What Paints??

spr5858 · Post by **spr5858** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:20 am

Hi

I am going to invest in some more paints shortly, and was wondering what others use. I only like acrylics, and will be prepared to pay £200 GBP for a complete new system as more old paints by GW are c oming to the end of thier life. I am very tempted by the Wargames Foundry Paint system but before I splash out my hard earned cash. I thought I would ask what others are using. And if Wargames Foundry are a good choice.

Steve

Phaze_of_the_Moon · Post by **Phaze_of_the_Moon** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:35 am

I don't know about Wargames Foundry but Vallejo Paints are enormously better than GW.

korvus · Post by **korvus** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:00 am

Foundry paints have been very well reviewed by a friend of mine who bought the complete set. I have also been using the Reaper master paints set, and they are much better than Vallejo...

Have fun!
Cole

RichardD · Post by **RichardD** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:13 pm

I was never very fond of the Vallejo stuff. Too chalky for my liking, plus the whole eyedropper bottle thing meant that wastage was pretty high.

I've just started using the Foudry paints, and I like them a lot. The fact that they are premixed for shades and highlights is of course a plus, but the main selling point is that they are exactly like the Citadel paints of 15+ years ago - the old round pot ones. I had to spend on some new paints because all of the GW paints that I had bought in the last 5-10 years had dried out to little solid lumps in the bottom of bottles with screw-tops that were impossible to get off. In fact, the paints in my "collection" that had lasted the longest (as well as being the best) were the oldest of the Citadel paints. So far, I'm fininding the Foundry paints to be on a par with those. As well as coming in identical round flip-top lid pots.

nicofig · Post by **nicofig** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 5:31 pm

The P3 Paints (Privateers Press) are very good

Thranite · Post by **Thranite** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:10 pm

I use Vallejo model colour for most of my historicals. I've also got the full line of P3, and they're very good, but the colors are definitely geared more towards fantasy. Reaper's Master Series I found to be too thin. Haven't used Foundry, and haven't used Citadel since the first batch of paints I bought dried out on me (back in the mid/late 90s).

(By the way, glaze medium is your best friend for the Vallejo paints. I generally mix it in at about a 1/1 ratio with whatever non-metallic color I'm using.)

dougredshirt · Post by **dougredshirt** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:49 pm

Most of the paints I use, are bought from the local craft stores. I usually wait until they go on sell, which seems to be about every week, cant beat $1 or less for a 2 ox bottle of paint. That said I still have alot of Valejo and Reaper paints too for my WWII armies.

ixlegion · Post by **ixlegion** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:50 pm

I've been using the full set of Foundry paints for 4 years now. The 3-shade-per-colour is a real bonus for non-artists like myself and makes painting life a LOT simpler. The paints have been cooked in high summer temperatures, froze in winter and yet they still pop open and easily stir to a good consistency and are ready-to-paint.

So, although a huge outlay at first, they have proven themselves hardy.

However, on the downside, the reds ( bright especially ) have poor density/opacity. And I'm not too pleased with the yellow or the bronze either. Three failures ( imo ) out of the 40 odd that I have used out of the whole range is a damn good ratio for a paint range.

The colours are - as the blurb says - rich and warm. A real pleasure to use, and produce cracking results from someone with a little ability. I'll say it again ... that 3-shade-per-colour is a truly inspired idea and a boon to the colour-challenged

Just need to find a good hearty red

Alan.

Kineas1 · Post by **Kineas1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:16 am

I'm Korvus's friend (see above), and I love the Foundry paints... all the things ixlegion says are true. I've used them for 4 years, and they're still excellent--not one pot dried out.

Artisits acrylics are really good for some painting..

ars_belli · Post by **ars_belli** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:55 pm

I have been using Vallejo exclusively for five years, and I have not found 'wastage' to be a problem. In fact, I have been using those same original bottles for the entire time, and only now do I finally have a need to order new ones.

Cheers,
Scott

Luddite · Post by **Luddite** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:19 pm

Aside for the 'quick dry' problem, i've always preferred GW paints as they come in complimentary shades (no mixing!) and give good coverage (except yellow wich is always 'washed out'), so i guess the advice for the OP (Steve) is...its up to personal choice.

Perhaps get a few of each to try out and see which you prefer?

miffedofreading · Post by **miffedofreading** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:13 pm

True GW Yellow is not much good.

BUT

They have a new foundation yellow I would recommend to anyone, it covers superbly and then you can use whatever yellow you like for a top coat. Likewise the foundation red. I haven't used any of the other foundation colours

demigamer · Post by **demigamer** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:40 pm

If readily available to you Cote 'D Arms are the makers of original Citadel paint plus heaps of new 'historical' colours as well. To my knowledge they are athe people who make Foundry paints for them to their specs. I think they make the P3 range too.

http://blackhat.co.uk/catalog/index.php ... 2aa2aa5104

Ninthplain · Post by **Ninthplain** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:30 pm

I use Vallejo only now. Fast drying time, good coverage, and they have a very large range of colors to choose from.

The price is also within the other makers.

BRIAN

flameberge · Post by **flameberge** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:03 pm

Vallejo Paints! Great coverage, fast drying, huge selection of colors, and if you like the pre-mixed shade and highlight colors of Foundry all you have to do is pick a Vallejo paint that is a little darker and one that is a little lighter.

Montezuma49 · Post by **Montezuma49** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:30 pm

As someone has already said try a few and see which ones suit.

Personally I use:
P3
Red Rackham
GW
GW Foundation Paints
Vallejo

All have their benefits and disadvantages.

regards
Paul

inquisitor_bob · Post by **inquisitor_bob** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:32 am

I really like Vallejo paints and use them exclusively for my WW II.

As for GW paints, I'm still using some of the ones I bought back in the late 80's and early 90's. Those were some good paints. I hated the prior version with the screw on tops. The newer flip tops are better. I haven't had any experience with Foundry or PP paints but really like Foundry's idea of shading and highlights in a complete set.

fredmanson · Post by **fredmanson** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:22 am

Hello,

I bought the basic colors from Andrea wich propose the same panel of colors than Valejo (same manufacturer?). They are really better than the GW. I used them with my aero on japanese cast, so the quality is here!

meledward23 · Post by **meledward23** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:24 am

I use Vallejo, GW paints (the new pots are okay), and Americana paints from the craft store. I use the cheaper craft store paint for bases and for a base coat on things like my horses (over a primer). The Americana usually is pretty thick, so I mix it with Future (floor wax) to thin it out. I use some Future with most of my paints. And I uses a Future + water + paint to make my washes.

SRW1962 · Post by **SRW1962** » Mon May 05, 2008 1:25 pm

I use a mixture of paints which tend to be mostly matt emulsion matchpots from various paint manufacturers. The quality is no less as good as GW or Vallejo and the price value is unbelievably better. For colours I use a lot of I buy 2.5 litre tins which are even better value for money, also I use buy acrylic wall paints in silver or gold and black as these again are just as good and far better value for money. Pound shops are another good way of getting cheap paints and from these you can buy 12 artist acrylic paints for a pound or even watercolours if you use them. Basically paint is pigment held together by a medium, being acrylic or oil etc. its simply how good the pigment is that makes the paint cover better or not. Most wall paints use good quality pigment and coverage is very good as a cosequence as opposed to some acrylic wargames paint I have used which have little or no covering power, GW yellow comes to mind (unless this has been dramatically improved over the years).

I have been using paints like this for the past 25 or so years for all manner of wargames armies and I get great results, also I do have a degree in art and design which is where I first learned something of the nature of paint and its uses. I hope that this has been of use.

28mm Picts

28mm Roman General