| Preview | Product | Pros | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Army Painter Mega Paint Set for Miniatures |
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| Vallejo Basic USA Colors Kit |
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| Reaper Miniatures Master Series Starter Set |
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| The Army Painter Wargamers Complete Paint Set |
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| Vallejo Game Color Washes |
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Finding the best paint for plastic models is similar to separating heaps of sand from soil. You might encounter contrasting opinions regarding best paint brands, painting techniques, thinners, and even primers. As a beginner hobbyist, it’s actually normal to feel overwhelmed by the number of choices in the market.
Don’t worry – this article will help you pick the best options without compromising your wallet and personal preferences.
Contents of this Page
Prime Painting Products for Your Prime Plastic Miniatures
1. The Army Painter Mega Paint Set for Miniatures
Rating
Paint Quality: 4/5
Skill Level: 2.5/5
Value: 4/5
The Army Painter mega paint kit is the answer if you’re looking for multiple paint colors without breaking the bank. It has 39 high-quality acrylic paints, water based paints, along with some metallic paints and the popular quickshade washes. Plus, you also get a free priming brush made of sable hairs.
The Army Painter bottles are more economical than average paint pots. Since the bottle has a tight tube, it will only release measured drops of paint. This will allow the paint to last longer, helping you save money in the long run. The kit’s paint quality is also superb, revealing strong and clear colors – especially if the bottles are shaken well. You’ll barely get any opaque areas.
If you want to travel while bringing the Army Painter kit, you must use a separate carry case for stability. The kit’s holding trays are not stable enough, and the paints might topple if they’re not set on a flat surface.
While the colors of Army Painter paints are vibrant, they require a bit of shaking for at least one minute. If you don’t shake the paint bottle, the pigment won’t separate from the acrylic base. This will result into a color with watery consistency, so you have to mix it further using your brush. But consider the trade-off: you’ll have a mega paint kit for just a few minutes of hassle!
2. Vallejo Basic USA Colors Kit
Rating
Paint Quality: 4/5
Skill Level: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Vallejo is a popular brand among hobbyists and miniature painters. Despite being less popular than Citadel Paints, Vallejo still has a large following because of its quality and realistic color streaks. If you want to dip into Vallejo, you should check out the Vallejo Basic Paint colors kit.
Capable of making numerous color combinations, the Vallejo paint set will help you breeze through your unfinished plastic models. The available colors for the Vallejo kit are flat red, lemon yellow, flat flesh, gold, silver, azure, flat blue, ochre, orange, black, and flat brown. All of these colors require little thinning, so you can use the paints right out of the box.
Despite the great quality of the Vallejo paints, you might encounter some inconsistencies here and there. You’d notice this inconsistency with flat colors like blue and green. To resolve this mild problem, you can use a strong acrylic base. The solution will increase the paint’s consistency, making the color more profound.
Also, you should be careful mixing Vallejo flat colors with any thinner formula. Sometimes, the resulting color might appear runny. Try to experiment with popular thinning formulas until you get the consistency that you need.
The Vallejo Basic USA Colors Kit uses the Model Color tubes. The popularity of the Model color is vastly preferred by a lot of people and is also what we recommend if you are just starting out.
One of the primary reasons why we highly recommend the Model color over the Game color is that the Game color has coverage issues, specifically, the color appears so bright and seems to struggle to attain the right colors. Not just with yellows and magentas, but it struggles across the range of colors even with the easy colors like dark green.
We also recommend you to get the Model because it’s color is more satin, while the Game has too much gloss for most people’s liking.
3. Reaper Miniatures Master Series Starter Set
Rating
Paint Quality: 4/5
Skill Level: 3.5/5
Value: 3/5
Sometimes, picking a painting set is overwhelming. If you’re a humble beginner, it’s always wise to start with a starter set. In this case, one reliable paint kit that you must get is the Reaper Master Series kit. This Reaper kit has the official Master Series core colors, as well as some metallic paint variants.
The Reaper paints are strong and clear, making them effective for miniature painting. Every color makes a miniature part stand out, and the result is even better if you know how to shade or highlight. Another advantage of the Reaper kit is its compactness. The case can accommodate all paint bottles without appearing bulky or unstable. Additionally, It’s easy to put the case on a larger bag or toolbox.
Compared with other big kits, the Reaper starter set is pricey because of the small number of paints included. There’s also no brush included in the kit, and the case doesn’t have an extra room for brushes. But if you can get past these minor disadvantages, you’ll have an awesome starter kit with a travel-friendly carry case.
