@@zaynevanday142 because depends on the disability it may affect his ability to paint... I can't hunch over my desk for hours on end "blending" paints because of 2 slipped discs
These shieldy boys are the best demo tool for all one-coat paints. I love being able to see how the broad surface works as well as those detailed tabards and the mail
The best thing for me with Vallejo range is that you can work with them for a little longer than other paints. They ale also matt which is superb and finally, the final work looks less blotchy. That last miniature painted looks really good. This is a clear win for me especially that they costs less than half of contrast paints price. Can't wait for Vallejo to come up with more colours. Oh and that "black" indeed it is not black but it's perfect when I want to have some straps or hair painted and highlighted. This is damn good paint although my first impressions were not good as well.
I felt the same about the initial application of vallejo xpress but then i realized i could work them much longer than contrast paints as they take longer dry.
Thanks! You got yourself a new subscriber :D Getting into the hobby through scratch building terrain and some D&D. But the painting part is unknown territory. And introduction videos like this are what I’m looking for, plus what I need. Just to see others demonstrate how some paints go on minis. Thanks again. Hope you’re all safe, hugs all the way from Puerto Rico.
The biggest issue I've had with these paints is finding a good way to buy them besides ordering them one bottle at a time. Thus I haven't even tried any of them yet. At this point, where I live, I almost always end up ordering stuff from Amazon. Last I checked it wasn't available there.
I have a good selection of these paints now and used them quite a bit, I agree they take a bit of getting used to, but I personally prefer the gel like consistency, always had trouble with contrast running away from me, so these are a little easier to manage, and the slightly longer drying time means I have a bit more time to notice mistakes and pooling iv missed! Completely agree that for large surfaces they aren't the best, haven't tried the medium yet but will definitely give that a go 👍.
Fantastic audio in voice. I admit it's been awhile since I last watched a Sword 'n' Steele vid; so you may have switched mic's much earlier than this post. But, in all cases, the audio quality is great! - as are your vids!!!
I have no idea, what you did with these colours! When I use them straight out of the bottle they cover super smooth, better than Contrast. Bubbles, though, can be an issue in my experience.
I will tell you what she didnt do - shake them properly :D And to be honest the method she was covering a mini was like my 6 years old kid do it - no wonder they look splotchy here :D
I like them better than contrast. Maybe it's because I'm too methodical... but I find contrast paints are goopy and dry too fast for me. I dont mind mixing in the medium, and I prefer the matte finish.
I was hoping these paints would be at least the equal of Speed Paints...sadly it appears not :( . Thanks for the video 😀❤👌To be fair, some of the colours are worth considering.
Good review. Which Speedpaint or Xpress paint would you recommend as an alternative to Wolf Grey Contrast paint? I use it to shade silver armor on Stormcast.
There aren't any that I currently see as a match for Space Wolves Grey, but if you're up for mixing, then in the Speed Paints, you can use Ashen Stone mixed with the tiniest bit of Tyrian Navy, and in this Xpress line you can take about a 2:1 mix of Black Lotus and Storm Blue, thinned with the Xpress Medium, and that should also make a substitute. 🤔 I have only 48 of the Army Painter range as yet so perhaps one of the others will suit better... But the Xpress paints are all available right now
I don’t think that thinning the Xpress will be a concern for me because I always dab my brush in water regardless of which type of paint I am using. I realize that I am biased for Vallejo because I really like their paints and bottles and because GW is pricey.
I agree that the consistency seems like a miss. And I frankly think they all look too patchy. I have to assume that Vallejo expects people to thin them a bit just like any other paint of theirs, which on the one hand effectively gives you more bang for your buck, but on the other seems to be missing the point of express contrast paints. Then again, even Games Workshop generally stopped slapping one thick coat of Contrast paint onto models in painting vids about a year or two after their initial release.
Hi there! Did you find that any of the colors dried glossy? I painted up a bunch of dried paint lids with the colors I have (all but a few that were out of stock) and some of them came out SUPER glossy for some reason. Others, no gloss at all. If you talk about this in the video, ignore me, I’m only partway through. 😂
I found when thinned with water they sometimes became glossy... Do you think that was why or did you use them out of the bottle and they became glossy?
@@swordnsteele712 Straight from the bottle. I mixed them on my vortex mixer for about 20-30 seconds each, then put a few drops on a dry palette, then straight onto a primed-white paint lid. About half are glossy, half aren't. No clue why!
Hmmmm not sure then! 🤷♀️ I didn't find any of mine turn glossy just like that by themselves 🤔 Well, to fix that glossiness, a brush on matte varnish will work!
