Acrylic paints are the most common type
of paint used in miniature painting. Other paints not only work for
miniatures, but are better at some things when it comes to miniature
painting. That said, this article will focus on acrylic paints.
Acrylic paint is a coloured pigment
suspended in a liquid polymer medium. This make acrylic paint more
resistant to constant handling than some other types of paint yet it
does not stain things the way a dye would. Wet acrylic paint can be
both thinned and cleaned using nothing but water. Dry acrylic paint
may be scraped off or cleaned using a degreaser. Acrylic paint dries
faster than many other types of paint. There are additives one can
purchase to extend the drying time, but this article is not about
additives.
The brand most people in the hobby are
familiar with is Games Workshop. The paint is available practically
anywhere one can buy a Games Workshop model. They are good paints,
but expensive. They are easy to work with, come in a wide variety of
colours, and dry more quickly than some other brands. It is a solid
choice for a primary paint line and for some it is their only option
if they do not want to buy all their paint online. The two areas
where Games Workshop paints excel compared to other brands is their metallic paint and washes. You can make washes using inks, medium, and
water, but this is a much easier solution.
Craft paint is probably the other paint
that is easiest to get in the USA. Apple Barrel is the craft paint I
have the most experience with. There are many brands out there, but
the ones I have used are all fairly similar. Craft paints normally
have a lower pigment density than the paints formulated for the
miniature painting hobby. They can and do work for miniature
painting. They do require extra coaxing however. It takes more passes
than other brands of paint to get a smooth transition as the pigment
spreads out a lot so can be a little chalky.
These terminators were painted with an
Apple Barrel paint as the mid tone for the blues. I have since updated
the scheme to use Games Workshop paints as it makes painting the
models easier, but if your only option is craft paint then it is
possible with extra time and effort.
Coat d'Arms is produced by the same
manufacturers as the old Citadel (Games Workshop) paints. They still
use the white flip top lid with the old pot. The paint is very
similar to the newer Games Workshop lines that came after the
contract ended, but does not dry as quickly. This is a great option
if you are wanting an out of print paint or ink that Games Workshop
no longer carries. For most people Coat d'Arms is an online purchase
only, although I hear there are some locations that carry their paint
locally. Some of the colours are great, and others not so good. I
think a lot of the talk about how reds and yellows are hard to paint
are holdovers from when this company was manufacturing the Games
Workshop line. Their yellows in particular are extremely streaky and
oily. Then again, that can work for you. An old leather formula I
used was to streak the yellow over black then wash the area in
chestnut ink. I think their inks are a great product.
Rumour is that the same manufacturers
of Coat d'Arms also makes Privateer Press' P3 paint line. I do not
know if that is true or not, but I have heard it from a few different
sources. The pots appear to be made by the same company at least, but
the formulas are quite different. P3 consists of a liquid pigment
mixed with a liquid medium where most other acrylic paints use a dry
pigment suspended in a liquid medium. This means P3 paint is less
likely to separate and is easier to mix together when it does. P3 has
a longer drying time than most other hobby paints. The most
influential individual on how miniatures are painted in the USA (Mike
McVey. He was basically the lead on how both Games Workshop and
Privateer Press painted their studio models and has written books on
the subject) helped develop this line of paints with two brush
blending in mind. I love the P3 line. If you are wanting to
experiment with two brush blending then it is the easiest line to
start with aside from metalic paints which tend to work well no
matter the brand. The line is great for blending of any sort really
and is slowly becoming my main brand. The paints are also moderately
priced for the amount you get. I know some people do not care for
their metallic paint. It does go on a little thin, but once you get a
few coats built up it is some of the best looking metallic paint out
there.
My experience with Vallejo is rather
limited. Most of my time spent is with the Game Colour line. I am not
the biggest fan of Game Colour. It chalks up more easily than other
brands in my experience. The paint is highly resistant to wear after
drying however. I hear that Model Colour is a better line of paint
for the hobbyist, but is slightly less resistance to wear and tear. I
have yet to try Model Colour as Vallejo is not a brand readily
available in my area. Both lines are sometimes referred to as a dry
paint. They also have a Model Air line. These are paints intended for
use with an airbrush straight out of the bottle. The metallics in
particular are interesting even if painting with a brush as they tend
to use a smaller metallic flake than other metallic paints.
Reaper makes an interesting line of
paints. I have more experience with their Master Series Paint HD line
than their regular MSP line. I love the MSP HD line. The price is low
and there is a lot of pigment in the paints. The MSP line tends to
have more additives than other paint lines. The MSP series is
exceptional for layering paint and is practically tailor made for
doing so. There are some products they carry such as brown liner
which are good products that are hard to find an equivalent in other
brands. One interesting note is a lot of the MSP line comes in
triads. This means you have three colours that are known to work
together for shading, mid tones, and highlights. I have heard that the
triads are great for those that are colourblind and want to paint
their own models. There are colourblind model painters that do
exceptional work using the triads. Nobody would know they were
colourblind just by looking at their models.
While not an acrylic paint line, Secret
Weapon Miniatures makes a line of washes with a lot of versatility. If
you want to use a lot of different washes but do not care to make
your own then Secret Weapon washes are a great option. Even colours
you never thought of using such as Baby Poop have a lot of utility.
Secret Weapon Miniatures made me rethink what colours make for
workable washes. Secret Weapon washes have stronger pigment than
Games Workshop washes and can be thinned if needed.
There are a lot of brands out there
aimed at traditional artists. Most of these are much thicker than the
paints sold specifically for miniature painting. Many miniature
painters work with acrylics thinned almost to the consistency of
watercolours. You will need thinning mediums to get most artist's
acrylic to a point where it does not clog details on miniatures and
not separate entirely. There are a variety of thinners and mediums
out there to use. I know Liquitex makes quite a few and you can get a
lot for cheap. Golden makes a line of fluid acrylics. You will likely
want to still thin it down depending on paint technique being used. I
do not recommend artist acrylics for new miniature painters unless
that is your only option. It is possible to use artist acrylics, but
they tend to require extra prep work where the brands formulated for
miniature painting does some of the work for you. Additionally, many
acrylic paints are non-toxic. I do not advise it, but if you spend
much time in the hobby you may obsrver someone licking their brushes.
Artist Acrylics may contain toxic materials for use as a pigment.
Between that and the possibility of using other types of paint at
some point it is probably not the best idea to add brush licking to
your muscle memory while painting.
I think that covers the easiest brands
to obtain in the USA. I can not speak on access to paint lines in
other countries. I did not cover Andrea Colour as I have no
experience with it. I hear good things about the line. They also have
some really interesting sets that I keep wanting to try but have yet
to do so. For instance, the NMM and Black sets both intrigue me.