Switching BACK to GW paints...

[supervike]

I have had my Vallejo paints for around 3 years or so now....and I have to say, while first impressed, I am quickly losing my patience with these...

First off, the eyedropper bottles have always been my 1. reason to use Vallejo. Paint quality aside, I though these made my job as the painter much easier....NOW they are started to really piss me off.

I have had the plastic lid glued on so tightly by dried paint that I have to get out the pliers to open it (ala the OLD GW paint pots)

Several of the paints end up drying in the nozzle, so I am constantly shoving something into the pinhole to keep them clean.

Several others have popped the top completely and poured paint all over my pallette (very frustrating).

As to the paint quality...I see no real improvement over GW, and in fact, if you are using the Model Brand it rubs off extremely easy.

Now, with the bottle of white paint I have, I shook the hell out of it (I have a paint shaker) then went to use it....It got a freakin blue tint to it now? What the hell is that?

Anyhow...GW switched themselves back to a decent opening jar, are much more readily availible, and cost roughly the same....

When I need new paints, guess where I am going to start looking?

 

[Rev]

Originally posted by supervike

Several of the paints end up drying in the nozzle, so I am constantly shoving something into the pinhole to keep them clean.

Several others have popped the top completely and poured paint all over my pallette (very frustrating).

This has also happened to me -

the nozzle drying mostlY!!

 

[vincegamer]

The only one of these probs I\'ve had is the nozzle clogging.
I\'m still using them though.
A quick jab with a pin works except for the metalic paints. (actually, now that I think about it, only the GW metalics that I put in droppers have done this. I haven\'t had any clogging with the VMC metals)

My reason for using the droppers is not the \"don\'t dry up\" or \"easier to open\" type. I just love the control of dispensing a drop at a time.

 

[Tony Manero]

me too, i never liked vallejos, always used gw paints for the same reasons :drool:

 

[james sequeira]

i prefer gw metallics and inks but use vallejo and any gw i have left for basic paints

i have has only one colour clog on me and thats game colour black but a paper clip sorts that out

 

[Duende]

Those reasons you listed, Vike, are why I\'m gradually switching over to the Reaper Master Series. The bottles are shaped just like Vallejos, but with the few bottles I do have, I\'ve never had a problem with clogged nozzles or paint seperating. And they come with little skull-shaped shaker beads for if you do want to shake them.

Try Reaper instead, don\'t feed the GW monster!

lol

 

[Legacy Account]

I\'ve had all of those problems Vikey, but just because I\'m a mean, vindictive old bastard, GW can kiss my bullet hole!

I\'ve started using the Coaties I bought off Rev(erend) much more. Still love the totally flat VMCs though, even if they do blow off your mini in a breeze...

 

[supervike]

Ah...Reaper! I forgot about them....I do like the skull shaped agitator idea AND I think my local store stocks them....

I wish I could find the Coat D\'arms a little more accessible here in the states....They are the \'old\' GW line I believe, with the old flip tops. I still have some of those, and they have help up fairly well...

I won\'t throw my Vallejo\'s away...but I also won\'t buy new ones.....

 

[Bastetcat]

Originally posted by Duende
Those reasons you listed, Vike, are why I\'m gradually switching over to the Reaper Master Series. The bottles are shaped just like Vallejos, but with the few bottles I do have, I\'ve never had a problem with clogged nozzles or paint seperating. And they come with little skull-shaped shaker beads for if you do want to shake them.

Try Reaper instead, don\'t feed the GW monster!

lol

Although the new GW pots are a huge improvement over the old, the paint STILL dries out or becomes sticky and thick rapidly since you are exposing a large surface area to air every time you open the pot.

I have been switching over to the Reaper paint. I love the paint, although I have had a few clog in the neck requiring a pin to unclog. No big deal as far as I\'m concerned as compared to the entire pot drying out.

The Reaper paints do sometimes separate, but just don\'t seem to separate as badly as the Vallejo - some of the Vallejos I\'m using require a good 20 minutes of agitation to mix! (\"huuuneeeey....I need my paint shaking machine - you!\" )

Finally, my Reaper white maked my GW white look cream-colored by comparison. I guess that\'s the difference between \"Skull white\" and \"Pure white\"!

 

[beowulfthehunter]

Actully those who are looking for Coat D arms paint will be happy to hear that they are making a deal with Privateer Press (the guys who do Warmachine) to do army specific colors.

 

[james sequeira]

isnt PP producing a band new line under the management of Mike McVey

 

[Thecadian]

ill proberly tay with GW anyway simply because its easier to get

james

 

[james sequeira]

the mircle of the internet james

 

[farseerlum]

Originally posted by beowulfthehunter
Actully those who are looking for Coat D arms paint will be happy to hear that they are making a deal with Privateer Press (the guys who do Warmachine) to do army specific colors.

the intial release will be faction boxsets. mostly so the shops can just stick them on the rack with the minis.
they will be bring out a whole line. inks and all.

 

[Ritual]

You can avoid some of the problems by just wiping the dropper nozzle clean with tissue every now and then. A pin easily keeps the nozzle unclogged (as Vince mentioned). But, in the end, if you feel comfortable with switching to GW paints, do so!

But, at least over here, the GW paints are distinctively more expensive. The pots cost roughly 20% more and contains less paint and dries out more quickly so you can\'t use the entire volume of paint. So the economic argument for Vallejo still holds, IMO.

 

[skarekrow]

rackham paints.

tried em, loved em and they have great pots.
costs the same as GW but contain slightly more paint.

 

[vincegamer]

Adikolor is another brand. You can get them cheap on ebay:
suitcase
The seem to be dropper bottles as well though.

If the dropper is the problem, I have some paint at home with a totally different bottle type. I just can’t recall the brand. I will look it up when I get home tonight. The lids are similar to the old Elmers Glue lids in that there is a central shaft, and twisting the lid opens the hole around the shaft. They seal better than the elmers bottles of course.

Oh, and for a humourous rant on the history of the GW paint pot here\'s a nice linky.
the rant

 

[vincenti]

As an Enamels man I have been using G.W. paint for only about 4 years now & I find them awesome. Having spent donkeys years doing drab & somber military minis I find the vibrancy of the colours they produce very refreshing ( No I dont drink them as well!).
I wish they would put the colour on the top of the pot though ,I keep mine in a buiscuit tin & it can take ages to find the right colour ! GOD bless ...... VINCENTI lol

 

[green stuff]

Message original : vincenti
I wish they would put the colour on the top of the pot though ,I keep mine in a buiscuit tin & it can take ages to find the right colour !

Adrian, I keep mine upside down , also prevents them from drying up .

 

[Avelorn]

Well.. the best way I\'ve found is to choose the paints you like from each brand. Vallejos Model colour have some of the best paints I\'ve tried especially the bright colours are excellent. I disagree that it isn\'t a large difference to GW. But GW still have some of my all time favourites (I don\'t think I\'ve painted a mini without scorched brown ) and is generally of a very high quality. I also still use old GW for some things.. especially their inks. For gaming minis I\'d never recommend Model colour without at least one layer gloss and two matt varnish.

However I\'ve heard good things about Reaper master series. that they have both great painting properties and stick to the mini like glue.

@Skarecrow: I must say I have had no luck what so ever with Rackham paint. Grainy finish, sucky coverage etc. Hard to blend well with. They have a nice matt finish though. Could you recommend any specific colour that I could try?