Complete Game Colour Range - Help Please

[Rhetoricus]

Hello all, i'm trying to find somewhere that sells the complete vallejo game colour range. I'm not having much luck. I've found one company that claims to sell the whole range but only has 95 colours listed, and there's 119 colours in the range apparently. Can anybody point me in the right direction please?

 

EDIT: Just to clarify i'm looking to buy the whole set, in one go.

 

Don't really understand why its sold in a carry case of 72 paints (doesn't tell you which 72 neither)

[S.k.i.t.t.l.e]

If you're in the UK, snmstuff. Co.uk has the full sets for decent prices. I believe that there are 95 colours in the VGC range, plus (I think) 16 extra opaque paints. The extra opaque ones correspond to the base colours from GW (again, I think)

[Major_Gilbear]

I second snmstuff for getting Vallejo products from... Although, I have to ask: why do you want the entire range all in one go?

[Rhetoricus]

So I never have to worry about paint again. I've had enough of my GW paints drying up in the pots even when properly looked after, and have it on good authority that vallejo paints will last year's. Im also sick of getting half way through a project only to have GW change the entire bloody paint range. Enough is enough. So I'm jumping ship and getting the entire game colour range, shortly after I'll be looking to pick up the entire model colour range too.

 

I don't know if its an ocd thing but once I get one I gotta get em all.

[lhg033]

take a look at darksphere too. been eyeing up the model air sets they have but don't (yet) have a suitable place to try and learn to airbrush

[S.k.i.t.t.l.e]

Vallejo Air is an amazing range. I haven't used lots of the colours, but the ones I have have impressed me. If you are looking for good metallics, the Vallejo Air ones are fantastic, waaaaay better than GW or even the Game Colour ones. (Either through an airbrush or with a regular brush, definitely need a good brush though, I felt that with a red sable brush they didn't flow as well as from a kolinsky)

[Rhetoricus]

Vallejo Air is an amazing range. I haven't used lots of the colours, but the ones I have have impressed me. If you are looking for good metallics, the Vallejo Air ones are fantastic, waaaaay better than GW or even the Game Colour ones. (Either through an airbrush or with a regular brush, definitely need a good brush though, I felt that with a red sable brush they didn't flow as well as from a kolinsky)

 

The air paints are suitable for brushes? really? You got a pic of anything you've used them on bud?

[S.k.i.t.t.l.e]

In my gallery: http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_9022/gallery_63768_9022_52067.jpg

All the silver parts are Vallejo Air, the legs were based with Black Metal with an airbrush, but the rest is by hand. Sorry its not the best view... There are a few more on my FB page, but I don't know if they are much better.

Edit: They look a little dull due to me satin varnishing them twice for protection. Still look great in real life though.

[Rhetoricus]

In my gallery: http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_9022/gallery_63768_9022_52067.jpg

All the silver parts are Vallejo AIr, the legs were based with Black Metal with an airbrush, but the rest is by hand. Sorry its not the best view... There are a few more on my FB page, but I don't know if they are much better.

That looks super sweet bro. Thanks for taking the time to post that. Now I got's more paints I got's to buy. Great. ha :)

[S.k.i.t.t.l.e]

In my gallery: http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_9022/gallery_63768_9022_52067.jpg

All the silver parts are Vallejo AIr, the legs were based with Black Metal with an airbrush, but the rest is by hand. Sorry its not the best view... There are a few more on my FB page, but I don't know if they are much better.

That looks super sweet bro. Thanks for taking the time to post that. Now I got's more paints I got's to buy. Great. ha

No problem. Also Vallejo Air have the metallics in sets. I got the small set of 8 for about £13. Cheap as chips.

[Major_Gilbear]

So I never have to worry about paint again.

Sorry, but I don't get this!

...If you use lots of a specific yellow paint for example, but never any blue, how will buying fifteen kinds of blue paint all at once as part of a bigger set help you? Why not just buy the yellows you want (maybe multiples of the most-used colour) and one or two blues? Seems to me that 120 paints is a hell of a lot -and take it from me, as I have about that many- you will rarely use more than 60 on anything like a regular basis.