4. The Army Painter Wargamers Complete Paint Set
Rating
Paint Quality: 4/5
Skill Level: 3/5
Value: 4.5/5
Another noteworthy set from The Army Painter is the Wargamers Complete Paint Set. This set contains 124 high-quality paints categorized into acrylics, metallic, quickshades, and effects. With such a number of paints, you can make dozens of eye-catching combinations for your best model scale miniatures.
Every paint bottle of the Wargamers set has an exceptional paint consistency. You don’t have to spend more than a minute mixing the paints, unless you’re really meticulous when it comes to details. Still, you must shake the paint bottles vigorously to get the right amount of consistency.
With the Wargamers paint bottles, you can worry less about spillage. Each bottle has a durable twist cap meant to secure the paint. The caps are even stronger than the ones offered by other brands.
Since the Wargamers paint set is big, you might encounter a few manufacturing or processing issues. One common complaint with the Wargamers set is the number of duplicate paint bottles. If your ordered set has duplicates, simply contact the shop and return the product. Otherwise, you can just set aside the duplicate paint bottles for later use.
5. Vallejo Game Color Washes
Rating
Paint Quality: 4/5
Skill Level: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Every plastic model or miniature will benefit from a high-quality wash. But it’s important to use the best wash or not at all. If you decide to use low-quality washes, you’ll just risk the end quality of your project. One set of washes that you can always count on is Vallejo Game Color Washes.
The best thing about the Vallejo wash set is dynamic color range. A single wash can improve the shades of your WIP models. You just need a fine brush to distribute the wash evenly, eliminating unsightly portions. Thorough mixing is also important because Vallejo game washes have a thick consistency.
Vallejo washes work best with Vallejo paints and special Citadel colors. The wash consistency makes the colors more spontaneous and realistic.
Warning: the Vallejo Game Color Wash set doesn’t smell nice. Each wash bottle has an unpleasant chemical smell with a mix of mold. Keep this in mind before using Vallejo washes, and always work in a room with proper ventilation. Vallejo washes are also sticky to your fingers, so make sure that you have an adequate supply of tissue rolls or disposable cloth.
Basics to Painting Plastic
This is What the Experts Do Before Painting their Minis
Miniature painting is an interesting hobby that a lot of people enjoy. Due to the rising popularity of painting minis, airbrush kits for beginners are starting to also gain popularity. Like other hobbies, there are methods that make the hobby even more enjoyable and better. Here are things that experts do before they dive into painting.
Wash Your Models as a Way to Prep Them
Even though there are super advanced 3D printing technologies now, most of the models are still being made by putting all the materials from plastic, metal, and resin together. Typically, these types of molds are coated with different types of release agents to avoid damaging or destroying both the model and the mold.
A good way to ensure that these release agents don’t affect the quality of the paint you’ll be putting on is to simply wash your model. Washing your models removes whatever release agents your models still have on. Don’t fret– you don’t have to purchase anything at all because a mixture of lukewarm water, dish soap, and vinegar should do.
Do note that the lukewarm water should not be too hot to bend or alter your minis. Use an old soft bristle toothbrush and give the model some scrub on all sides including crevices.
Assemble, Remove Excess Material, and Fill the Gaps
No miniature model is perfect after being molded. Notice how models have excess material in various parts? Experts make their miniatures look even better and almost perfect after molding by removing excess materials on every part of their mini. These excess materials can be found anywhere from the mold lines to areas where different miniature parts meet or join together. Another source of imperfection in the mini can also be found in mold vents where air escapes from.
Regardless if you manually mold your minis using a 3D printer or purchase a ready-to-paint one, it pays to take some time to get rid of these excess materials using a hobby knife or clippers. Doing so doesn’t just make your mini look seamless and more refined but it also makes painting a lot easier.
Assemble your model and you might be surprised by a number of issues you’ll find. You’ll want to specifically look at gaps from where the model may not fit perfectly together or perhaps air bubbles that caused imperfections on the surface. Either you clean them using a hobby knife or fill the parts with a 2-part putty to cover large gaps.
Fortunately, models that are made by larger companies tend to only have little to minimum gap filling requirement. In such cases, white glue should suffice. Just let the glue dry and make sure it dries flat.
Always Prime Your Models Before Painting
Priming your models is always imperative as it does more than what most people think. Apart from allowing your paint to stick better to your mini, it also gives you a base color of your model for you to work on.
