Vallejo or Master Series?

[Corgan]

I am thinking of moving from my old Citadel paints to some new. For a long time I was thinking that Vallejo colors was the best choice. Recenty I read that Master Series from Reaper, take also good reviews. What is your opinion, considering quality and price?

And between the different lines of Vallejo, what you would propose? Model or Game color? I am mostly a painter and try to achieve the best artistic result for my miniatures but I use them at some games and I am also building some armies.

Thanks mates!!!

 

[DethStruck]

I use the Reaper paints. I like them a lot but I have never used any other paint either.

 

[Egrimm van Horstmann]

I know the old GW Range, some of the new, Reaper, Game Color and some Model Color.
Currently I like the Reaper Master series most. Smooth and good for blending.
I was lucky to get many paints way cheaper, because Reaper colors don't have much of a reputation
in germany. My store reduced the price a lot (I guess they want to get rid of the pots they have).
Vallejo: for display painting I disregard Game color - It really is what it says - for gaming.
The few Model color pots I have are good.
As a recommendation I would say: use Reaper Master Series and add some colors from
other vendors if required. You don't have to stay with one vendor - mixing is okay.

cheers, Egrimm

 

[MAXXxxx]

the question is by Vallejo: game color or model/air color?
If game color, then it's better to forget it, it's good, but not really for display painting (I'd rather keep the GW paints than them). So in this case Reaper all the way.

if Model/Air: I'd mix them, some colors that I find useful from them, other good shades from reaper. There is no point collecting only one brand of paint. It's best to get what you like even if it is from another paintline.

 

[RuneBrush]

Unfortunately the question you've asked is very much down to personal opinion and every person here will have a different one! There are a few general agreed consensuses though (please correct if wrong!)

• Vallejo Game Colour isn't really used by many people on here. Although the colour range is identical to the last incarnation of the citadel range, the paints can be of variable quality.
• Vallejo Model Colour has a huge range (over 200) and contains a lot of neutral and natural colours.
• The Citadel washes are quite good.
• The Vallejo Model Air silver has the finest metallic pigment of any paint. The rest of the range are very good metallics too.
• Citadel metallics are amongst the best about (bar the VMA ones).
• P3 Coal Black makes painting black a lot easier.
• Citadel are the most expensive per ml out of all the paints.
• Vallejo paints really need to be thinned with Vallejo Thinner if you're putting them into an airbrush.
• All paint brands mix together without problem (I'm assuming you're not a plank and not trying to mix enamel with acrylic).
• Most painters (especially display painters) will end up with a mixture of ranges so don't confine yourself to one range.

Also if you're going to get any of the new Citadel paints, there are two pot styles. The newer one is clear, has a little upright stalk on the back hinge and is security sealed - they also have a date stamped on the side when they were filled. They also have a 'double lock' lid that needs to be pushed down to completely seal.

 

[Bailey03]

It's hard to go wrong with either Reaper Master Series or Vallejo Model Colour. I've used a lot of the Vallejo and they're mostly very good. A few issues I've had is a slight semi-gloss finish with a few of their colors (reds mostly, though some of the dark blues have given me trouble as well). I've used some of the Reaper Master Series and have been really happy with the results. They come a bit thinner than the Vallejo, which I find nice for shading/blending. They flow well and find that I have an easier time thinning them down to make washes than I do with Vallejo. Reaper also offers an online app that will help you match their colors to a reference picture: power palette. Just upload your image or a link to it. Not necessary, but still a nice feature.

At least here in the USA it is a lot easier to find Vallejo paints, plenty of stores carry them. When it comes to getting Reaper paints I pretty much just have to order them online (either through Reaper or the CMON store). Not a huge issue... but if you only want one color it's a steep mark up when you add in the shipping cost.

Speaking for myself, I'm starting to switch over from Vallejo to Reaper. But both are great paints.

 

[Einion]

I'd recommend you try both - the only person's opinion on the paints that really matters at the end of the day is yours. And the only way you'll find out which paint you prefer is to try them out firsthand.

You may actually find out that you like both, not just one or the other... most painters (of any kind, not just those who do minis) don't end up using a single brand for every colour they use.

Einion

 

[Egrimm van Horstmann]

Einion is right. Everyone develops their own painting style and different paints favor different styles.
What makes issues more complicated is, that not every color of a range has the same properties.
For example the old GW Blood red does not cover well. A pain when you want to put down red on an area to make it red. Good when you want to apply a thin layer to make someting a little bit more reddish than before. But not all paints work this way. Most (old) GW colors cover much better than blood red.
When you want to find out, which range suits best for you, try more than one color to make sure, you did not pick the one color that behaves differently than the others.

cheers, Egrimm

 

[Corgan]

Thank you a lot. Your comments are really usefull and helpfull. Indeed, trying out and combining different brandsis the best way to go.

One last question. Do you know anything about the quality of the paints of The Army Painter? A guy in a hobby shop talled me that it is equivalent to Model Colour.

Thanks again