Scale75- worth investing in?

[Evil Eye]

I am generally a Citadel pleb; I've found with a few exceptions their paints handle nicely, they have a wide variety of colours, and I'm familiar enough with them that I know how they work in most circumstances. I do use other paints, notably Vallejo black and white (as they work a bit better and are "basic" colours, in addition to being cross compatible) and am always on the lookout for new "special" paints (effects, metallics, clears etc) but for most basic colour work I've always been happy with Citadel.

 

However, I've heard lots of good things about Scale75's paints, and have been told they are sufficiently different from other paint brands to be worth trying out. Unfortunately my first experience with them was far from ideal, as I bought the Fluorescent set (as it was a niche not filled by any existing paint I had) and absolutely hated them! It was only after this that I learned that they were notorious even amongst ardent S75 fans for being a bit crap and not representative of the line as a whole.

 

So, with that in mind, is Scale75 worth me investing in a bit more? I've heard good things about their metallics, and as someone always on the lookout for yet more metallic paints that's a good sign, but what about their "regular" paints? I have quite a...large collection of Citadel and don't fancy replacing it all at the drop of a hat, but are they useful for particular purposes that other brands (Citadel, Vallejo etc) aren't as good at? Are they great for professional miniature painters but are wasted on "tabletop quality" models? And how best to handle them? I read the topic on airbrushing them (I have their own thinner thanks to Green Stuff World *ptooey* selling it for their own paints, and also have the ever-useful Mr. Aqueous Thinner) so I know they can be a bit peculiar that way, but what about by hand? I recall when I used the flourescent paints they had appallingly bad coverage, with the slightest pinprick of water for thinning turning the paint into almost colourless liquid closer to a tinted varnish than even a glaze.

 

TLDR: Should I give S75 another chance or would I be wasting my money?

[Marshal Loss]

Scale 75 metallics & inks are both amazing (the golds are the best made by any manufacturer, imo), and I'd highly recommend them. Most of their regular paints have an incredibly matte finish; whether you like that or not is just up to personal taste. You can take advantage of that quality to contrast the finish of different areas (e.g. I usually give my marines' armour a satin finish, and then use S75 paints on the leather parts to up the contrast).

[Shovellovin]

In general, I like the Scale 75 line of paints. As Marshal Loss stated, the metallics are really great paints (I don't have experience with the inks). I especially like Scale 75's Black Metal and Thrash Metal paints. I also like Eclipse Grey and use that as a highlight for black. 

 

In my experience, the Scale 75 paints need a lot of agitation to ensure they are mixed correctly. I added stainless steel ball bearings to my paints to keep them mixed.

 

I haven't used the Scale 75 paints in an airbrush but I use them quite a bit with a brush. I don't have any complaints. 

[Bung]

I bought into them after the last change of the GW paint range and they are my main color range i use.

To be honest you can use any acrylic Paint range to paint any "level" of miniature painting.

The color ranges dont differ that mich in aplication. Scale may ne a bit more in the thicker side but If you use a palette its not an isue.

The finish of Scale colors is more matt than GW, Vallejo or other colors used for Fantasy miniatures but they mix with any other water based acrylics without problems.

Mr. Aquaus thinner works with the Scale colors, i use that too.

[Ramell]

Oh yes. Beautiful, pigment-dense colours, with great coverage. Just mix them properly, they separate very quickly and it seems to be worse the lighter the colour.

For airbrushing, I think Scale75's own thinner is the best. I've heard of problems using Vallejo thinner, but I've not tried it myself.

[Lord Marshal]

If you want a visual example of their matte finish, some of Sorastro's more recent videos are using them almost exclusively.

 

 

 

Personally I love them.

[Magos Takatus]

For the most part I get on well with the Scale 75 I have bought I find their fantasy range a little easier to use than their main range but I'm not just sure if that's confirmation bias or not. I use the lighter colours in their black and white set a lot and the wood and leather set are often used. I find the silver and gold metallic sets really handy but I struggle to get good results with their copper paint set.

 

As for the fluorescent paints, they are difficult to use and unpleasant no matter which range you pick from what I hear. 

 

My best advice is to pick the colours you think you will use the most and branch out from there. Replacing the whole lot at once seems like a huge undertaking to me and it might be the case that you end up using different paint ranges to achieve different effects further down the line.

[Lord Marshal]

The Fantasy & Games range is good, but it's functionally not much different to Citadel/Army Painter/VGC/etc in that it gives a satin finish. I still like their Fantasy range, but it's nothing I'd run out and replace my existing paints with the same way I've been phasing them out for ScaleColour unless it's a particular colour that I can't get elsewhere (Despair Green for example).

