How are adicolour paints?
- Thread starter Sash.Be
- Start date
Wren
Member
Hiya. There are a few threads with some information on the Adikolor paints. I\'m going to link to the main ones, but if you do forum searches on Adiken and Adikolor, you may turn up a few more opinions.
This first link includes a preliminary review of the Adikolor paints that I wrote, as well as opinions from several other people.
The second link has more opinions, including a small addendum to my review, and an opinion by SaxonAngel, a wonderful mini painter.
I still haven\'t been painting as much as I should (and recently I\'ve been giving more testing time to my new Reaper Master Series paints), so not too much to add to my opinions, other than I do think using the official Adikolor thinner cuts down on bubbling problems quite a bit (and since the time of the original review I have also had bubble moments with non-Adiken paints on occasion.)
So far I like the Adikolor inks and tend to use them more than any other brand of ink I have, but I should probably mention that I\'m no ink expert and I don\'t use inks a lot, mostly just as glazes to adjust colours now and then.
I\'m not sure if the paint set in plastic case that I originally reviewed is still available. However, they now offer the full set with something much better - a wooden travel case that includes palette, water jars with lids, brush holder and a painting guide by the very talented Eric Louchard. So now I\'m kind of bitter about being an early adopter and not getting this deal instead.
I\'m afraid I can\'t help with the German shop question. My suggestion would be to contact Adiken directly and ask them if they have a German supplier.
This first link includes a preliminary review of the Adikolor paints that I wrote, as well as opinions from several other people.
The second link has more opinions, including a small addendum to my review, and an opinion by SaxonAngel, a wonderful mini painter.
I still haven\'t been painting as much as I should (and recently I\'ve been giving more testing time to my new Reaper Master Series paints), so not too much to add to my opinions, other than I do think using the official Adikolor thinner cuts down on bubbling problems quite a bit (and since the time of the original review I have also had bubble moments with non-Adiken paints on occasion.)
So far I like the Adikolor inks and tend to use them more than any other brand of ink I have, but I should probably mention that I\'m no ink expert and I don\'t use inks a lot, mostly just as glazes to adjust colours now and then.
I\'m not sure if the paint set in plastic case that I originally reviewed is still available. However, they now offer the full set with something much better - a wooden travel case that includes palette, water jars with lids, brush holder and a painting guide by the very talented Eric Louchard. So now I\'m kind of bitter about being an early adopter and not getting this deal instead.
I\'m afraid I can\'t help with the German shop question. My suggestion would be to contact Adiken directly and ask them if they have a German supplier.
I\'m not a big fan of Adikolor paints I\'m sorry to say I agree with Wren\'s review (see link above). I bought 8 colors when they first came out and found that they seperated easily on my palette and looked chalky when dry. So Glossy was not an issue with the colors I tried (mostly I bought their browns/greens/blues/black & white shades) Some of the colors were also a bit grainy as well. Be prepared to shake the bottles A LOT-maybe an electric hobby paint shaker would help. I found them very good for painting bases and I do like the fact that they have shades no one else has. I didn\'t try any additives with them so I\'m not sure if that would make a difference.
My painting time is limited so when I do get a chance to paint I don\'t want to waste it on fiddling and struggling with difficult paints.
I agree with Wren\'s review (see link above). I bought 8 colors when they first came out and found that they seperated easily on my palette and looked chalky when dry. So Glossy was not an issue with the colors I tried (mostly I bought their browns/greens/blues/black & white shades) Some of the colors were also a bit grainy as well. Be prepared to shake the bottles A LOT-maybe an electric hobby paint shaker would help. I found them very good for painting bases and I do like the fact that they have shades no one else has. I didn\'t try any additives with them so I\'m not sure if that would make a difference.My painting time is limited so when I do get a chance to paint I don\'t want to waste it on fiddling and struggling with difficult paints.