Experts tend to prime in multiple thin coats instead of priming only one coat. Even though it seems easy to just use one solid coat, the likelihood that the paint will affect the mode’s detail will be relatively high. Make sure to pick the right airbrush for your model to achieve the perfect amount of layer.
To get a perfect painting output, it’s recommended to do several thin coats and let them dry in between coats.
Unless you are experienced enough to know what color to use as a primer, the best color to use would be black, especially for people who are just starting out. Priming in black helps fill in the natural shadows in tight spots, so brushing later on should be easier.
It is critically important to determine which color is predominant on a model before priming to make your painting a whole lot easier later on. For example, silver or gray prime colors would go well on heavily-armored vehicles like tanks or space marine armors.
Don’t forget to lock your paints on your models when you are done painting. It’s highly advised to also determine if the model is prone to chipping or not. If your model is prone to chipping, a couple of thin coats of gloss varnish should do the trick before you matte it all down with a spray lacquer. Minis that are less prone to chipping will do well with two coats of Dull coat.
You’ll be doing yourself a favor if you seal your minis because painting them for the first time will surely be fun, but not as fun as doing it for a second time because your first paint job got chipped.
Another small but really helpful way to ensure consistency when spraying your minis is to shake the spray from start to completion. Doing so ensures that the contents applied on your mini will be the same throughout.
Location also plays a vital role when priming. To get the best results, it is highly recommended to do it in low humidity environments and in a well-ventilated area.
Don’t Forget to Thin Your Minis with Water
It’s a technique that not a lot of people have heard of, but thinning your acrylic model paints with water is a great way to get a solid color later on. To do this, take the consistency of the pain to the consistency of milk in every application but dry brushing.
One way to check you’re at the right consistency is when you are able to paint a 1-inch line across your palette without the paint beading. Also, it should puddle instead of just sitting like a great dollop of cream. Remember that you may have to do several layers of coating to get a solid color but doing thin coats will keep the details of the model intact and pristine.
Wash Your Brush When You are Done
You’ll thank yourself for the years to come if you practice washing your brush before you load it with paint and when you are done painting. You don’t necessarily have to use your hands to get rid of the paint because all it takes to get rid of the paint from the brush is to swish it vigorously in room temperature water and the paint should be removed.
There are different painting sizes and types so make sure to pick one according to your painting needs.
Plastic Model Paint Buying Guide – Important Things to Know
To get the best paint for plastic models, you must understand some important buying factors. These factors are not difficult to remember but they can help you make the right purchasing decisions over the years.
Resist the Urge to Buy Everything
Nearly all hobby shops have dozens of tools, accessories, and models that enthusiasts can choose from. These choices are nice but they can make any beginner confused. You might also end up buying more stuff than you’ll ever need.
Before delving deep in the hobby, make sure that you’re disciplined to focus on the necessary things. You don’t need to buy fifty paint bottles or one dozen paint brushes (unless they’re in an affordable set). At best, you must have basic paint colors and a paint brush. A thinner solvent is also optional but it can speed up your work and boost the quality of your paints.
Since most starter sets contain all primary colors, they’re excellent choices for beginners. With a starter set, you don’t have to purchase paint bottles one by one.
Focus on Core Colors
Core colors, also known as primary colors, are the building blocks of the paint spectrum. The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These colors are important because they allow the creation of multiple pigments and combinations. Once you have the core colors in your toolbox, you can start painting basic miniatures or scale models.
Brands usually claim that their primary colors are better than others. It’s all about paint quality and composition, after all. Don’t stress yourself too much on primary color choices. Just pick red, blue, and yellow bottles and you’re good to go.
Basic Brushes Are Fine
If there’s a paint theory, then there’s paintbrush theory as well. Many hobbyists believe that paintbrushes can affect your success on painting plastic models. Well, they’re right! Using the wrong type of paintbrush will make the paint quality look amateurish. Take a flat brush as an example. A flat brush is great for long surfaces (i.e. aircraft carrier runway) but inefficient on models with action poses (i.e. Warhammer 40K minis). For models with precise sections, you need a finer brush.
It’s great to learn paintbrush theory, but you’re fine with beginner brushes. Nowadays, you can order a complete set of paintbrushes. The brush types that you’d likely encounter are round, flat, bright, fan, and detailed round. Specialty brushes, such as those you can purchase outside of a set, are great if you have extra budget or if your skill is already progressing.
Consider Your Skillset
Now, let’s focus on the importance of painting skill. At the beginner’s phase, your skill in painting is very likely basic. You can make broad strokes with a few variations now and then. You might even get annoyed with hard-to-reach areas and model faces. By considering your painting skill, you can settle for affordable, basic paints instead of overly confusing brands.