 

I'm bias though because I really like matte finishes.

 

Something to keep in mind with ScaleColour as well is that it dries a bit different from how it's applied. When you slap it on the coverage seems very good, but it tends to dry more transparent, certainly more than other paints. You also need to thin them a fair bit more than other paints due to the gel medium, coming out a lot thicker than most other brands.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Lord Marshal

[Urauloth]

Adding another recommendation for the Scale75 metallics. I haven't looked back since I got these, it's extremely rare that I use any other metallic paints. The main advantage they offer is that the fleck - the metallic grit that makes them sparkle - is much finer than it is in most acrylics, so they're smoother, they flow and mix better, and they're also less wear on your brushes. You absolutely need to put agitators in them, though.

 

I have some of the Fantasy range, and like Marshal says they're a lot like Citadel or Model Colour paints. I think they're meant to be. I just picked up a selection to try, and while I definitely like them, the only advantage they offer is a few convenient colours (like the aforementioned despair green, which is great). I haven't had a chance to try the super-matte Scalecolor range yet, but I have some of the greyscale paints on order. I like the matte look from what I've seen and there are some extremely useful looking paints in that range, so I'm looking forward to getting some.

[Evil Eye]

Thanks for all the input!

 

I'm definitely considering trying out their metallics; Citadel's metallics range from honestly pretty good (Retributor Armour, Warplock Bronze, Iron Warriors) to godawful (Auric Armour Gold) and whilst I love the two Vallejo Liquid Metal paints I have, they're alcohol based and thus more awkward to use. As for the ScaleColour line I'm tempted to give a few a try, the ultra-matte finish intrigues me.

[Lord Marshal]

Thanks for all the input!

 

I'm definitely considering trying out their metallics; Citadel's metallics range from honestly pretty good (Retributor Armour, Warplock Bronze, Iron Warriors) to godawful (Auric Armour Gold) and whilst I love the two Vallejo Liquid Metal paints I have, they're alcohol based and thus more awkward to use. As for the ScaleColour line I'm tempted to give a few a try, the ultra-matte finish intrigues me.

 

My advice is to grab one of the boxsets (Blood & Fire for red, Colours of Nature for green, etc) and give them a whirl on a test model. The results really speak for themselves when you start blending them together, but they're close enough that basic layering looks great. That said if you're on a budget then the discount from the packs isn't so great getting them individually matters much (I think the bonus is like, one 'free' paint?)

 

If you have to grab one metallic, then Necro Gold is definitely my favourite and doesn't really have an equivalent in the Citadel line. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Lord Marshal

[andes]

If you have to grab one metallic, then Necro Gold is definitely my favourite and doesn't really have an equivalent in the Citadel line. 

 

This, 100%. I love the Necro Gold. The Scale Color leathers are also especially fine.

[Magos Takatus]

 

Thanks for all the input!

 

I'm definitely considering trying out their metallics; Citadel's metallics range from honestly pretty good (Retributor Armour, Warplock Bronze, Iron Warriors) to godawful (Auric Armour Gold) and whilst I love the two Vallejo Liquid Metal paints I have, they're alcohol based and thus more awkward to use. As for the ScaleColour line I'm tempted to give a few a try, the ultra-matte finish intrigues me.

 

My advice is to grab one of the boxsets (Blood & Fire for red, Colours of Nature for green, etc) and give them a whirl on a test model. The results really speak for themselves when you start blending them together, but they're close enough that basic layering looks great. That said if you're on a budget then the discount from the packs isn't so great getting them individually matters much (I think the bonus is like, one 'free' paint?)

 

If you have to grab one metallic, then Necro Gold is definitely my favourite and doesn't really have an equivalent in the Citadel line. 

 

Necro Gold and Black Metal are staples in my painting. I would also suggest Decayed Metal but I'm using my pots of FW Castellax Bronze instead.

I will sing the praises of the Black and White paint set, they produce some really nice colours that I use for stone and bones quite often.

[Urauloth]

Somewhat-relatedly, I got around to trying out one of the Scale75 brushes today - the Kolinsky-Tajmyr sable size 1 - and I have to file that under "worth investing in" as well. It has a much broader belly than a size 1 usually does and it can hold a LOT, making it usable for basecoating, while the point is sharp enough to paint details I'd usually switch to a smaller brush for. I'm road testing it by basecoating, washing and highlighting a whole miniature with it, face and all, and it's good for everything but the teeth and eyes. I usually use W&N brushes, and this compares very favourably to those. I can see myself using this for something on every model from now on. I'll definitely invest in more of this range in the future, I really want to see what the other sizes are like.

