Topic: Paint, spraycans, brushes, alternatives

[Manny-Kun]

(sorry if this question is a violation of some kind, i know GW searches the forums for exact rules/point cost that get accidently posted)

I have been looking up and down a few pages in this painting section and have found a few answers for brushes alone, but i would like to hear what everyone else has to say on this subject.

to get where i am going with this, i talked to a GW empolyee about the brushes they sell and if they are anything special. he answered honestly a no and told me i could get a pack of paintbrushes for $3 from a different store and get the same results.

but now what about paint? i have experimented with spray cans and found a certain brand (i cant find where i wrote it down) to have a near similar result to the citadel spray cans GW sells.

i have yet to experiment with different paints, but i would like to know if any of you have used an alternative painting brand.

i guess bottom line question is (because i tend to not make things clear enough  ) is there an alternative paint/spray can brand i can use that gives the same results citadel sells if money is an issue?

[[dixon]]

Miniatures paints of all brands will be roughly equal quality, but there isn't much variation in price.  Citadel, Vallejo, Coat-de-arms and Reaper paints are all fine.  Same goes with modeling sprays, like Testors.  I wouldn't use generic brand acrylics though, as they tend to not have enough pigment for the detail work you need to do with inch tall men.

[Manny-Kun]

thank you for the input, im going to go see what i can find and let everyone know if i find something good

[thecon36]

on this note what kind of alternative brushes could i get for those prices?

[Eagle Eye25]

For spray paint alternatives I've found with metal models any $3 primer spray-can works great & on plastic models Krylon makes a spray-can called Fusion designed to stick to plastics.  I buy the cans for around $4 & they work just as good as the more expensive brands. 

If your looking for water based paint options, Folk Art paints can be bought at any Hobby Lobby for $1-$2/bottle.  Folk Art has a huge line of regular & metallic colors.  They'll need some thinning & 1 bottle of Folk Art has 4 times more paint then a bottle from a normal miniature line. 

As for the brushes if you go to a Hobby Lobby store they have fine detail brush packs for $4-$6 for 3 brushes.  They've worked great for me at a huge savings compared to other high end brushes.  They don't last forever but neither did the 1st $20 brush I bought.

[BrassScorpion]

For spray paint try Krylon. It's inexpensive and high in quality. I've been using it for years. Some of their colors are even exact matches for Citadel paint (e.g., Burgundy = Red Gore, Red Pepper = Blood Red). I used Krylon Burgundy on the Stormblade that just won the "best painted Baneblade" competition in the IG section of this very forum. If you look at my IG army in the "Show us your IG" thread here, the 3-color camo job on the tanks was done with Krylon spray and the khaki base on all the troops was done that way too.

[DJ-of-E]

The 3 GW stores around me tend to be honest and said similar things, even if it goes against their sales in the store.  Which, till this day, I've respected them for suggesting alternative brands for their painting and modeling supplies.  Heck, I had one even showed me a local hobby shop that has a muuuch better price on the green stuff, super glue, and plastic glue.

The result, I visited a little more often than most stores, and I still buy stuff @ the store (like model vice, different dice, and measuring tap).

[nesbitt_bub1]

on this note what kind of alternative brushes could i get for those prices?

If you live in the UK you can buy winsor and newton special value watercolour sable brushes from Whsmiths. £3 a pack and infinity better than the GW equivalent.

GW's primers are fairly standard as well... Provided you don't buy filler primer your generally o.k. i would advise against some of the plastic based primers tho as they tend to go on very heavy.

Grey car primer is cheap and just as effective, It also come in white and black in most cases. And more often than not a red as well.... The cans are also bigger and cheaper. Just do a test on a dead sprue first to check the plastic doesn't melt and you get a smooth finish.


For glues...

Revell contacta professional is great and has a needle nozzle. It's also half the price of GW's and you use less as it's stronger.

And for superglue go to your local builders merchant and get a mitre fix pack. You should get a huge bottle of super glue 50-100ml compared to GW's 10ml, and a spray that makes super glue set instantly for about £6. again cheaper than GW by a long way... and the glue is just as good as all superglue is in effect the same chemicals, Sometimes the solvents are slightly different but there all the same When it come to glueing metal together.


For paints.

GW's are good.
Vallejeo are equally good and often cheaper. they will split if you thin with alcohol tho.
Coatdearms is basically GW paint. They used to make the paint for GW once upon atrocity.
Humbarol have a water based acrylic line as well for modelling but i found there paints to have poor coverage.
Tamya also make a good acrylic line but there all alcohol based to prepared to get high if you use them! They have stunning coverage and come in matt and gloss varieties.

Basing materials. Find a model railway store.... they have more variety, more grades and colours and cheaper prices! they also come in bigger bags. the only thing i would get from GW is static grass as i haven't seen it anywhere else.

[Jonik]

on this note what kind of alternative brushes could i get for those prices?

If you live in the UK you can buy winsor and newton special value watercolour sable brushes from Whsmiths. £3 a pack and infinity better than the GW equivalent.

Are they these by any chance - just so I have a rough idea that I'll be picking up the right stuff when i pop into smiths!

Basing materials. Find a model railway store.... they have more variety, more grades and colours and cheaper prices! they also come in bigger bags. the only thing i would get from GW is static grass as i haven't seen it anywhere else.

GF9 do a wide range of basing products too, and one which I am particularly thankful for is the clump foliage - they sell them cheap in smaller than industrial size bags - like the ones I've seen elsewhere. They also do static grass and flock etc. A good place that I buy all my hobby materials from (including vallejo paints, GW washes, etc) is http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php

10% off too, and free shipping over £15!

[BrassScorpion]

Basing materials hard to find? Any good model railroad store carries the full line of Woodland Scenics products. Most of the basing material GW sells if not all of it is repackaged and marked up Woodland Scenics products, including the static grass and snow effects and "water effects" too. They also make something called "realistic water" you may want to check out. The only differences are:
- Woodland Scenics sells their static grass is LARGE shakers for about $10 US each so you get a lot more for your money, Water Effects is considerably cheaper too if you buy Woodland Scenics.
- Each static grass shaker contains only one color. If you want to get the color mixes GW sells, you'll have to buy more than one and mix it yourself. Here's a link to the Woodland Scenics website.

[nesbitt_bub1]

Are they these by any chance

yup there the ones!

[ALshroth]

I use some paint brushes that are £3.00 for 10 and wash regulary with washing up liquid.
I use Vallijo + GW paints.
I use carbody spray paint but shake and run under hot water before spraying to warm up the paint.

[Jonik]

Back to the Winsor and Newton brush pack for £3, are there any other (reputable/easy to get) places that sell them? My local smiths is crap and doesn't hold them (2 shelves for ALL of the art stocks...!)