In my experience of XPress paints on historical miniatures they work just as well as contrast and speed paints, but then I would never cover such large surface areas you did here. They are more ‘normal’ paints than a contrast out of the bottle it’s true
That turquoise caught my eye. Feeling it would look sexy on my mechs for my Rasalhague merc unit......ohhhh sorry battletech fan not 40k. Just here for painting tips and maybe a slight crush on Naomi 😮hehe.
Word has it that splotching isn't a problem if Xpress colors are used over Vallejo spray primer. Haven't tried Xpress colors yet so can't vouch for that.
I guess that is the beauty of variety! I personally, prefer the Xpress Colours as they have a matt finish, are very consistent in application, are less opaque and have longer working time. Contrast paints are very inconsistent in both application and pigmentation, are typically satin and come in those terrible pots. Honourable mention on how many colours they have though! I love a dozen or so of them and will always keep them on the shelf, but I'm speaking about them range wide. I hated AP speed paints v1 and have had bad experiences with other AP products in general, so will not be giving v2 a try.
Nope, some of them are - most of them are not. I would say that from GW, Vallejo and some AP 2.0 you could collect a perfect set of lets say 30-40 coulours. In all ranges you would find a superb paints, but as whole I wouldn recommand any.
I’ve painted nine 2000 point 40K armies and 11 Kill Teams using a combination of GW Contrast Paints and acrylics all with a paint brush (no airbrush) and IMHO they all look pretty good. Some paints are better than others, but I’ve yet to find a model that can’t be painted to an amazing standard using GW Contrast Paints. Most pro painters rate them pretty highly as well.
I'm going to agree. They are my least favorite of the 3 brands after trying Xpress Color. I really hate how cheap the bottles feel as well. I was expecting more a blue hue on the Black Lotus after seeing another channel's first impressions.
contrast paints cost to much. just got burnt by army painter speed paint 1.0 real garbage, got the set then 2.0 was released. these are by far my favorite
Not sure you know what you are really doing ?? Different brushes and the way you stroke it is a little suspect to say the least ….Puck a brush and get use to it with the paint ..Just a little advice since you’re giving advice ./.
These look absolutely horrible. Every one of those shields looked splotchy and amateurish. I was expecting much better coverage from these paints. Yuck! AP speed paints 2.0 plz
Because she isnt applying them properly. They are supposed to use straight the bottle or with a wet palette. If you look closely she put a ton of the paint in a dry plastic, the pigment will overspread in that, the paint will dry between uses and of course if you take a ton of paint in the brush and put it in a great plain surface without moving it thats the result. I can assure that Speed Paints and Contrast CANT compete with these xpress colors. But you need to know how it works in basics.
@@themajinchaos7886 are they meant to be used with a wet pallet? I thought water was a no no where "contrast type" paints are concerned? And if not putting them on a plastic pallet, what would you recommend using when applying the paint?
I absolutely agree that a wet palette can benefit these as, like I mentioned, these cannot be used out of the bottle without some refining, in some cases. And I find these work well for very small surface areas right out of the bottle, like I showed. But I cannot see how these would be *better* than Contrasts or Speed, however, since the other two can perform on a broader range of surfaces without refinement, or with the same amount of refinement (i.e. medium) *and* they are not as picky as these with respect to which brush to work with them. And are you suggesting that the paint was applied inaccurately because, allegedly, it could not last the few seconds it took me to apply one layer over the entire miniature while on a dry palette? Or because it could not handle being put on heavily and then pulled away to leave only the level of shading desired? But does that sound like a superior paint to you? When others can do just that? As a fellow fan of Vallejo paints, I can understand the defense of their brand, and I will continue to play around with these as I am not one to give up on a good paint--but I did not comment or review these paints willy-nilly. I showed my initial efforts with them and my more focused use of them towards the end, and gave suggestions for future use. There are far more new painters than senior painters who need to know what to expect with these and who will not know how to adjust these accordingly. I believe my video has aided them in their knowledge. I am curious now what you found to be inferior in the Speed and particularly in the Contrast range. I've used 48 paints in the Speed 2.0 range and all 62 of the Contrast paints excessively. What is your experience with those lines and what makes you not care for them?
![Vallejo Xpress - First Impressions, Upsides & Downsides [How I Paint Things]](/img/n.gif)
As a disabled painter anything that gives me a quick and BR look is always welcome.
