock sales, our world famous mega bits bags and other gaming madness!
• Black Friday is more than just Friday!
  Black Friday internet hours actually extend from 12:01AM Thursday Morning the 22th to 11:59 PM Monday the 26th. Black Friday store/phone order hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 9AM-9PM. All times are Eastern US. No phone hours on Thursday (it's a US Holiday!).

 

[Flow]

Sweet! I'll be ordering

 

[Flow]

Sweet! I'll be ordering

And - ORDERED. A can of dullcoat and the full P3 paint set (75 paints!) is on the way. arty:

 

[Phoulmouth]

And I don't mean craft paints used for minis...

Where does everyone buy their mini paints if they don't have access to a lhs?

I'm looking for the cheapest including s&h.

Privateer Press Formula P3 paints come in these nifty 6 packs. If you go to their site you can go through them and figure which ones to by so you have no repeats. Then log onto amazon and look for them there. I was able to get roughly 75% of the line for about $2.50 a pot. Plus the paints are really great quality, I absolutely love them and the bottles themselves are AMAZING. The seal super tight so you don;t have to worry about drying.

 

[amrogers3]

What do you guys think of the new Citadel set with 145 paints? $350 online and you would have every color you would ever need. That's $2.41/pot.

Worth it?

 

[Dragonsreach]

What do you guys think of the new Citadel set with 145 paints? $350 online and you would have every color you would ever need. That's $2.41/pot.

Worth it?

NO.

Simple reason, citadel paints have a well earned 'poor' reputation for lifespan.
Plus I have to point out that it is not "Every colour you will ever need". I use Vallejo Model Colours and mix them with other paints, Coat D'arms and other brands producing the colour I need as i need it.

 

[amrogers3]

Simple reason, citadel paints have a well earned 'poor' reputation for lifespan.

That's weird, I have read the paints are generally pretty good quality. And the new line is also very good quality. I have heard the older pots were terrible though. I've not used the new paints so I can not verify if they are good quality or not.

 

[Phoulmouth]

What do you guys think of the new Citadel set with 145 paints? $350 online and you would have every color you would ever need. That's $2.41/pot.

Worth it?

No. Honestly, Citadel paints have a terrible reputation that is well earned. They dry too fast making wet blending a pain without also needing extender. Their washes are terrible. Their lifespans are poor, they dry out in the bottle way too fast. In the long run you will save money buying the same amount of paints at double the price due to just lifespan issues alone.

That's weird, I have read the paints are generally pretty good quality. And the new line is also very good quality. I have heard the older pots were terrible though. I've not used the new paints so I can not verify if they are good quality or not.

Honestly, the new paints may be the best thing since sliced bread. I just wouldn't be willing to risk it based on past experiences.

 

[me_in_japan]

I'd be very wary of buying ANY complete set of paints from any manufacturer. Practically speaking, you're going to use some colours way more than others, resulting in the need to go paint shopping again in a pretty short while anyway, and those colours you only use rarely will sit on your shelf and separate out/dry up from disuse. GW paints have historically been very, very prone to this, with the worst offenders being the screw top pots from about 10 years ago. The current range is good enough paint, for sure, but then so are Reaper, P3 and Vallejo. You also have to consider quantity - GW pots are small. (12ml compared to 18ml for the dropper bottle brands.)

My advice would be, as always, buy what you need (from any brand) to paint what you have now. Sit down, think about it, plan out colours in your head, then buy em. Mixing paint to get a colour you want isn't something to avoid - it's this kind of thing that will make you a better painter. (Not to say that pre-mixed colours are a bad thing, just that theyre not the be-all and end-all of mini painting.)

 

[Flow]

Sit down, think about it, plan out colours in your head, then buy em.

With some chagrin, I admit that this actually requires a bit more experience than I have; I barely knew how to mix "brown" when I started. Heck, my brown is still inconsistent. :brushwave:

Since I'm starting at the beginning, I feel that having a more "complete" set gives me a lot more leeway for experimentation, and therefore will better promote learning. I realize what you're saying about some colors getting used up faster than others is definitely true; but then again, I can just buy up single units as needed to keep the overall set stocked.

 

[Phoulmouth]

With some chagrin, I admit that this actually requires a bit more experience than I have; I barely knew how to mix "brown" when I started. Heck, my brown is still inconsistent. :brushwave:

Since I'm starting at the beginning, I feel that having a more "complete" set gives me a lot more leeway for experimentation, and therefore will better promote learning. I realize what you're saying about some colors getting used up faster than others is definitely true; but then again, I can just buy up single units as needed to keep the overall set stocked.

Actually buying the complete set will confuse you even more TBH. It was also impede how quickly your skill progresses. The thing is that most of those in between shades you're going to end up buying are completely pointless most of the time. I think the GW line has like 7 different shades of brown, 5 dfifferent flesh tons, 6 different greens and so on. One of the things that made me a better painter was blending my own shades as I was painting surfaces. If you have all these shades you are going to think its faster and better to just crack open the next shade and use it and thats usually not the best idea.

