Whilst that is a correct definition of a wash, the commercially available washes are more than just watered down paints. They have different properties, with things like flow improvers in them to avoid 'tide marks'. I like the GW ones, they flow well, dry matt (unless you add water to them, in which case they seem to go glossy) and have a better effect than just watered down paint. The glazes are good too.
Oh god, where to start with paints?
- Thread starter llamaegg
- Start date
shponglefan
New member
^ This is true, although one can usually add flow improvers, etc to their own mixes.
Elric2k
New member
The Inner Geek
New member
Be careful not to dilute too far with water, it can break the acrylic suspension and cause the wash to dry kind of chalky. There are additives you can add to help dilute acrylic paints without running into this problem. I use a bit of acrylic extender, but some use glaze medium or other products. I'm sure there are others here who can explain this detail in more... um... detail than I have.
All the above is great info for you. I think you should stick with Reaper or the Vallejo Game Colors basic set if you can afford it. Now, some have stated that Vallejo Model Color is better and it is but it doesn't wear well especially if your going to be touching the models frequently like for a game. Vallejo Game Colors are much more durable than the others but the Vallejo Air Color metallics are great. I think the best metallics paints out there are the Vallejo Liquid Gold & Silver. I doubt anyone who has used them could argue that point but I'm sure many will stick with the Vallejo Air Color metallics because they are acrylic vs alcohol of the Vallejo Liquids. I have used and tested most of the paints out there. They are all good but each has it's strong points. Vallejo and Reaper are much more cost effective and I enjoy them all. I think you would do well with Reaper Master or Vallejo Game Colors. Once you get much better you can branch out and get them all if you want but it's a great starting point. You can pick 'em up easily and cheaply. By the way they all (GW, P3, Reaper, Vallejo, Andrea, and probably Minitaire) last many years without too much effort. In the end, it comes down to what you can afford and what you want. Remember it's all about having fun while you paint, at least it is to me and I really enjoy myself. You could hit up "Dragonsreach", I think he can help you buy them cheaper if he's still a Vallejo Rep. I think you'll do very well, your asking all the right questions and your smart enough to ask them here where some great miniature painters congregate. Good luck and get painting.
Stay Frosty!
Stay Frosty!
I hate the Vallejo Liquid Gold & Silver :curl-lip:, dried too fast, difficult to mix with other paints. All they were good for was to do a solid basecoat, but I generally use translucency to get my shading and highlighting. Vallejo air much better. In termsof paints, I really like GW, in particular the base range and washes, to the extent that I'm trying to cut down to mostly using just these, and the occasional layer (all transferred to dropper bottles, the new pots are horrible). Then the odd paint from other ranges for special purposes. I use the old rackham paints quite a bit for texture and their very matt finish, but these are hard to get now. Really what paint you use depends upon your style and how you use the paint and what the miniature is for. I still use VMC, but as mentioned they tend to rub off more easily and this happens quite a bit with the way I paint, P3 were too glossy for me, but I use their black for bases. So, it comes down to using the right paint for the job.
ROFLMAO thanks a great way to start the morning.
I'm so sorry Roninjr, you've become the inadvertent foil of a joke between AndyG, Ten Ball and myself.
I've persuaded both of them to part with copious amounts of coinage on Vallejo colours based solely on my recommendations
Regretfully I have no connection to Vallejo paints other than as a customer and recommender.
If I were a rep you'd deserve a set, not only as an apology, but for the pointer.
Hey there, welcome to the addictio... err hobby!
Before buying alot of paints. Stop at a craft store and spend a dollar on a Color Wheel. It is a tool which shows a plethora of colors and whether prime or not and what colors go well with them.. whether doing a triad of 3 colors or looking for complimentary colors.. Cool colors versus hot colors.. You name it .. a color wheel will help you know what colors you want.
Next you can go with either a starter kit, or just the colors you will want for the paint scheme you want to produce. Games workshop has some great paints, but so do Reaper master series and Vallejo game color. Game color and reaper master series have eye dropper bottles which makes painting easier, without having to paint out of the bottle itself which is a really bad idea.. (even if I started out that way) Also, give some thought to the protecting your hard work on your figures. do you want them shiny, satin, or flat. Invest in either a can of clear coat, or in some really cheap throw away sponge brushes/brushes to apply a clear coat by hand.
Gloss protects best.
Flat looks best
a Satin clear coat is a good compromise between the two.
Reaper's website has a tool on it, that if you see a color you like on any image.. you simply pull it up and click on the color you like and the power pallette tool will identify what color paint you need to replicate it.
http://www.reapermini.com/PowerPalette
Hope some of this is helpful,
Ronin
Before buying alot of paints. Stop at a craft store and spend a dollar on a Color Wheel. It is a tool which shows a plethora of colors and whether prime or not and what colors go well with them.. whether doing a triad of 3 colors or looking for complimentary colors.. Cool colors versus hot colors.. You name it .. a color wheel will help you know what colors you want.
Next you can go with either a starter kit, or just the colors you will want for the paint scheme you want to produce. Games workshop has some great paints, but so do Reaper master series and Vallejo game color. Game color and reaper master series have eye dropper bottles which makes painting easier, without having to paint out of the bottle itself which is a really bad idea.. (even if I started out that way) Also, give some thought to the protecting your hard work on your figures. do you want them shiny, satin, or flat. Invest in either a can of clear coat, or in some really cheap throw away sponge brushes/brushes to apply a clear coat by hand.
Gloss protects best.
Flat looks best
a Satin clear coat is a good compromise between the two.
Reaper's website has a tool on it, that if you see a color you like on any image.. you simply pull it up and click on the color you like and the power pallette tool will identify what color paint you need to replicate it.
http://www.reapermini.com/PowerPalette
Hope some of this is helpful,
Ronin
Darn! I was hoping you were so I could hit you up as well. Sorry about that. There are a few new Vallejo products I want to add to my addiction/hobby collection. The UK is a bit of a drive for me, LOL.
Stay Frosty.
Thanks for all the help and pointers, duders! Ended up grabbing a wide variety of Reaper paints, which should definitely hold me over for a while (though the 1-3 week shipping to Canada is going to kill me, I'm itching to start painting and playing around with different techniques!), though I'm sure I'll end up grabbing stuff from other companies down the road.
Oddly enough Reaper took nearly a week to ship, and even odder they didn't ship until I sent them an email (the response was literally "here's the shipping info")! I found it a bit amusing.
Oddly enough Reaper took nearly a week to ship, and even odder they didn't ship until I sent them an email (the response was literally "here's the shipping info")! I found it a bit amusing.
ced1106
New member
Are you new to painting? Cancel that order and get a Reaper Learn to Paint Kit. For fantasy miniatures, I usually recommend LTPK2: Basic Skin and Cloth. Not sure which LTPK would work best with the mini's you're working with. Once you have some experience with the paints, you'll have an idea what paints you need (like ochre!).
Also, grab some black, white, grey, brown, and light brown craft paint. These colors are useful for basing miniatures. Plus you can waste this paint so you can experiment with this and that. Found out how good that black paint / grey drybrush / white dusting works with Bones that way...
EDIT: Reaper's added some HD paints to their KS2! Check the Reaper KS2 home page!
Also, grab some black, white, grey, brown, and light brown craft paint. These colors are useful for basing miniatures. Plus you can waste this paint so you can experiment with this and that. Found out how good that black paint / grey drybrush / white dusting works with Bones that way...
EDIT: Reaper's added some HD paints to their KS2! Check the Reaper KS2 home page!
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Ordo Septenarius
New member
Avoid GW. Go Reaper or Vallejo.
