Different paint manufacturers, opinions please?

[pjgtech]

I've seen a few YT vids where people are using paints specifically for brush painting, and they use Citadel and Army Painter.
They seem to be used mainly for "war gaming" sets, but can these also be used for normal model kits?
Cheers

[Andy T]

Absolutely. Paint is paint ?

I have a couple of the citadel metallics and a few army painter colours myself. I use citadel shades (washes) on almost every model somewhere or other.

Probably the main reason you don't see them more in our corner of the hobby is the range of colours available, as they are often more suited to fantasy subjects.

[dave]

No experience with Army Painter but I have used some of the citadel paints over the years. You just need to check what you buy, they have ranges of base paints, top coats, washes etc. Differing consistencies and opaqueness for differing uses. You can find explanations on the Games Workshop website (owner of the citadel brand).

[Tim Marlow]

Agree that paint is paint. However, some are better than others…..Have a look at the Hobby Cheating videos by Vince Ventruella on YouTube. He does some excellent comparison vids that show ease of use, coverage, etc.

The reason plastic kit modellers don’t tend to use them is the names I think. They don’t tend to use names that we are familiar with, going for florid names like bolt gun or vomit……if you wanted a Luftwaffe RLM colour you would struggle to find an equivalent in the Games Workshop ranges, for example without engaging in a direct comparison. On the other hand, finding Napoleonic uniform triads (highlight, base and shadow colours) in the Tamiya range would give you the same problem, but will be easy in some of the wargames paint ranges.

[rtfoe]

Tim's got a point there...with many especially modelers, surprisingly depend on description and code numbers for their shade of paint instead of being able to visualise the shade differences so get put off when it sounds different.

I don't care as I do dioramas so playing with light and terrain, the colours don't have to be 100% shade correct as long as there is some reference to the basic shade. Like greys can either be cool(bluish)or warm(brownish)...this can go on and on...

So basically it boils down to if it's solvent based or water based, brushable or sprayable, shiny, semi shiny or just plain flat, is it used to weather, tint or highlight and lastly does it stick to plastic. I will use it...paint is paint.

Cheers,
Wabble

[LeytonO]

Personally think we are sometimes too spoilt for choice and it has become a bit overwhelming with all the different shades.
I stick to Vallejo Model Air or Color and mix (or at least attempt) to get the correct shade when needed.

Tried to use an old Revell Email Color the other day and the stink was rotten especially their Painta Brush Cleaner.
Acrylics are definitely my choice now and sticking to one manufacturer helps lessen any complications.

[wasdale32]

Absolutely. Paint is paint ?.

I know that you mean this "tongue in cheek" but not all paints are created equally...

What we refer to generically as "paint" is essentially a suspension of a particulate ( the pigment) in a liquid ( the medium).

The pigment gives the colour and the medium usually gives the finish (Matt/gloss etc).

The pigment may be natural or man-made, today's pigments are often synthetic acrylics - essentially coloured plastic.
The particle size of the pigment and pigment to medium ratio varies considerably between brands and intended use.

The medium is what we often use to distinguish different paint types - enamel/lacquer/oil/"acrylic" - but in many cases the pigment will be similar or identical. The medium influences both the working qualities of the paint ( brushing/spraying/drying time) and the final finish.

Cheap "craft" paints often have poor pigment consistency and mix ratio - they can vary hugely between different colours and even between different batches of the same colour. Higher quality "artist's" paints are much more consistent ( and expensive).
Modelling specific brands should be far more predictable across ranges and batches - although this isn't always the case - and as has been mentioned they usually have pre-mixed colours relevant to model use.

Some folks swear by particular brands, others swear at them. Personally I use all of the major brands (Tamiya/Mr Colour/Vallejo/MIG etc) but tend to prefer one brand's colour over another in specific cases.