[...] have it on good authority that vallejo paints will last year's.

Well, they can. But you have to look after them!

For Vallejo, this means keeping the paint bottle nozzles clean by removing them, poking the dried paint out and then putting them back. Ironically though, the dried paint "plug" is a pretty good seal against the rest of the bottle drying out in paints you don't use much.

Even so, with the excepetion of GW paints dating from the famous black screw-lids onwards, keeping paints in good condition is more about good practice and care than anything else. I have GW paints from the hex-pot with white flip-top lid days that are still perfect for example, and even (very) few from the screw-top days.

Im also sick of getting half way through a project only to have GW change the entire bloody paint range. Enough is enough.

I sympathise! I made the jump to Vallejo and P3 as a result of this... And frankly, in pursuit of better quality and value too; I don't feel that Citadel have offered this in their paint range for years.

If you don't already know, Coat D'Arms is a paint brand that is essentially all the old Citadel Colours (as in, the first two generations of GW paint). The names have been altered a little, but they are a prefect match because they are still made by the same company in the UK, and to the same spec. I've been often told that they are good value, and good quality.

So I'm jumping ship and getting the entire game colour range, shortly after I'll be looking to pick up the entire model colour range too.

I don't know if its an ocd thing but once I get one I gotta get em all.

I think this is... Very extreme, and a bit if a waste of money unless you're a commission painter or such. Of course, it's your money, so spend it how you want, but I don't see the point of this at all. That goes double when a lot of the "basic" colours from each of the two Vallejo ranges are the same, only with different names and pigment/binder ratios.

I think you are far better off buying half a dozen colours (perhaps based around a specific colour scheme) from a few different ranges and try them out to see what works best for you. Since you're buying similar paints from each range, you should be able to make a direct comparison.

I would also consider whether you want to mix paint or use straight colours. Also, do you dip your bush into the pots, or do you put the paint on the palette first and then close the pot? Do you thin your paints a little, a lot, or not at all? These and other issues can have a bearing on the paint range that suits you, and you can overcome some things regardless. For example, I bought about a hundred empty dropper bottles, and put all my paints into those because they work better for me than flip-top lids do.

Finally, if you are dead-set on buying a complete range in one go, I'd seriously consider the P3 range, except maybe for their metals (great colours, but paint consistency for their metals has historically been hit-and-miss) and their inks (nothing wrong with them, but I find Vallejo Game Colour inks suit me much better). The range was designed by Mike McVey, and he had a few insightful things to say about it too. It's quite compact at around 72 paints, but if you paint a variety of things you will likely use most of them (and a lot of them are close to the old Citadel colours... Or in fact the same! )

Anyway, that was all longer than I intended it to be -sorry- but as it's a lot of money you're looking to spend, I felt moved to give you my thoughts based on similar experiences I had a few years back... Hopefully, it'll save you a ton of cash and you'll be happier with what you end up buying.

[Rhetoricus]

So I never have to worry about paint again.

Sorry, but I don't get this!

...If you use lots of a specific yellow paint for example, but never any blue, how will buying fifteen kinds of blue paint all at once as part of a bigger set help you? Why not just buy the yellows you want (maybe multiples of the most-used colour) and one or two blues? Seems to me that 120 paints is a hell of a lot -and take it from me, as I have about that many- you will rarely use more than 60 on anything like a regular basis.

>[...] have it on good authority that vallejo paints will last year's.

Well, they can. But you have to look after them!

For Vallejo, this means keeping the paint bottle nozzles clean by removing them, poking the dried paint out and then putting them back. Ironically though, the dried paint "plug" is a pretty good seal against the rest of the bottle drying out in paints you don't use much.

Even so, with the excepetion of GW paints dating from the famous black screw-lids onwards, keeping paints in good condition is more about good practice and care than anything else. I have GW paints from the hex-pot with white flip-top lid days that are still perfect for example, and even (very) few from the screw-top days.

