Where to start with paints.....?

[QB Fox]

I apologise if this has been asked before, I did a search, but couldn't filter down the results enough to find an answer.

If someone had no paints, brushes or similar clobber of any sort for painting minis, scenery, etc., where would one begin?

I'm assuming that working in acrylics is recommended, but is there a starter set that anyone can recommend, or a favoured brand, or a list of essentials?

I have some inkjet decals and associated solutions, to start off some mods, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to go further than that.

[Nightbomber]

Start with buying some acrylic paints and fine (but not the most expensive) precise brushes. I recommend Pactra colors range for their price/quality ratio. Pour some drops of paint on a flat surface (I use old/waste CD boxes), thin it with water until the paint looks like a "milk". Have a glass full of water handy to rinse the brush often. Wash your mini in a warm water with soap to get rid of grease, let it dry it and - start painting. Please note 2-3 layers of paint are necessary. Do not expect the model to be painted with just one layer of paint. The acrylic paint dryes in 15 min. Paint it again. The thinner layer, the better effect. And have fun.

[Flying Helmut]

I use Vallejo acrylics, purchased from Dom's Decals (best price I found anywhere!)
The dropper bottles are great - no wasted paint; a pot lasts ages (the only ones I have finished off are varnishes).
Rinsing the brushes in water makes that part easy and cheap too - no weird chemicals!

Don't get hung up on fine details - a small plane, viewed at a distance of a couple of feet or so, doesn't need to be a masterpiece.

As Andrzej said, enjoy yourself!

[matt56]

I agree with the recommendations above - I use Vallejo acrylics myself, but Games Workshop paints are also in my paintbox...

The best thing to do is jump in and start painting - get a feel for the way the material flows onto the model. I prefer thinning the paint a little bit so that it flows smoothly onto the figure and doesn't leave brush marks. You can always build up depth/intensity of color by applying several coats.

And while I do have some 10/0 brushes for very fine detail work, most of my painting is done with 0 or 1 brush sizes - the bigger the brush, the more paint you have at your disposal for surface areas. The key with the "larger" brushes is to make sure it has a nice point to it - if you start losing the brush's ability to come to a nice point, then you need a new brush.

All the best, and happy painting!
Matt Materne

[FarEast]

In my paint collection I have Vallejo and Tamiya paints as my core go to paints a few games workshop paints but I think they are over priced and spoil quicker than others.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I tend towards Foundry paints. Cheaper than Workshop and come in sets of three if you want them that way.
They all have the colour as a shade, the basic colour, and light. Saves messing about with mixing, and you can get the individual colour if you wish.
Rob.

[Guntruck]

Vallejo for me, although I have a bunch of Mr Kit colour matched paints that I use as well.

[hawkhurst]

I use army painter and Vallejo paints easy available from ebay

[FarEast]

If you are new to the whole painting thing then I would go with either a range that your local hobby shop has, water based acrylics are probably one of the best types to go for and for a new painter I would actually recommend the Tamiya water based acrylic range, as most model companies list these for the paint scheme and you don't need to start mixing up your own colours or shades to get a match.

Once you get used to the medium you are using you can then branch out and experiment with other products, I did this recently with Uschi van der Rosten pigments and also AK Interactive paints, inks and weathering products.

I love Vallejo paints but after discovering wingnut wings 1/32 scale models I have shifted over to Tamiya as my primary go to paint.

[steel_ratt]

I, too, have used many of the paints others have. The specialized colours that they have are quite useful for getting historical results for things like PC-10 dope. On the other hand, I have had good results from using regular craft store paints. The big advantage? They are quite inexpensive. (This is the type of paint I am talking about.) [While Vallejo may cost you $3.50 for 18ml, craft paint will run something like 5$ for 60ml.] It's particularly good for basic colours (basic red, yellow, black).

* The hyperlink on "type of paint" doesn't seem to show. It's there. Just click on it!

[Timmo UK]

I mainly use Vallejo plus a few Humbrol acrylics. Vallejo are the finest quality and with such small models I think this counts as you can get very thin coats down that still have some coverage. As others have said build up in two to three layers and let them dry. Humbrol acrylics aren't as fine as Vaellejo but they have some good colours and stick to plastic really well. Buy the best quality brushes you can afford – sable and some Masters Brush Cleaner that comes in a small buff pot. It's the best way to look after your brushes.

I know many get amazing results with craft paint and swear by them but I'd always stick to Vallejo if possible as it has a very high proportion of pigment to carrier. Craft paints are cheap because they have far less pigment and far more carrier to bulk them up which isn't really ideal for painting models. Great for painting where you want to use impasto but that's the last thing you want to do with models. You're never going to use much paint on such small models so saving a quid here and there doesn't matter IMHO. YMMV.

Take your time, put the model aside to let it dry and don't rush. On such small scale models neatness counts for a lot so paint as accurately as you can. Once painted let the model dry for at least 72 hours then gloss varnish it. You must put decals down over a gloss surface. Once dry (overnight) gloss varnish over the decals (use must use water based varnish, spirit based will attack the decals) then matt or satin varnish to finish off.