Hey everyone, I'm gonna order some minis and practice painting. Does anyone have personal preference on brands? Or does it not really matter?

Citadel has a starter with fewer paints but other tools for $60 on Amazon, but Vallejo has a paint only starter for $45. I'm tempted to do Vallejo but have mostly seen people use Citadel in painting videos

either is fine. Citadel is pricier (not only is the unit cost higher but they are a smaller pot)

In my research Vallejo game color is regarded as the better quality paint, with the exception of washes and technical. Personally i find it a little thin, but that 's just my preference. You're not restricted to either btw, i use both on the same model.

Citadel has an awesome system for getting good detail effects, but it's geared at selling more pots and is nothing you can't do for cheaper yourself by doing a little color research and palette mixing. That said I'd recommend grabbing their new (free!) app regardless just as an idea's primer

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-AU/searchResults?N=2804646347+3296987208

Sweet that's good info, thanks!! I'll download the app for sure

I'm in the same boat. Buying a bunch of Citadel paints. I researched which colors to get based on which colors Sorastro uses in his Star Wars Assault videos. What minis are you going to practice with?

Biggest thing to make sure is you have the 5 basics to start with

Red, Blue, Yellow, white, black. Nuln oil (citadel) is a must on the washes list

From there you can mix any color you need in a pinch (with enough patience, lol) Also as a tip, don't get discouraged by colors with a lot of yellow in their makeup, because of the pigments used in the paint they are rather tricky to do well.

Edit: tip 2, cleaning new minis (soapy water) and undercoat is not optional!! You will end up with a bad or dull paint job otherwise.

My 2 credits:

Vallejo is fine, though I do prefer citadel for a lot of things. The base paints high pigment mix is really nice. Citadel sucks for bright metallics though. Darker metallics are ok, but if you want good bright metallics like gold and silver I suggest something else. Testor enamels or something.

Also don't forget primers, washes, and clear coat!

Any reasonable model primer will do. Washes are key for bringing out detail. Gloss coats are mostly handy for Special application like prepping a models for a careful wash. Flat coats seal them and protect from chipping and rubbing Off of the paint when handled.

Finally... Simple Green. Soak a mini in that for a day and the paint will fall off the mini like a sith down a pit. Good for stripping models when you've passed the point of recovery, and for turning eBay trash into tabletop gold.

As I'm also pretty new, doesn't Army Painter put out starter sets? How do those compare, and which ones would be ideal for Legion?

Hey everyone, especially the fellow noobs, I actually purchased this tonight, since it was more paint, plus the other random supplies, for cheaper than the other "starter" set I had seen from Citadel.

Citadel Essentials https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z8Y5Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_EGhXzbAEZQFFP

Also, I planned on just buying the IA "Ally Packs" to practice. I was gonna nab Boba Fett, cause come on it's Boba Fett, and possibly Stormtroopers, or something generic, depending on the inventory nearby.

Oh I plan to buy Bandai's 1:48 AT-ST to paint and break to make a wreck for my Endor terrain, but that's later down the road.

3 hours ago, Blackbird888 said:

As I'm also pretty new, doesn't Army Painter put out starter sets? How do those compare, and which ones would be ideal for Legion?

I can recommend the Army Painter starter set (pretty sure there only is one...?), which was my entry. It comes at 20€ (used to, at least) with all colours you need if consider the flexibility of mixing. It also comes with a brown wash (the most flexible type) and a decent brush that will be good for your first few miniatures.

The first things to get after this set are some black wash for Stormtrooper armour (I have Nuln Oil, don't be afraid to mix ranges) and some purple and grey, as those are a pain to mix consistently. For colours I stuck with AP, as they are 10-20 cents cheaper than Vallejo at the same volume, share the vastly superior dropper bottle, and at least for me never left anything to be desired. Seriously, the GW pots are just obnoxious, ruining your brushes and drying out constantly. Only tolerable for washes, if you are careful not to knock them over and spill everything!

AP also put out some great free guides, of which I can especially recommend the mixing guide (direct download link from their site, doesn't seem to be available in their download section anymore: https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://admin.thearmypainter.com/files/downloads/pdf/TAP_mixing_guide.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjx-rDrlbjWAhWDJVAKHaYEDu0QFgglMAA&usg=AFQjCNFwLJETLVATJNd6iGIOom-2ytQQNQ ). It offers a great intro on how to pick and mix highlight colours as well as some neat recipes for less often used colours. Just replace the Quickshades with washes of the appropriate colour, if you want nice results and have fun painting you should avoid the Quickshades.

Citadel - Imperial Primer is my 'go to' primer but starting with a black base takes a little practice, particularly when you're painting lighter colours.

Vallejo - My paint of preference. Really good quality, huge range, good price and they come in dropper bottles which are much more practical.