Im also sick of getting half way through a project only to have GW change the entire bloody paint range. Enough is enough.

I sympathise! I made the jump to Vallejo and P3 as a result of this... And frankly, in pursuit of better quality and value too; I don't feel that Citadel have offered this in their paint range for years.

If you don't already know, Coat D'Arms is a paint brand that is essentially all the old Citadel Colours (as in, the first two generations of GW paint). The names have been altered a little, but they are a prefect match because they are still made by the same company in the UK, and to the same spec. I've been often told that they are good value, and good quality.

So I'm jumping ship and getting the entire game colour range, shortly after I'll be looking to pick up the entire model colour range too.

I don't know if its an ocd thing but once I get one I gotta get em all.

I think this is... Very extreme, and a bit if a waste of money unless you're a commission painter or such. Of course, it's your money, so spend it how you want, but I don't see the point of this at all. That goes double when a lot of the "basic" colours from each of the two Vallejo ranges are the same, only with different names and pigment/binder ratios.

I think you are far better off buying half a dozen colours (perhaps based around a specific colour scheme) from a few different ranges and try them out to see what works best for you. Since you're buying similar paints from each range, you should be able to make a direct comparison.

I would also consider whether you want to mix paint or use straight colours. Also, do you dip your bush into the pots, or do you put the paint on the palette first and then close the pot? Do you thin your paints a little, a lot, or not at all? These and other issues can have a bearing on the paint range that suits you, and you can overcome some things regardless. For example, I bought about a hundred empty dropper bottles, and put all my paints into those because they work better for me than flip-top lids do.

Finally, if you are dead-set on buying a complete range in one go, I'd seriously consider the P3 range, except maybe for their metals (great colours, but paint consistency for their metals has historically been hit-and-miss) and their inks (nothing wrong with them, but I find Vallejo Game Colour inks suit me much better). The range was designed by Mike McVey, and he had a few insightful things to say about it too. It's quite compact at around 72 paints, but if you paint a variety of things you will likely use most of them (and a lot of them are close to the old Citadel colours... Or in fact the same! )

Anyway, that was all longer than I intended it to be -sorry- but as it's a lot of money you're looking to spend, I felt moved to give you my thoughts based on similar experiences I had a few years back... Hopefully, it'll save you a ton of cash and you'll be happier with what you end up buying.

I really appreciate the time you took to write that bro. Thank you for trying to steer me in the right direction.

The reason for wanting the entire game colour range is that i'm quite impulsive. If I decide that one day I want to paint "X, Y, or Z" and colours "A, B and C" would be just perfect for it. It would drive me to distraction having to order them in and then wait for them to arrive.

My paint collection at present is quite limited (even more so now ive just had to throw away about 20 pots of GW paint that had basically turned into clay) If I have the full range, I can paint anything I want, however I want, whenever I want.

Also there seems to be a significant saving when buying the whole range at once and it seems likely to me that i'd end up getting it all anyway sooner or later, so why not jump in with both feet and save a little in the long run?

with regards to the model colour, I agree completely. There is no defending my position on this, it's greedy I know......but there are worse things to covet then paint I suppose.

Once again thanks for your post mate. Believe it or not some of it has sunk in. I'm gonna read your advice again I think.

I do think ive got my heart set on the range now though. We'll see.

Thanks for the info on P3 and Coat D arms as well. Very useful info.

[Major_Gilbear]

No worries!

 

One last thing to note is that there will likely be some colours that look useful, but that you will likely never use when you buy a range like Model Colour. Assuming that you collect 40k/WHFB and similar, then the brighter colours in the Game Colour range or the P3 range will suit you far better. Model Colour range is great if you play lots of historical games though, in which case I'd go for that and drop the others.