E
elouchard
Guest
Thx for the compliment. I think they are a good quality paint, and that\'s not because I am shilling for them or anything. I got the platic kit at Gencon 2004 and did a few figures with the paint before writing the guide. Pretty much any figure I have done since August 2004 has used them in some part. They also have a new formulation so maybe that has improved things from poeple\'s earlier issues.
They do need to be shaken or they separate but I like them for a few reasons.
1. They have very pure colors for reds purples and blues, matching the tube acrylics I use. This makes it easier for glazes and fine layers.
2. They have a fine grain in most of the colors. Some are more chalky, like the whites, but they still work well.
3. The medium dries slower than other brands, like Vallejo Game color, and so it is easier to do wet blending. They act like Vallejo Model color in that regard.
For layering bright colors they are very good paint, and for other techniques like drybrushing they are about the same as other paints.
They do need to be shaken or they separate but I like them for a few reasons.
1. They have very pure colors for reds purples and blues, matching the tube acrylics I use. This makes it easier for glazes and fine layers.
2. They have a fine grain in most of the colors. Some are more chalky, like the whites, but they still work well.
3. The medium dries slower than other brands, like Vallejo Game color, and so it is easier to do wet blending. They act like Vallejo Model color in that regard.
For layering bright colors they are very good paint, and for other techniques like drybrushing they are about the same as other paints.
Wren
Member
I had wondered if they would be good for wet blending, that\'s not a technique I\'ve really tried as yet.
In using the Reaper Master Series and Adikolor paints, in some ways I find them to have directly opposed qualities. (I hope one day to do a similar review of RMS paints, and maybe a more final review of the Adikolor.)
The Adikolor paints feel \'wet\' - they are very easy to feather with or otherwise adjust a stroke, try to rub misplaced paint off, etc. That offers a lot of advantages depending on one\'s style of painting, but the weak side of that property may be some of what SaxonAngel complained about, and the bubbles forming under previous and supposed dry layers that I\'ve had a couple of times. (My guess is the Adikolor medium has some sort of extender in it.)
The RMS paints go on pretty smoothly and seem to dry almost instantaneously, and they dry pretty tough. That\'s great for fast layering, and for having sturdier gaming models, but there\'s a weak side to that, too - you\'d better make sure the paint is where you want it and the consistency you want when you lay it down on the model, cause you aren\'t going to be able to rub it off or feather the edge of the layer, although what I think of as tweening works great on them. (My guess is the RMS medium has some sort of flow improver in it.)
I actually like the Adikolor, I didn\'t think my review was all negatives. It has a few points I think are downsides, but a lot of its properties are things I think it may just be a question of familiarity and painting style that determines whether a given painter loves \'em or hates \'em. They\'re still my first choice when I want easy, smooth, no fuss skin.
In using the Reaper Master Series and Adikolor paints, in some ways I find them to have directly opposed qualities. (I hope one day to do a similar review of RMS paints, and maybe a more final review of the Adikolor.)
The Adikolor paints feel \'wet\' - they are very easy to feather with or otherwise adjust a stroke, try to rub misplaced paint off, etc. That offers a lot of advantages depending on one\'s style of painting, but the weak side of that property may be some of what SaxonAngel complained about, and the bubbles forming under previous and supposed dry layers that I\'ve had a couple of times. (My guess is the Adikolor medium has some sort of extender in it.)
The RMS paints go on pretty smoothly and seem to dry almost instantaneously, and they dry pretty tough. That\'s great for fast layering, and for having sturdier gaming models, but there\'s a weak side to that, too - you\'d better make sure the paint is where you want it and the consistency you want when you lay it down on the model, cause you aren\'t going to be able to rub it off or feather the edge of the layer, although what I think of as tweening works great on them. (My guess is the RMS medium has some sort of flow improver in it.)
I actually like the Adikolor, I didn\'t think my review was all negatives. It has a few points I think are downsides, but a lot of its properties are things I think it may just be a question of familiarity and painting style that determines whether a given painter loves \'em or hates \'em. They\'re still my first choice when I want easy, smooth, no fuss skin.
