Looking for new paint line

[DracoFox]

Hey guys, I've been using Citadel paints since I started playing 40k a few years back, and I've found that they're a little...inconsistent in terms of consistency, coverage, drying time and that problem the paint pots have of getting dried paint in between the lid and the pot so the paint holds it open so the paint inside the pot dries out SO YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW POT. I've been considering P3 or Valejo as alternatives. Could anyone give me advise on what paints to try out?

 

Thanks very much Battle-Brothers and Chaos Scum!

[Bryan Blaire]

If you are going to take a look, I would actually say look at everything. I've personally been having a lot of luck with the new GW line, but I also found some really nice carmine paints in a completely non-model line of acrylics for canvas work. I'd take a gander at P3, Vallejo, Reaper Masters paints, Tamiya, and some of the acrylic canvas paints, like Golden, Liquitex, Winsor & Newton, and Amsterdam Expert. You can even venture into the "hobby" acrylics you can get at common hobby stores (as opposed to the model painting acrylics).

 

Find what works best for you is probably the best advice I can really think of (short of "thin your paints"), because while you may end up really close to someone else paint-wise, finding exactly what works for you can make painting that much more comfortable and speed up more difficult techniques (relatively - namely the more confident you are, the better it will be). Vallejo and Reaper both have the dropper tops, so it can be easier to get very close paint mixes based on drop numbers. However, you can do something very similar if you like a different paint type and us some eye droppers to draw and discharge drops from non-dropper bottles.

[Combat_Vet]

Do you paint from the pot? If you do you will find P3 is even worse than Citadel about paint in the rim drying out. Vallejo are great paints (I use mostly the Gaming and Air series). The Model Air paints will seem super thin if you are used to painting straight from the pots with anything else though.

[SickSix]

Do you paint from the pot? If you do you will find P3 is even worse than Citadel about paint in the rim drying out. Vallejo are great paints (I use mostly the Gaming and Air series). The Model Air paints will seem super thin if you are used to painting straight from the pots with anything else though.

 

I concur with Vallejo. The Game Color and Air series are fantastic.

[sockwithaticket]

A really big thing to consider is how matte do you want the finish? Vallejo Game Colour, P3 and Coat D'arms can all dry quite glossily in my experience whereas Vallejo Model Colour is quite matte, Reaper Master Series more so and Scale 75 about as matte as you can get get.

[Father Mehman]

Citadel paint drying up? Put two or three drops of water in the paint and cut out/off the paint holding it open. I have paints still functioning from...who knows when? Put a little time into your tools and you get a lot in return.

[Ovidius Incertus]

I'll add another vote for Vallejo Game Color and Model Air ranges, although I do still use both old and new Citadel paints as well as the occasional Vallejo Model Color paint for some shades I don't otherwise find (like Ivory and Old Gold, or German Camo Black Brown, which is ace for weathering).  The dropper bottles are really the bee's knees for precision mixing and storing.

 

I will also echo the fact that some of the VCG can come out looking pretty glossy, especially the reds!  That said, if you cut it with, say, the Model Air line, you get a nice matte/satin finish (e.g. mix VGC Night Blue with VMA Black and you get a wonderful finish).

 

I also use Secret Weapon washes, some Vallejo inks, and Tamiya clear colors for some applications.

[Jeff Newton]

I still use some of the old (screw top) GW paints and some new ones as in both before and after the range change. I also use army painter sprays and matching bottle paints. I also have the entire Minitaire line from badger that I use along with a couple of Vallejo paints and P3 paints. For scenery I use the cheap paints from Michaels. Whatever paints do what you need them to do and work best with your style of painting.

 

Airbrush paints are going to be prethinned for you and if you end up getting an airbrush at some point it will be easier to get started.

[Black_out]

After being out of the hobby for a few years I came back to find the entire paint range redone. Now I use predominantly vallejo with several new gw paints and am very happy thus far.

[Captainulrich]

Everyone else has said it, but vallejo is king for sure. I do like some of the P3 also, particularly in the blue ranges.

[Space Truckin]

Another vote for Vallejo.

The quality of GW paints has been hit or miss for me.

[Adeptus-Alaska]

Honestly dude, don't EVER limit yourself to just one paint line. I repeat, don't EVER limit yourself to just one paint line.

 

When I am full bore in the hobby, I use multiple lines. I love GWs color palette, but I prefer P3 metallics, VGC reds and yellows, VMA greens and blues, Reaper blacks greys and whites, liquitex for large terrain bottles, etc, etc, etc.

 

My preferred purist paint line, I really fell in love with tamiya. They smell funny, but the coverage to thinness ratio really works for me.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Echoing Bloodbath, I have Citadel, Vallejo Model and Game color, P3, Reaper, and some Golden Fluid Acrylics paints that I use for certain techniques(mainly washes).