As the title suggests, I am wondering what is the best paint to use when repainting the X-wing miniatures. It's been a long time since I have painted any miniature at all. The last time I did so was a bunch of small pewter figurines.

I was wondering if people had a preference - enamel or acrylic? Glossy or flat? Prime or strip and prime, or just paint over? Also do they need to be clear coated afterwards?

I'm familiar with some techniques like dry brushing but not at all familiar with washing or weathering..

Any help would be great.

Personally I like acrylics, and typically, depending on what you are painting, it will decide if you go gloss or flat.. small ships are flat in my view, I'm doing a schoolbus yellow shuttle that I will hit with a gloss coat, just cause I think busses should be glossy.

The water base paints are easy to clean up and when mixed with a little water you can thin out your coat of paint, so it isn't so thick you lose fine details.

Washes are easy as well, you just thin out your color with about a 50/50 water/paint mix, say black for highlighting the crevases, if you want lighter add more water.

Just some stuff off the top of my head

I'd also suggest acrylics, Citadel paint or Vallejo should be easy to get hold of.

However I let a professional paint my x-wing and he said he used oil based shades to get more detail an water based wash could not.

Acrylics, you also don't have to primer the models, you can paint over the existing paint. If you don't use some kind of finish they paint will slowly rub off on the most touched areas.

Personally I prefer Vallejo Model Color paints, and Games Workshop washes.

Also spend the extra money and get good brushes, I use windsor newton series 7... get a size 1, and maybe a 00. Crap brushes wear out too fast and you end up wasting money

What kind of finish would you suggest?

What kind of finish would you suggest?

I'd go with a matt varnish

Anyone have luck with the new paint pens for detailing?

I use Humbrol enamels for all my painting projects and have done for years. I know of a few guys that have swapped to acrylics and like those too. It's personal preference in the end. I would avoid paint pens, however, as I don't think they would give you enough control like a brush does, especially for detail work.

As for the old question of gloss or matt finish, on these models I would avoid gloss paint except for cockpit glazing. I've seen some awesome paint jobs with great detailing get completely lost under a coat of gloss varnish. Always matt varnish playing models.