Army Painter - Good range, more fantasy oriented than Vallejo, bit thicker consistency in my opinion. I use AP inks for washes.

My main tip for anyone new to painting minis is to research and use a wet palette...cheap and simple to make, it gives you an instant improvement to your painting (and gives your paint a longer life too).

Maybe I'm just cheap/ don't have a ton of options via my LGS, but I spray prime my stuff with Rust-Oleum matte white or black. Seems to work out just fine. Also my pallette is just a heavy duty paper plate. The kind with the glossy surface and patterns printed on them.

I don't seem to have any issues with my results, so don't feel obligated to throw yourself into buying everything especially as a beginner.

7 hours ago, manoftomorrow010 said:

Hey everyone, especially the fellow noobs, I actually purchased this tonight, since it was more paint, plus the other random supplies, for cheaper than the other "starter" set I had seen from Citadel.

Citadel Essentials https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z8Y5Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_EGhXzbAEZQFFP

Also, I planned on just buying the IA "Ally Packs" to practice. I was gonna nab Boba Fett, cause come on it's Boba Fett, and possibly Stormtroopers, or something generic, depending on the inventory nearby.

Oh I plan to buy Bandai's 1:48 AT-ST to paint and break to make a wreck for my Endor terrain, but that's later down the road.

Just keep in mind those sets use 1/4 size paint pots..... check your value accordingly.

I use a good mix of Citadel, Vallejo Game Colour and Vallejo Model Colour (+some old Reaper/Pegasus paints). Unless you are looking for a specific colour all of these are fine. Citadel are usually pricier without being higher quality but they have some technical colours/washes etc. that are really great.

Just check if you really need/want the GW tools. They are usually quite expensive as well. I would go for the starter set with the most paints.

2 hours ago, Stasy said:

Maybe I'm just cheap/ don't have a ton of options via my LGS, but I spray prime my stuff with Rust-Oleum matte white or black.

Myself I use Krylon camo paint, but yes it's every bit as good if not better than any specialty primer out there. I've tried both and if there's any difference in in the favor of Krylon, which is half it not less the price.

If we're just talking about getting paints to practice with I suggest going even cheaper and trying some of the 79 cent craft paints at places like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. They're almost always an inferior quality but definitely a cheap way to learn some techniques and test out some basic color schemes and mixtures. You might also be pleasantly surprised to find a few colors that you actually like using. One of my favorite greens is a cheap CraftSmart paint. For your legion minis I'd switch to a higher quality GW or Vallejo are both great.

4 hours ago, Stasy said:

Maybe I'm just cheap/ don't have a ton of options via my LGS, but I spray prime my stuff with Rust-Oleum matte white or black.

Their "camouflage" line is available at the corner store near my work, and is a solid option for a black base coat.

As a camouflage paint it's black, and totally flat.

55 minutes ago, Megatronrex said:

If we're just talking about getting paints to practice with I suggest going even cheaper and trying some of the 79 cent craft paints at places like Michael's or Hobby Lobby.

I still use some of them, mostly in the form of a base to mix other colors with. They aren't as good as better paints, but it's hard to beat the price. Plus for things like say black or white, lower pigment concentration may not be that big of a deal when you're just trying to darken or lighten something.

Just now, Ghostofman said:

Their "camouflage" line is available at the corner store near my work, and is a solid option for a black base coat.

Atom in the Tabletop Minions videos did one about it and he also found it to be as good if not better than anything else out there. One nice thing about the camo colors is they're not only flat, they're slightly textured. If you run your finger over one you feel a slight roughness which helps the paint to stick to it even better.

I like the black, but I also use the tan or green depending on how dark I want the model. Also for painting WW2 stuff like Bolt Action it can be a bit of a time saver.

Just to show the difference... Krylon is $5 at Walmart, whereas Citadel's Chaos Black is $17, and I've heard people say it's not even a very good primer. Army Painter is better at $10 per can, but you're still paying twice as much for the same quality.

13 minutes ago, VanorDM said:

Atom in the Tabletop Minions videos did one about it and he also found it to be as good if not better than anything else out there. One nice thing about the camo colors is they're not only flat, they're slightly textured. If you run your finger over one you feel a slight roughness which helps the paint to stick to it even better.

I like the black, but I also use the tan or green depending on how dark I want the model. Also for painting WW2 stuff like Bolt Action it can be a bit of a time saver.

Just to show the difference... Krylon is $5 at Walmart, whereas Citadel's Chaos Black is $17, and I've heard people say it's not even a very good primer. Army Painter is better at $10 per can, but you're still paying twice as much for the same quality.

yeah there's no way i was gonna buy primers from Citadel or anyone else. I was just gonna buy basic Krylon in white, grey, and black.

Get a citadel paint set. Use black spray, any type, for primer. Profit.

51 minutes ago, Lord Ashram said:

Get a citadel paint set.

