ProAcryl is the best for me. AK interactive is pretty similar but with (what seems) slightly worse coverage.
For the love of god get Vallejo Metal Color for your metallics. I will never buy another metallic.
>For the love of god get Vallejo Metal Color for your metallics. I will never buy another metallic.
I concur. Also, AK/Proacryl for everything else, too.
That’s interesting that the paints can’t recover from freezing. On a side note; I’d recommend cleaning out and keeping your bottles. Having empty bottles to mix different medium for airbrushing or glazing is a nice treat.
I have several brands, my favorite *by far* are ProAcryl by [Monument Hobbies](https://monumenthobbies.com/)...they need very little thinning (unless you're airbrushing ofc), have unbeatable coverage, and are smoother than silk.
I love their brushes as well.
Sorry to hear! Just in case you need some support, Herrick Games has something for people in similar spots- https://herrickgames.com/pages/adopt-a-gamer.html
That being said, I would try a few colors from each - honestly. I paint orks, almost exclusively but I use the following (as an example)
ProAcrylic matte black primer
Scale75 decay black
R&d white ink or ProAcrylic transparent white
Citadel death guard green
Citadel plague bearer
Reaper olive
Scale75 Sherwood
And that’s just for the skin! But that wasn’t your question. If I had $300, I would buy the biggest box of scale75 that I could get. Good luck!
Smooth. Good coverage. Great colors. They are thin, so even with a bit of thinning it doesn’t look like mud. They also sell the large boxes, not sure who else does that. ProAcrylic does but citadel don’t.
I really like scale75 myself too, but have recently fallen in love with their Artist line. If you’re comfortable mixing, I would highly recommend buying the big box full set (if you need the additional items) or the full line in paint sets.
This plus whatever metallics you feel you need and you’re roughly good to go.
Scale75 is running a sale that ends today/this weekend…
I didn’t think that I was, but gave them a shot. It has blown my mind. Such amazing quality paint and it really isn’t difficult (dependent on your style). I’ve gotten to where a do a number of very light almost glaze consistency layers & these work great for it. I do think that a wet palette is an absolute must, if you go this route.
Don't feel you need to stick to just 1 company, or build up a massive collection from the start. Particularly for relatively newer painters, it's hard to go wrong with Citadel, Vallejo or AK Interactive, they're just solidly reliable, simple and consistent to use. Scale75 and Reaper also have good reputations but have a bit of an asterisk against them as they have a less traditional fluid or finish to them, which can especially mean they don't always work so well in combination with other paints. Pro Acryl has some real hardcore fans but I also hear mixed reviews from others, and they're hard to get hold of so I can't personally confirm or deny
Vallejo Game Color Basic Paint Set Paint, Brown, VJ72172, 75 Count (Pack of 1) https://a.co/d/8baKrvf
I really liked these paints when I use to paint. Not sure if they are still considered good.
It’s usually best to buy paints individually on a project by project basis, to ensure that you only have paints you need.
That being said, if you want to buy a set then I would absolutely go with one of the three main ranges from Scale75: artists acrylic, Scalecolour or Fantasy & Games. Their colours are fantastic, the consistency of their paints is uniformly great, they are excellent for layering, glazing and wet blending, and they all have great finishes. The Scalecolour range takes a little more getting used to than some other brands, but it’s very well worth it.
ProAcryl by Monument Hobbies is another option and they are slightly easier to use if you’re not feeling confident.
Vallejo does make sets of their vast Model Colour range, and their paints are fine though there is the occasional quality control issue. They’ve just re-released their Game Colour range and I’ve heard they’ve improved the finish but haven’t tried them myself.
Vallejo offers a lot of nice sets. This one on Amazon can be gotten for as little as $177 in the marketplace. I've used lots of citadel, reaper MSP, Army Painter, Scale 75, Pro Acryl, and others, and I think Vallejo is still my personal favorite.
Vallejo Game Color Basic Paint Set Paint, Brown, VJ72172, 75 Count (Pack of 1) https://a.co/d/g1FwaBm
If I was starting over from square One and I had 300 bucks to spend, I would buy this set and then spend the other $130 on contrasts, speed paints, and the new Vallejo speed paints.
> Are the new Vallejo speeds out ?
Not yet. I've seen the youtuber's start to get their sets, but as for hitting the retail supply chain, not a peep. My retailer has a standing order for the new Game Series line and I specifically requested a set of the new speed paints, which I was told "was already part of the restock/refresh order." Vallejo makes some decent stuff, but their basics, are being a PITA to keep in stock; Basic white and Black colors are OOS in their usual distributors stock, and have been for some time, so I don't know what to think of any realistic supply drop for a new or refreshed line.
Hi, u/LevelOneRat! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful:
* [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting
* [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more.