 

There is a lot to be said for the compact size of the P3 range... I've not yet found a colour that I'm missing from it, or that cannot be easily mixed on the fly from two other colours in the range (by "easily", I mean in a consistently reproducable mix ratio like 1:1 or 1:2). The brighter colours suit the sorts of models I paint (sci-fi and fantasy), and for anything more muted, it's easy to mix (most colours tend towards murky tones once you mix more than three of them anyway). The core Game Colour range is very similar in this regard. If you want specifc guides for painting colours with P3, drop me a PM and I'll try and work something out for you.

 

Anyway, I really do understand what you mean about wanting to have colours "on demand", but I think there will always be situations that require a bit of planning anyway - for example if you're running low on a specific colour, or if you are intending to start a new project that will require a particular set of colours in larger quantity. For every other situation, are you really going to need eight different kinds of uniform khaki "just in case" for example? I just wouldn't get too hung up on this specific point is all I'm trying to say. :)

[Rhetoricus]

Thanks, I think you're right about the model colour range. I'm just gonna leave it. When it comes to P3 vs Game Colour its the dropper bottles that win it for me. Less wastage, easier measurement, easier storage etc. They just seem to be a much better design, unless you have any insights as to why this might not be the case?

 

So I think I'm gonna go for the model colour range and see how I get on from there.

 

One last thing, do you have any pics of various models you've painted using the various ranges? If so it would be cool to take a look.

 

Thanks again for all the help and advice. :)

[Major_Gilbear]

When it comes to P3 vs Game Colour its the dropper bottles that win it for me. Less wastage, easier measurement, easier storage etc. They just seem to be a much better design, unless you have any insights as to why this might not be the case?

I too prefer dropper bottles, even though they require a bit more maintenance. I find that I waste less paint on the palette (which is a nett saving overall) and the greater ease of accurate measurement to be very worthwhile.

The trick with droppers is to ensure they are clear before you squeeze paint onto your palette, and that you don't clear paint clots by pushing them through back into the paint - otherwise, the clots will just jam at an inopportune moment.

I solved the P3 vs VCG conundrum by buying empty droppers at something like 20p each on ebay, and transferring all my P3 paints into them. Now I have P3 in droppers!

One last thing, do you have any pics of various models you've painted using the various ranges? If so it would be cool to take a look.

Yes, and no.

Yes, I do have models painted with these paints, and no they are not painted with one brand only. To be honest, you cannot really tell which range was used in the finished effort - so what you favour depends a lot on the nature of the paints themeselves, and those qualities aren't readily apparent on the finished models. Still, I have some (non-GW model) pix here if you want to see, and a bit of Epic 40k here. Not much to look at, but I'm a slow painter and I have very few pictures worth a damn.

Thanks again for all the help and advice.

My pleasure! I hope to hear how you get on with what you choose, and look forward to seeing what you produce with them.

Edited for craptacular spelling...

[DarkMark]

Hi,

Here's a range you might want to pick up. The company has pedigree, and looks like a decent colour range. For weathering and effects you'll want AK interactive; the current king of weathering. If you have a particular colour palette you're likely to be working with, for a chapter or something, just LMK and I'll give my recommendations if I can. I grab my paints from whom ever does the colour / effect I'm after, no brand loyalty from me!

[geektom]

In my gallery: http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_9022/gallery_63768_9022_52067.jpg

 

All the silver parts are Vallejo Air, the legs were based with Black Metal with an airbrush, but the rest is by hand. Sorry its not the best view... There are a few more on my FB page, but I don't know if they are much better. :D

 

Edit: They look a little dull due to me satin varnishing them twice for protection. Still look great in real life though.

That looks great- nice work n the claws, especially.

[S.k.i.t.t.l.e]

In my gallery: http://image.bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_9022/gallery_63768_9022_52067.jpg

All the silver parts are Vallejo Air, the legs were based with Black Metal with an airbrush, but the rest is by hand. Sorry its not the best view... There are a few more on my FB page, but I don't know if they are much better.

Edit: They look a little dull due to me satin varnishing them twice for protection. Still look great in real life though.

That looks great- nice work n the claws, especially.

Cheers!