 

Maybe I got an exceptionally good example, but if this is what they're all this quality then the range is a goldmine.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Urauloth

[Magos Takatus]

That's interesting, I was not even aware that Scale 75 had a range of brushes. Considering how quickly I managed to mangle my last batch of W&N brushes it might be a good idea for me to search for some alternatives. How do the prices compare to the W&N equivalents?

[Urauloth]

Prices are about the same, I paid a little under £12 for this one.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Somewhat-relatedly, I got around to trying out one of the Scale75 brushes today - the Kolinsky-Tajmyr sable size 1 - and I have to file that under "worth investing in" 

It's an Escoda brush (you can tell by the double-crimp, as they're the only manufacturer to employ it). As a guess, I'd say it'll be a re-badged Reserva (they only do 2 kolinsky sable brushes - Optimo and Reserva). I use their synthetic brushes (Prado & Versatil) - they do make very nice brushes. :)

Edited March 19, 2021 by Firedrake Cordova

[Arkhanist]

Escoda call the reserva line kolinsky-tajmya (as scale 75 does theirs), plus the handle does definitely match escoda's shape and the double crimp, so I too think it's a rebadge.

 

The reserva 1212 pointed round is a good quality kolinsky brush by all accounts, so if it is a re-badge, then it's a decent source! I did dabble with them a few years ago, but the two I bought did lose their sharpness a bit quicker than I'd expect for a kolinsky; the size 2 is still in rotation as a basecoat brush, but I wouldn't want to do detail with it now. That, and UK price/availability meant I switched to other brands.

 

Another brush with a bigger belly than series 7 but a super sharp point is the Raphael 8404 which is still my preferred alternate; it is a bit floppier than a series 7, which people tend to love or hate...

Edited March 26, 2021 by Arkhanist

[Bat33.1]

Thanks for all the input!

 

I'm definitely considering trying out their metallics; Citadel's metallics range from honestly pretty good (Retributor Armour, Warplock Bronze, Iron Warriors) to godawful (Auric Armour Gold) and whilst I love the two Vallejo Liquid Metal paints I have, they're alcohol based and thus more awkward to use. As for the ScaleColour line I'm tempted to give a few a try, the ultra-matte finish intrigues me.

Vallejo make a range called metal color which are acrylic but just as good as the liquid metal range but so much easier to use. Fantastic for airbrushing or brush painting

[Evil Eye]

So I managed to get down to my FLGS in Norwich and got some of the metallics- Necro Gold, Elven Gold and Heavy Metal. They look to be really good! Especially Necro Gold, which thanks to a major whoopsie I managed to get all over my floor (don't ask how). Good thing I put down a vinyl offcut for my workspace...

 

I also picked up two of their totally-not-Contrast paints, Acid Green and Salmon Fury, along with the medium. No idea how they'll handle but they're certainly more economically priced than Contrast. Hopefully they work just as well!

[andes]

Especially Necro Gold, which thanks to a major whoopsie I managed to get all over my floor (don't ask how). Good thing I put down a vinyl offcut for my workspace...

 

Can't let that go by uncommented on   Soooo, undrilled nozzle?

Edited April 18, 2021 by andes

[Magos Takatus]

I find nozzle clogs are far more dangerous for that particular error but it's easy to fail to notice the new bottles are sealed. I don't know what happened but I've made a bit of a mess with Scale 75 bottles too.

 

Thanks for reminding me their Instant Colours paints are out. I'd quite like to buy some contrast paints and some Instant Colours and see what the advantages and disadvantages of each are.

[Urauloth]

What do you all find is the best way to unseal a new bottle, incidentally?

 

I also picked up two of their totally-not-Contrast paints, Acid Green and Salmon Fury, along with the medium. No idea how they'll handle but they're certainly more economically priced than Contrast. Hopefully they work just as well!

 

Please report on these when you use them, if you get the time!

[andes]

What do you all find is the best way to unseal a new bottle, incidentally?

 

 

I drill them out with the larger of the two drill bits I use when pinning models. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by andes

[Arkhanist]

What do you all find is the best way to unseal a new bottle, incidentally?

Depends whatever very thin and pointy implement I have to hand! My most common method is my old airbrush nozzle reamer, or pin vice + drill bit if i have it out. At a pinch when I'm too lazy to get up, I've used a piece of 0.8mm brass rod I use for pinning, with the holding end bent a bit so I can get some leverage. Same way I clear normal dropper bottle clogs.

 

Everybody makes that mistake the first time with scale 75 Evil Eye

 

For what it's worth, I knocked over an open bottle of flory models black clay wash yesterday cos I wasn't paying attention. At least the 20 odd ml all over my desk was water washable...

Edited April 19, 2021 by Arkhanist