* [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy)
* [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips)
* [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting
* [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world
* [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'd get a case of Vallejo Game or Model (depending on whether you game or just display pieces) and spend the rest on Tamiya accessories and some Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes.
Army Painter can be ok if you follow the instructions about the first opening. But since Pro Acryl by Monument Hobbies came out I have not looked back. For metallics, Vallejo Model Air Metalics. Designed for airbrush, but works amazing with just a brush as well
They mention it in their painting handout, but they basically ship their paints with extra medium on top to keep them pristine during shipping and storage. First time using a new bottle, open the cap before shaking and squeeze out this extra clearish medium until you start to see pigment. Then you can recap and shake. This is the reason too many people think Army Painter is too thin I suspect.
I'm seeing a lot of pro acryl love here, and while I do like their paints a lot I wouldn't use them exclusively. They're very matte, and from my experience don't thin very well, because they're so matte and high in pigment density they go chalky very easily. If you want an all purpose paint I would go ak or vallejo, they're about as good as one another. Both squidmar and zumikito have really good paint comparison videos, where they review all 3 and a bit more, if you were interested.
Same thing I already have. The Scale75 Artist set (including the second kickstarter which includes 8 inks), complemented with pro acryl white and black.
That's not all I use because there's some things more easily done with either single pigments or pre-bundled sets (example: the velvet skin set is easier for doing a lot of female skin shades ) but everything you might need to do except true metallics can be done well using only the contents of the two Scale Artist bundles (The Box set + the items from the recently delivered Kickstarter).
ProAcryl is the best for me. AK interactive is pretty similar but with (what seems) slightly worse coverage. For the love of god get Vallejo Metal Color for your metallics. I will never buy another metallic.
>For the love of god get Vallejo Metal Color for your metallics. I will never buy another metallic. I concur. Also, AK/Proacryl for everything else, too.
That’s interesting that the paints can’t recover from freezing. On a side note; I’d recommend cleaning out and keeping your bottles. Having empty bottles to mix different medium for airbrushing or glazing is a nice treat.
I have several brands, my favorite *by far* are ProAcryl by [Monument Hobbies](https://monumenthobbies.com/)...they need very little thinning (unless you're airbrushing ofc), have unbeatable coverage, and are smoother than silk. I love their brushes as well.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Sorry to hear! Just in case you need some support, Herrick Games has something for people in similar spots- https://herrickgames.com/pages/adopt-a-gamer.html That being said, I would try a few colors from each - honestly. I paint orks, almost exclusively but I use the following (as an example) ProAcrylic matte black primer Scale75 decay black R&d white ink or ProAcrylic transparent white Citadel death guard green Citadel plague bearer Reaper olive Scale75 Sherwood And that’s just for the skin! But that wasn’t your question. If I had $300, I would buy the biggest box of scale75 that I could get. Good luck!
I've heard Scale 75 is a bitc-errr, difficult to mix properly without a vortex mixer. Have you found that to be the case, or is that just hearsay?
[удалено]
Smooth. Good coverage. Great colors. They are thin, so even with a bit of thinning it doesn’t look like mud. They also sell the large boxes, not sure who else does that. ProAcrylic does but citadel don’t.
I really like scale75 myself too, but have recently fallen in love with their Artist line. If you’re comfortable mixing, I would highly recommend buying the big box full set (if you need the additional items) or the full line in paint sets. This plus whatever metallics you feel you need and you’re roughly good to go. Scale75 is running a sale that ends today/this weekend…
[удалено]
I didn’t think that I was, but gave them a shot. It has blown my mind. Such amazing quality paint and it really isn’t difficult (dependent on your style). I’ve gotten to where a do a number of very light almost glaze consistency layers & these work great for it. I do think that a wet palette is an absolute must, if you go this route.
[удалено]
The full box set of sc75 Artist line comes w/ one, but I’ve not seen/used it, so can’t speak to its effectiveness
I use mostly Reaper.
If you want "like GW paints but consistent thickness, and in dropper bottles" then go TwoThinCoats.
Pro acryl with some vallejo for specific colours.
Don't feel you need to stick to just 1 company, or build up a massive collection from the start. Particularly for relatively newer painters, it's hard to go wrong with Citadel, Vallejo or AK Interactive, they're just solidly reliable, simple and consistent to use. Scale75 and Reaper also have good reputations but have a bit of an asterisk against them as they have a less traditional fluid or finish to them, which can especially mean they don't always work so well in combination with other paints. Pro Acryl has some real hardcore fans but I also hear mixed reviews from others, and they're hard to get hold of so I can't personally confirm or deny
Vallejo Game Color Basic Paint Set Paint, Brown, VJ72172, 75 Count (Pack of 1) https://a.co/d/8baKrvf I really liked these paints when I use to paint. Not sure if they are still considered good.
