So at the risk of sounding like an idiot, I have a question. I have been eyeballing model/miniature paints for the last couple of weeks and while they are not too pricey, can add up though, I have seen these cheap 50 cent bottles of acrylic paint that stores like walmart sell. Are these paints a usable alternative? Should I stay away from them. I know absolutely nothing about painting minis.

Someone posted here somewhere about that. Something to do with the paint staying true to its color over time.

The Modeling paints will hold up better over time and keep their color longer. While the cheapo ones from Wal-Mart will fade. Similar to leaving something in the sunlight over a long period of time. I don't remember exactly what it was called, but the modeling paints have some kind of light value on them that is higher than the Wal-Mart ones.

Something like that.

Interesting. I never would have thought of something like that being a factor. Thanks for the heads up.

You'll also find the modelling ones easier to work with. The cheap craft store ones will need to be thinned. They will also generally have larger pigment particles in them, meaning they won't go on as nice.

If money is real issue for you, then they can definitely do the trick. Unfortunately with painting miniatures, the more expensive things are, usually the easier they are to use, and thus better for beginners.

Although more expensive than craft paints, I *highly* recommend the Vallejo air paints. They're very high quality, and will not require any thinning.

I also recommend the Vallejo paints but disagree on the thinning. You should always be adding some water to your paints to ensure proper coverage, flow and to prevent brush strokes from appearing on your models.

You'll probably spend about $3.50 for a 17ml eyedropper bottle of Vallejo, or about $4 per 12ml bottle of GW paint. Both paints are great, but I prefer the eyedropper bottle (for mixing and not wasting paint) and the lower cost of the Vallejo.

If you want to see what you can do with craft paints, check out my photobucket album . I'm happy with the results. I didn't thin for most of my Imperial figures, but I did with the Rebels and it worked much better. Just don't thin too much!

I think having a good set of brushes is more important than having a good set of paints. But even then, I'm talking $2-$4 per brush, not $10. You'll want some larger brushes to make it faster doing base coats and washes and you'll want some thinner brushes for the tiny details.

I've used the acrylics for the old wotc Star Wars minis and the imperial assault. I'm in no way a pro, but like the color and the painting aspects. It is thicker so you have to be careful not to lose the detail in the sculpts. The bonus is if you don't let it dry completely, you can still remove paint with water. If you use the acrylics, I strongly recommend coating them with a matte finish sealant. I use delta ceramcoat which you can find at many craft stores. Anything but the matte finish is too glossy for me. Be sure the paints are fully dried before the sealant. Even still, I have had some crackling effects occur, especially with red color based paints. It is good enough for me.

you could get a basic set of colours cheaply enough. Army Painter has a basic set which is quite good, and you can mix colours if you need them.

I have used the cheaper (and larger) bottles of acrylic in the past, and got good results as long as it was well shaken and thinned with a little water, though i agree with other posters that model paint does give a better finish.

Bear in mind that a set of paints will last a good while, so its not a major investment. You should also check out Army Painter Quickshade - while a little pricey, its the only shade you need and a tin covers hundreds of miniatures. check their web page for details, and happy painting!

I use cheap never had fading issues, unless its 20 years from now, my oldest models are about 10
. mostly model paint has more pigment than some of the cheap stuff and tend to take to being watered down better, but if you find the right ones you can paint with no issues