Are you planning to get weathering effects for flavor or realism? Sure, you can, but you only need one or two bottles depending on the project. Try to get your hands on Vallejo weathering paints since they can make a model’s appearance extra special.
An Important Question: Acrylic or Enamel?
There are many angles to consider in terms of acrylic and enamel paints (aka oil based paints). For starters, acrylic paint is easier to use because it dries fast and doesn’t require too much mixing. Acrylics are considered family-friendly as well.
Enamel paints or oil based paints, on the other hand, are great for beautifying models. Models with enamel finish look more beautiful and precious compared to those with plain acrylic finish. But there’s always a trade-off: enamel paints are slightly harder to mix because of its oil property and they take a long time to dry. Therefore, enamel painting requires advanced working skills and adaptability.
So, keep in mind: use acrylic as a beginner and change to enamel as your skills improve.
Plastic Model Paint FAQ
How can I start painting right away?
Answer: First, you need to purchase a kit. Every kit has relevant information about paints, tools, and even the necessary techniques. You don’t have to worry about a perfect technique especially if you’re just a beginner. Simply choose an easy kit to paint and apply the fundamentals. Also, just be patient and do not give up if you had some errors.
What are the common types of paints that I need?
Answer: The most common type of paint is acrylic. If you’re a beginner, you can never go wrong with acrylic paints because they have different color combinations. Also, you can use them right away. Enamel paints, on the other hand, require advanced mixing. As your painting skills improve, you should consider the depth and intensity of enamel paints.
This video shows a quick distinction among the types of miniature or plastic model paints.
What are the best paint brands for beginners?
Answer: There are only a few reliable names when it comes to pain brands. Some of these brands are Citadel (uniquely strong colors), Vallejo (strong colors and effects), Reaper (professional choice), and Army Painter (great base colors).
What tools should I have to start painting?
Answer: The necessary tools are paintbrushes, brush cleaner, easels, and a desk lamp (or any source of adequate lighting). You don’t have to buy extra tools unless you have the budget for them.
What models or miniatures are great for beginners?
Answer: It all depends on your chosen theme. If you love fantasy, you won’t be disappointed with D&D miniatures. Warhammer Fantasy is also a great choice. If your desired theme is realistic, you can settle for die-cast vehicles, planes, and ships. Overall, planes are reliable because of their non-complicated angles and workable scale model designs.
Why is it important to prime?
Answer: Priming increases the paint’s adhesion. Without a primecoat, the paint will become runny and compromise the final detail. This will make the model look amateurish. Priming is one of the most important painting techniques that beginners must learn.
Do I need an airbrush for painting?
Answer: At the early phase of your painting journey, you don’t need an airbrush. However, as you become more proficient, your backlog of miniatures might increase. To finish painting these models fast, you can use a high-powered airbrush.
Are shading and highlighting important? Why so?
Answer: Shading and highlighting are important techniques because they can make a plastic model stand out. While shading improves the detail of hidden parts and folds, highlighting makes visible areas even brighter. If you want to make your plastic models look great, you should learn proper shading and highlighting techniques.
Do I need washes? Why or why not?
Answer: If you’re working on your very first kit, you don’t need a model wash. Basically, paint washes improve the shading of your models and require a moderate degree of proficiency. Practice highlighting a few models first, then move on to a methodical wash application process.
Is glazing still important nowadays?
Answer: Glazing is almost the same as washing. The only difference is that glazing is used to emphasize transitions for models with significant poses. In geometric angles, glazing doesn’t have a big impact because a great shading technique will make a difference. Glazing is purely optional today.
How can I start kitbashing?
Answer: Kitbashing is the process of turning a miniature into another form, like a fantasy dragon warrior to a modern-day eastern superhero. To start kitbashing, you need to choose a plastic model or miniature kit. Afterwards, lay out your design and start the project. You might need one or two extra kits for variation. And yes, you still need to paint the new kitbashed model!
Why is it difficult to paint faces?
Answer: A model’s face contains many small details and sections such as eyes, nose, ears, jawline, and lips. Your hand must be steady and your brush must have thin bristles. It’s also a wise move to start painting the model’s eyes.
Conclusion
Before painting your first model kit, you must have an idea which paints are the best. You don’t have to buy them all. The kit will inform you about the necessary paints, and you can also ask experienced scale modelers for advice. Try to bookmark our article so you can refer to it whenever you need to buy paints right away.
And once your paints are ready, start painting your new plastic model kit!
