Final Paint list, need help

[INKS]

Ok paint gurus. I have finally come to a list of paints I need. I have watched a TON of videos on Custodes. I am going with purple over red for plumes, capes and so on. Here is the list. The Question is: Are there other brands I should be looking at that might be cheaper that do the same job and what is those colors names. Ex: Pro Acryl is more expensive than Vallejo Game color as example - BUT is it actually for the extra money. If it is, then all is good. But sometimes there are substitutes you can make that will make no visible different when painting.

Here is the list

 

Beasty Brown Primer - Vallejo
Rich Gold - Pro Acryl
Heavy Metal - Scale 75
Abaddon Black - Citadel - I am using this because I have this. So cost is zero
Mahogany - Pro Acryl
Magic Blue - Army Painter
Glistening Gold - Two Thin Coats
Bold Titanium White - Pro Acryl
Seraphim Sepia - Citadel
Dark Aluminium - Vallejo
Black Wash - Pro Acryl
Polyurethane Gloss Varnish - Vallejo
Ak Ultra Matte Varnish
Agrax EarthShade - Citadel
Petroleum Gray - Scale 75
Walnut - Scale 75
Plum - Pro Acryl
Warlock Magenta - Army Painter
Royal Purple - Pro Acryl

[DarkMark]

I'd keep the golds to a single brand rather than using several, and the same with the purples etc. You seem to be missing a silver?

 

I'd swap the petroleum grey for Vallejo charcoal, and the AP magic blue for Vallejo magic blue. 

 

Do you need a matte varnish if you are mainly painting gold? Would satin be a better choice? 

[INKS]

Thank you:

Heavy Metal and Dark Aluminium are both silver in color.

The matte varnish is for the non metal parts.

I will look into another gold in the same brand, this seems like a good idea

I'll take a look at those other colors as well. thank you.

[Bryan Blaire]

I get a fantastic gold using Vince Venturella’s recipe:

 

Yes, I do think it’s worth it.  He also has a good video on shading true metallic gold that is pretty good.  I shade most of my gold with Guilliman Flesh or a Mahogany+Dark Plum glaze.

 

As much as I like the ProAcryl metallics, and they are great, I inevitably fall back to using my Vallejo Metal Color and mix in transparent ProAcryl colors or Daler-Rowney/Liquitex acrylic inks into them if I want more colored metallics/metallic shades.

 

It’s hard recommending what you “should” do, because I know how I like to paint, but it may not work for you.  No matter what, it sounds like you have a good idea of your scheme in your mind, and it sounds like it will look very nice!  A brown with just a hint of purple as the shade on your Custodes’ gold will likely compliment your purple accents very well.

 

Vallejo is usually 17 ml, while ProAcryl is 22 ml.  Both are good paints.  I like some of the Scale75 paints, but I find their metallics more difficult to work with (which is very much the opposite of some people I know).

Edited September 1 by Bryan Blaire

[INKS]

I think I did watch this one, I will give it another watch to see what I think.

[DarkMark]

 

 

Heavy Metal and Dark Aluminium are both silver in color.

 

Both these colours are actually quite dark. I'd consider adding the Vallejo metal silver for highlighting metal and finishing spots for golds. 

[crimsondave]

I understand using Abaddon Black because you have it but when you run out Vallejo 70.950 Black is probably the most well behaved paint there is imo.  I use Abaddon Black occasionally when I want a more glossy black.

[INKS]

 

I understand using Abaddon Black because you have it but when you run out Vallejo 70.950 Black is probably the most well behaved paint there is imo.  I use Abaddon Black occasionally when I want a more glossy black.

I will write this down to save for later, thank you.

[INKS]

ok, I sorta some colors out. I did watch that video on gold. It's good, and maybe down the line I will try that way. But I am going to try using what I have listed here.

Any opinions on the colors, the ranges and so on then please share with me. I have both a satin varnish for the metals and the matte varnish for cloths? Is this right? I think so but not 100% sure on that one. thank you

 

Beasty Brown Primer
Rich Gold - Pro Acryl
Silver - Vallejo
Abaddon Black - Citadel - I have this, so for now this is the black I'll use.
Mahogany - Pro Acryl
Magic Blue - Vallejo
Bright Gold - Pro Acryl
Bold Titanium White - Pro Acryl
Seraphim Sepia - Citadel
Dark Aluminium - Vallejo
Black Wash - Pro Acryl
Polyurethane Satin Varnish - Vallejo
Ak Ultra Matte Varnish
Agrax Earth Shade - Citadel
Heavy Charcoal - Vallejo Game Color
Walnut - Scale 75
Plum - Pro Acryl
Dark Magenta - Pro Acryl
Royal Purple - Pro Acryl

 

[Bryan Blaire]

Without knowing exactly how you are planning on painting everything, it looks like a good list, and all the companies have products that give good results.  They should all be easy to apply smoothly and blend well.  You may want to look into some mediums to extend what you can do with them beyond using water, but that’s about all I can think to do without expanding your list.

