Choosing the Right Paints for Your Hobby
When it comes to painting miniatures, your choice of paint can make or break the final result. Whether you’re a seasoned painter looking to refine your techniques or a beginner wondering where to start, understanding the different miniature paint brands and their characteristics can help you make the best choice for your style. From high end acrylics to budget friendly options, this guide breaks down the key brands, their best uses, and how to get the most out of them.
Premium Acrylic Paints: High-Quality Pigments for Precision
Citadel (Games Workshop) (Official Site)
Great for: Layering, and base coating. Citadel paints are known for their high pigment density and excellent coverage. They come in flip-top pots (which some love and others hate due to potential drying issues). The range is extensive, offering:
- Base paints for strong foundational coverage.
- Layer paints for smooth blending and highlighting.
- Contrast paints for quick shading and depth.
- Technical paints for special effects like rust, blood, and texture.
Vallejo Model Color (Official Site)
Great for: Historical miniatures, fine details, and airbrushing.
Vallejo’s dropper bottles prevent drying out and allow for precise control. The dropper design also enables easier mixing, controlled dispensing, and precision application, making them particularly useful for layering, glazing, and airbrushing techniques. Their Model Color range features historical accuracy, while Game Color offers vibrant hues for fantasy miniatures.
Scale 75 (Official Site)
Great for: Professional-level blending and ultra-matte finishes. A favourite for competition painters, Scale 75 paints have a gel-like consistency that allows for smooth layering and glazing. The Fantasy & Games range offers vibrant fantasy colours, while Scale Color is known for its ultra-matte finish.
P3 (Privateer Press) (Official Site)
Great for: Wet blending and Warmachine/Hordes miniatures. P3 paints are praised for their creamy consistency and long working time, making them ideal for smooth blends and colour transitions.
Mid-Range Paints: Balancing Quality and Affordability
Army Painter Warpaints (Official Site)
Great for: Budget-conscious painters and batch painting armies. Army Painter provides solid pigmentation at an affordable price. The dropper bottles ensure long shelf life, though some colours may require extra shaking to mix properly.
Reaper Master Series (Official Site)
Great for: RPG miniatures, layering, and beginners learning colour theory. Reaper’s paints come in triads (shadow, base, highlight), making colour selection easy for new painters. The thinner consistency makes them great for layering.
Budget-Friendly Paints: Painting on a Budget Without Sacrificing Too Much Quality
Craft Acrylics (Hobbycraft, Apple Barrel, etc)
Great for: Terrain, scenery, and large projects. While cheap and widely available, craft acrylics lack the pigment density and smooth application of dedicated miniature paints. Best used for large-scale projects rather than fine detail work.
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl (Official Site)
Great for: High pigment at a mid-range price. Pro Acryl paints have a matte finish and smooth consistency, offering a great balance between affordability and performance.
Specialty Paints: Expanding Your Toolkit
Tamiya (Official Site)
Great for: Airbrushing and vehicles. Tamiya’s alcohol-based acrylics dry quickly and work best with an airbrush. Their glossy finish makes them ideal for mechanical and sci-fi models.
AK Interactive (Official Site) & Green Stuff World (Official Site)
Great for: Weathering effects and experimental techniques. AK Interactive specializes in weathering effects, while Green Stuff World offers unique options like colour-shifting and fluorescent paints.
Speed Paints: Quick Solutions for Fast Results
Speed paints are designed for one-coat application, creating highlights and shadows in a single step. Compared to traditional layering methods, speed paints significantly reduce painting time by applying base colour, shading, and highlights in one go. While they offer fast results, they may not provide the same level of fine control or depth as manual layering and glazing techniques. However, for painters working on large armies or looking for efficiency, they are an excellent tool to streamline the process.
Army Painter Speedpaint
Pros: High flow, strong shading.
Cons: Can reactivate with water after drying.
Citadel Contrast
Pros: More control than Speedpaint, no reactivation.
Cons: Works best with specific primers.
Vallejo Xpress Colour
Pros: Balanced between speed and control, dropper bottle.
Cons: Requires layering for more depth.
Scale 75 Instant Colours
Pros: Matte finish, better control than most speed paints.
Cons: Slightly different consistency than others.
Metallics: Achieving the Best Metallic Finishes
Best Gold Metallics
- Scale75 Dwarven Gold – Rich and warm.
- Vallejo Liquid Gold – Alcohol-based, high shine.
- Citadel Retributor Armor – Great brush coverage.
Best Silver/Steel Metallics
- Vallejo Metal Colour – Airbrush-ready, fine pigment.
- Scale75 Heavy Metal – Strong metallic effect.
- Darkstar Molten Metals – Smooth application.
Mixing & Compatibility: Can You Mix Paint Brands?
Most acrylics can be mixed, but be mindful of:
- Finish differences (some are matte, others glossy).
- Pigment density (some require more thinning than others).
- Alcohol-based paints (like Tamiya) don’t mix with water-based acrylics.
A good mix for variety:
- Vallejo Model Colour for base coats.
- Scale75 for matte highlights.
- Citadel for special effects.
- Army Painter or Vallejo washes for shading.
Paint Extenders & Mediums
- Glaze Medium – Makes colours transparent for smooth blends.
- Flow Improver – Helps with smooth brush strokes.
- Drying Retarder – Extends work time for wet blending.
Final Thoughts:
What’s the Best Paint for You?
There’s no single “best” paint brand – each excels in different areas. Beginners should start with a single brand’s starter set to ensure consistency. More experienced painters can mix and match brands to suit their style. The real key to great painting? Technique, patience, and experimentation. Try different brands, find what works for you, and most importantly – have fun painting!