Myself I hate citadel paints... not because of the paint, but rather because of the pot. I've seen that they actually redesigned the pots so they were harder to seal so the paint dried out faster meaning you had to buy them more often. That may or may not be true, but the pictures seemed to support it, and it does seem like something GW would do.

I also don't like them because it's harder to get a decent load of paint out of the pot and onto a wet palette compared to paint that comes in a squeeze bottle, like Reaper, Army Painter or Vallejo. In fact I think GW/Citadel is the only one that uses a pot instead of a squeeze bottle.

Squeeze bottles will keep longer because they seal better, and are much easier IMO anyway to get onto a wet palette.

I don't know about any paint pot conspiracies but I do agree that the Citadel pots are tricky to shut properly. I have to check them two or three times just to make sure.--And they're easier to spill. Having said that, they make good paint. It's thicker than I like, but they have a great selection. Their washes (shades) are my go-to washes. Be mindful of Nuln Oil, as it really darkens the model if you apply it everywhere. Thin it or apply it directly where you need it.

I'm a Vallejo man myself and find their paints go on smooth, have a quick dry time and have great coverage (and they are less expensive). Plus they come in a dropper bottle, so risk of spills is minimal and you'll never contaminate the paints with another color, as one might if you're painting straight out of the pots.

Make your own wet pallet. It's easy enough and you probably have what you need at home already. Here's a link .

If you're doing one-offs, learning how to mix colors is really handy. If you are doing armies, buy the bottle of the main colors you're going to use.

Invest in a good primer. I like Tamiya. The spray is very fine and I like the results better than the dollar cans from the home improvement stores. If you want your figures to have darker, more muted colors, start with a black primer. If you want your colors to "pop" a little more, go with a white primer. For vehicles, I like to use a grey primer. Eventually, you'll sort out what works for you.

Also, look into this technique with primers it's called pre-shading and is similar to Zenithal higlighting .

Lastly, you MUST invest in a way to clean your brushes. It's not expensive and will preserve your brushes, and save you grief & money in the long run.

Get some of this:

and use it like this .

5 minutes ago, Force Majeure said:

I don't know about any paint pot conspiracies but I do agree that the Citadel pots are tricky to shut properly. I have to check them two or three times just to make sure.--And they're easier to spill. Having said that, they make good paint. It's thicker than I like, but they have a great selection. Their washes (shades) are my go-to washes. Be mindful of Nuln Oil, as it really darkens the model if you apply it everywhere. Thin it or apply it directly where you need it.

I'm a Vallejo man myself and find their paints go on smooth, have a quick dry time and have great coverage (and they are less expensive). Plus they come in a dropper bottle, so risk of spills is minimal and you'll never contaminate the paints with another color, as one might if you're painting straight out of the pots.

Make your own wet pallet. It's easy enough and you probably have what you need at home already. Here's a link .

If you're doing one-offs, learning how to mix colors is really handy. If you are doing armies, buy the bottle of the main colors you're going to use.

Invest in a good primer. I like Tamiya. The spray is very fine and I like the results better than the dollar cans from the home improvement stores. If you want your figures to have darker, more muted colors, start with a black primer. If you want your colors to "pop" a little more, go with a white primer. For vehicles, I like to use a grey primer. Eventually, you'll sort out what works for you.

Also, look into this technique with primers it's called pre-shading and is similar to Zenithal higlighting .

Lastly, you MUST invest in a way to clean your brushes. It's not expensive and will preserve your brushes, and save you grief & money in the long run.

Get some of this:

and use it like this .

I'm already a painter, mostly watercolor/gouache, but yeah the brush cleaner is miraculous. For anyone who has no experience painting in any medium, buy it!

Since I have the basic Citadel kit incoming, I may wind up trying out both brands.

I have a collection of paints from Vallejo, model, game, and air, P3, Army Painter, as well as Citadel. Some of my citadel stuff goes back 10-12 years too. And as far as quality goes the short answer is, well, it depends on what color you are working with, and what you're trying to do.

My break down would go as follows:

Base Coats: I want the most pigment, applied the smoothest, in the least amount of coats possible. I've come to the conclusion that Citadel is far and away the best for this, and they'll be the main brand I purchase in the future, despite their price and container shortcomings

Shades/Washes: Whatever is cheapest. I've seen no appreciable difference between them, other than some do not adhere to certain paints as well as others. You can even get a big bottle of mixing medium from any art store and mix that with paint and water to create your own washes.

Metallics: Vallejo, specifically their air brush line. Best metals by far. Really high pigment, don't have to worry about thinning down.

'Doh! how could I forget? Get you some Matte Varnish/Clear Laquer, whatever you want to call it. This will seal your model and protect it to some degree from chipping and paint rubbing off. Plus you can still paint over it if need be.

I like Testors brand.