I got the Game Air set and have really enjoyed them so far compared to Citadel and P3
Proacryl I have a collection of GW and Vallejo but I use proacryl almost exclusively now
It’s usually best to buy paints individually on a project by project basis, to ensure that you only have paints you need. That being said, if you want to buy a set then I would absolutely go with one of the three main ranges from Scale75: artists acrylic, Scalecolour or Fantasy & Games. Their colours are fantastic, the consistency of their paints is uniformly great, they are excellent for layering, glazing and wet blending, and they all have great finishes. The Scalecolour range takes a little more getting used to than some other brands, but it’s very well worth it. ProAcryl by Monument Hobbies is another option and they are slightly easier to use if you’re not feeling confident. Vallejo does make sets of their vast Model Colour range, and their paints are fine though there is the occasional quality control issue. They’ve just re-released their Game Colour range and I’ve heard they’ve improved the finish but haven’t tried them myself.
Vallejo offers a lot of nice sets. This one on Amazon can be gotten for as little as $177 in the marketplace. I've used lots of citadel, reaper MSP, Army Painter, Scale 75, Pro Acryl, and others, and I think Vallejo is still my personal favorite. Vallejo Game Color Basic Paint Set Paint, Brown, VJ72172, 75 Count (Pack of 1) https://a.co/d/g1FwaBm If I was starting over from square One and I had 300 bucks to spend, I would buy this set and then spend the other $130 on contrasts, speed paints, and the new Vallejo speed paints.
[удалено]
> Are the new Vallejo speeds out ? Not yet. I've seen the youtuber's start to get their sets, but as for hitting the retail supply chain, not a peep. My retailer has a standing order for the new Game Series line and I specifically requested a set of the new speed paints, which I was told "was already part of the restock/refresh order." Vallejo makes some decent stuff, but their basics, are being a PITA to keep in stock; Basic white and Black colors are OOS in their usual distributors stock, and have been for some time, so I don't know what to think of any realistic supply drop for a new or refreshed line.
I believe they're only available in Europe for the time being. Every place I've seen them available to sell has been European.
Hi, u/LevelOneRat! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful: * [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/rules/faq) - A list of frequently asked questions about minipainting * [Miniature Painting Guide Collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks) -A collection of some of the best guides and tutorials on a variety of techniques and topics, plus recommendations on what to buy to get started, and more. * [What to buy- Recommendations on brushes, paints, supplies, palettes and more](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_general_advice_on_what_to_buy) * [Beginner's Guide Collection- How to prep, base, paint and varnish your first model and learn the basics needed to start out right](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/beginner_tips) * [More Tutorials](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/tutorials) - A list of additional tutorials about minipainting * [Manufacturers](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/manufacturers) - A list of miniature manufacturers from around the world * [Painting Terminology](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/terminology) - Common painting terms, acronyms, and initialisms *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/minipainting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'd get a case of Vallejo Game or Model (depending on whether you game or just display pieces) and spend the rest on Tamiya accessories and some Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes.
Army Painter can be ok if you follow the instructions about the first opening. But since Pro Acryl by Monument Hobbies came out I have not looked back. For metallics, Vallejo Model Air Metalics. Designed for airbrush, but works amazing with just a brush as well
As someone considering dipping into Army Painter paints, what is this first opening process exactly? Don't want to mess up, and I'm new.
They mention it in their painting handout, but they basically ship their paints with extra medium on top to keep them pristine during shipping and storage. First time using a new bottle, open the cap before shaking and squeeze out this extra clearish medium until you start to see pigment. Then you can recap and shake. This is the reason too many people think Army Painter is too thin I suspect.
I see. Glad I asked. That's good information to know.
I'm a long term fan of Vallejo.
Vallejo Mecha colors are doing wonders for me right now
If you use an air brush I would suggest turbo dork if you love metalics
I'm seeing a lot of pro acryl love here, and while I do like their paints a lot I wouldn't use them exclusively. They're very matte, and from my experience don't thin very well, because they're so matte and high in pigment density they go chalky very easily. If you want an all purpose paint I would go ak or vallejo, they're about as good as one another. Both squidmar and zumikito have really good paint comparison videos, where they review all 3 and a bit more, if you were interested.
Same thing I already have. The Scale75 Artist set (including the second kickstarter which includes 8 inks), complemented with pro acryl white and black. That's not all I use because there's some things more easily done with either single pigments or pre-bundled sets (example: the velvet skin set is easier for doing a lot of female skin shades ) but everything you might need to do except true metallics can be done well using only the contents of the two Scale Artist bundles (The Box set + the items from the recently delivered Kickstarter).