What you should probably do is to look at what you want to paint and get a plan in your head then buy the colors you need. Also, buying Black and White should be an automatic. Using the colors you want and mixing small doses of black or white into the shades on a pallet will give you all those other shades you were going to buy. The thing is though, it was also give you more shades thus more depth tot he painting.

If you look at some of the 10s on CMON a simple red surface on them could have upwards of 20+ different layers of red that has been slowly blended through simply using a base of red and small amounts of other colors. The trick is figuring that part out. If you have a HUGE paint line figuring these things out will not be as much of a necessity as if you have a smaller selection of paints. A smaller selection will make you test and trythings and figure out how to mix paints for the shades that aren't in the GW or Vallejo line. Hell, I have 20 of the old Citadel Colour bottles from the 80s with paints and inks I made myself that you can't find in any current paint line.

 

[ced1106]

Since I'm starting at the beginning, I feel that having a more "complete" set gives me a lot more leeway for experimentation, and therefore will better promote learning. I realize what you're saying about some colors getting used up faster than others is definitely true; but then again, I can just buy up single units as needed to keep the overall set stocked.

Might want to look into the Reaper Learn to Paint Kits, then, even if you're experienced. From what me says, I'm getting the impression that the paints in these kits are the colors I'd be using the most, and, of course, the paints have been selected for the mini's in the kit (eg. a male and female adventurer. Hmm. Seems I have some of those types of mini's in my unpainted bin...). I've only bought black primer and a Dark Elf triad as additional paints.

I actually hear that brown's a pretty tricky color to mix, since there can be so many different kinds of brown...!

EDIT: Rumormill has it that Reaper will have its "12 Days of Christmas" special again. Buy $25 of stuff from Reaper (eg. a LTPK) and get a free OOP miniature.

 

[Flow]

Both of you are likely right, though it is already too late for me - a Black Friday 75 pot P3 set is on the way from The War Store. I never tend to start new hobbies small. I feel best jumping into the deep end first. Increasing my opportunity to make mistakes expedites learning :bomb:

 

[Einion]

What do you guys think of the new Citadel set with 145 paints? $350 online and you would have every color you would ever need. That's $2.41/pot.

Worth it?

Just to reiterate: hell no.

Einion

 

[Einion]

Both of you are likely right, though it is already too late for me - a Black Friday 75 pot P3 set is on the way from The War Store. I never tend to start new hobbies small. I feel best jumping into the deep end first. Increasing my opportunity to make mistakes expedites learning :bomb:

While 75 is already a bit excessive it's not too bad, and it of course compares favourable to nearly twice than number of paints. Besides, you're likely getting better paint and your money didn't go to GW, so that's a win-win AFAIC.

On the issue of large numbers of colours, most of us do have to go through the phase for ourselves early on where we buy numerous paints that we don't end up using much (or at all). It has some value, so you could argue you're paying for that nugget of experience - knowing that you shouldn't have too many colours is much different from being aware of the issue theoretically.

Einion

 

[amrogers3]

Besides, you're likely getting better paint and your money didn't go to GW, so that's a win-win AFAIC.

Don't understand all the hate towards GW. I think GW has single-handedly driving the miniature market and miniature gaming to where it is today. Sure they are expensive and over charge for damn near everything, but they are doing something right. They are still standing where others have tried and failed. And their miniatures are flat out AMAZING!

It's a hobby I enjoy. Sure it is expensive but what hobby isn't? And it's a lot less than most.

 

[Einion]

Don't understand all the hate towards GW. I think GW has single-handedly driving the miniature market and miniature gaming to where it is today. Sure they are expensive and over charge for damn near everything...

There you go, that's a lot of it. I'm not an unreasoning GW hater, I'm just vehemently against gross overcharging which GW are guilty of in the extreme.

It's a hobby I enjoy. Sure it is expensive but what hobby isn't? And it's a lot less than most.

Lots of things are made more expensive than necessary, and hobby paints are certainly one of the doozies in this regard. And it does neatly relate back to the original thread topic

Einion

 

[Flow]

While 75 is already a bit excessive it's not too bad, and it of course compares favourable to nearly twice than number of paints. Besides, you're likely getting better paint and your money didn't go to GW, so that's a win-win AFAIC.

That's good to hear. I did read up on a number of comparison threads on the topic, and it really seemed like P3 was one of the most consistent, and rarely had anything negative said about it. The fact that it's not quite an "extreme" set of paint - 75 seems a bit more conservative when compared to sets like this GW - along with its lower price tag really factored into the decision.

I've enjoyed my Liquitex Basics set but I'm definitely curious what a higher grade of paint is like.

 

[ced1106]

Don't understand all the hate towards GW.

Search on the history of Citadel paints. Planned obsolescence, anyone??