 

At this point, is there a specific reason you want the Walnut from Scale75?  It’s the only paint from that brand and unless you have an easy way to get it, might as well find a similar color from either ProAcryl or Vallejo - it’s looks like from my use to be a drab brown with just a little bit of light grey mixed in, but I don’t know anything directly equivalent.

 

The AK Ultra Matte goes on well with brush, but I usually apply my Vallejo Metal Varnish (a little higher gloss satin version) with an airbrush, but I’m sure it brushes on fine as well.

[INKS]

I am following a video guide of sorts. 

I am not doing or using some of the steps but many of them.

The Walnut is a highlight for the mahogany. 

 

Also expanding my list is ok. I am open to changes. I just am trying to produce good looking Custodes with Purple robes, and plume and shoulders.

[Bryan Blaire]

After watching the video, I think you could definitely get more mileage and blend your own highlights better using Mahogany, Drab Brown, and Bright Warm Grey.  It really depends on how much you want to do, but Mahogany, 2:1 Drab Brown:Bright Warm Grey, then either 1:2 or 3 Drab Brown:Bright Warm Grey (or just Bright Warm Grey) would probably look really nice, and you could still do the Agrax Earthshade/Brown Wash to bring all the colors back together as a glaze.  I’d also personally weather up the brown leather more before glazing it.

 

There are some great videos on weathering up leathers on YouTube using various ochres, oranges, and flesh tones - it just depends on how much you want to do on that.

[INKS]

I will look into this. I am not too good at mixing paints together, especially if I have to reproduce it over and over again. I am likely to get different colored browns or whatever color I am mixing if I am off. Or so this is my fear. I've not really done it. I am also looking at a Bel'akor project that has a lot of mixing and so on... so I guess it's something I need to learn. I am trying to keep it semi simple for myself while still getting that particular look

[Bryan Blaire]

Purchasing the paints - I was just hoping to keep you from paying extra shipping if you didn’t need to.  If you can source the additional colors easily without extra cost, then totally understand wanting to get a specific color that does what you want it to.

 

You can also skip the drab brown I previously mentioned and get Bright Warm Grey to add into Mahogany to mix various highlight levels.  This avoids adding an extra color that is unnecessary.

 

On the subject of color variability - one thing I’ve tried keeping in mind is that not everything wears/weathers the same - even two vehicles (let’s say tanks) produced in the same factory and painted with the “same color” will have some minor variations in color due to underlying variability in the base color of the material and variability in the paint mixing.  This gets more distinct as you get into vehicles produced over a period of time, where a vehicle off an assembly line painted “starlight silver” in 2019 and the same model of vehicle with the same body style rolling off in 2024 painted the same color name might be slightly brighter or darker, or have a slightly different clear coat making the paint more or less reflective, etc., which will make the vehicles look slightly different sitting directly next to each other in a parking lot.

 

Leather is even more variable, as the same style of bag or glove will wear slightly differently (although mostly in the same places) depending on the user, some will have heavier or lighter wear, which will affect color variation as well.  Larger or smaller cracks may also pull and wear variably, getting deeper or opening additional cracks, which will affect color of the material further as older cracks will darken, while newer ones tend to be a little brighter and less worn.

 

So while you want to keep colors within a certain amount of closeness, there’s going to be an amount of color variability in even armor that is completed on the same day by tech-adepts using the same paint vat for a color, because colors may settle out in the pots at faster rates, or there’s a glitch in the spray and some part gets double coated to ensure the entire surface gets coated, etc.  The basic skin of the critter becoming leather may be slightly darker or lighter than the other critters around it also used for leather, and the dye used to make the leather may be off one day to the next.

 

The need for color similarity across a project is one of the reasons I favor dropper bottles over pots - I find it easier to get more consistent colors mixed by specific drops, but it’s not insurmountable anywhere - you can use various methods, such as brush tips, drops from a pipette, or even color spatula loads, to get a similar amount of pigment and medium to mix up.  There is going to be some natural color variation in similar items though.  Just try to keep your mixes somewhat similar, and you should be fine, and consider playing up some variability.  Maybe one Custodes got his brown leather from a grox on Atthracia, while the guy standing next to him actually had a tech-adept leather him up some Ork skin from Jaelfalx, etc.  They both produced a brown, but one is just a bit more green.

 

Something I haven’t mentioned, but bears some thought as well - your highlight colors should be from a similar warm/cool spectrum.  So if your purple is being highlighted in a more blue or pure white direction (since purple is a somewhat cool color anyway), you want your highlights for the other colors to follow suit.  If you are highlighting up your purple into the more red/yellow direction, then you want your other colors to also follow that process.  Conversely, you are generally going to add more visual interest if your shadows lean the opposite warm/cool direction from your highlights - this may mean leaning your shading with a bit of Payne’s Grey added into everything, or purple, or even a dark, dark red for warm shadows.  This can influence the overall color choices you may want to consider.

 

All of this is obviously ignorable if you have a visual you want and a way to get it, but all of the above are things that influence which colors I choose to put on what and how I choose to do it.  Each person’s mileage will vary.

Edited September 3 by Bryan Blaire

[INKS]

wow, super detailed thank you. some great insights here. I'll note them down