What does being disabled have to do with the price of fish ?😂
@@zaynevanday142 I think you have the wrong video comment (section) 🐟
@@zaynevanday142 because depends on the disability it may affect his ability to paint... I can't hunch over my desk for hours on end "blending" paints because of 2 slipped discs
These shieldy boys are the best demo tool for all one-coat paints. I love being able to see how the broad surface works as well as those detailed tabards and the mail
Great video! I've come to love using Gor Grunta Fur for a red-tinted and rich wood.
And just like that - my day is made
The best thing for me with Vallejo range is that you can work with them for a little longer than other paints. They ale also matt which is superb and finally, the final work looks less blotchy. That last miniature painted looks really good. This is a clear win for me especially that they costs less than half of contrast paints price. Can't wait for Vallejo to come up with more colours. Oh and that "black" indeed it is not black but it's perfect when I want to have some straps or hair painted and highlighted. This is damn good paint although my first impressions were not good as well.
My second to 50th impressions are still awful.
I felt the same about the initial application of vallejo xpress but then i realized i could work them much longer than contrast paints as they take longer dry.
They suck
wasteland brown and medium is my new go to for bone. Love it
Thanks for putting this together, a fantastic resource for the range!
A very good and very very illustrative video. Above the channel's level. And the level is very high. Congratulations!
Thanks for the lowdown. I might be up for getting a few of those. The browns for pouches and straps and things look alright. Cheers again Naomi.
Thanks for the Info I use speed paints on zenithal primed conquest minis and the work great
I prefer the finish of xpress colors, but like the usability of contrast the most
what a great, exhaustive review. Amazing job
So far I have found gw to be best... thank you for the review
Thanks for the honest yet respectful review
If you use it over a Slapchop undercoat, it is way, waaaaay better. I have the whole range and in my opinion, they are very similar to the AP paints.
Thanks! You got yourself a new subscriber :D Getting into the hobby through scratch building terrain and some D&D. But the painting part is unknown territory. And introduction videos like this are what I’m looking for, plus what I need. Just to see others demonstrate how some paints go on minis. Thanks again. Hope you’re all safe, hugs all the way from Puerto Rico.
I'm in Spain, Madrid and I haven't got a clue about these. thanks
They should have shipped you some!
Great review! Thanks Naomi!
The biggest issue I've had with these paints is finding a good way to buy them besides ordering them one bottle at a time. Thus I haven't even tried any of them yet. At this point, where I live, I almost always end up ordering stuff from Amazon. Last I checked it wasn't available there.
What country are you located in? Maybe there's a local store that be could suggested to to add their lines?
Great detailed review!
Thank you for your honest opinion.
I have a good selection of these paints now and used them quite a bit, I agree they take a bit of getting used to, but I personally prefer the gel like consistency, always had trouble with contrast running away from me, so these are a little easier to manage, and the slightly longer drying time means I have a bit more time to notice mistakes and pooling iv missed! Completely agree that for large surfaces they aren't the best, haven't tried the medium yet but will definitely give that a go 👍.
Painting in one direction rather than swirling the brush around can help with the pooling and splotching.
Great review.
My all-time favourite of your videos is the one you got your hands on a chainsaw when woodworking at home.
Fantastic audio in voice. I admit it's been awhile since I last watched a Sword 'n' Steele vid; so you may have switched mic's much earlier than this post.
But, in all cases, the audio quality is great! - as are your vids!!!
I have no idea, what you did with these colours! When I use them straight out of the bottle they cover super smooth, better than Contrast. Bubbles, though, can be an issue in my experience.
I will tell you what she didnt do - shake them properly :D And to be honest the method she was covering a mini was like my 6 years old kid do it - no wonder they look splotchy here :D
Thank you , Lady Naomi .
🐺
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
I like them better than contrast. Maybe it's because I'm too methodical... but I find contrast paints are goopy and dry too fast for me. I dont mind mixing in the medium, and I prefer the matte finish.
Would you please review the 2.0 paints also someday?
Do you mean the rest of this line?
Or Game Color 2.0?
2.0 please !
I think Wasteland Brown stands out as useful and Snake Green stands out as pretty enough that you want to slap it on everything.
I was hoping these paints would be at least the equal of Speed Paints...sadly it appears not :( . Thanks for the video 😀❤👌To be fair, some of the colours are worth considering.
Good review. Which Speedpaint or Xpress paint would you recommend as an alternative to Wolf Grey Contrast paint? I use it to shade silver armor on Stormcast.
There aren't any that I currently see as a match for Space Wolves Grey, but if you're up for mixing, then in the Speed Paints, you can use Ashen Stone mixed with the tiniest bit of Tyrian Navy, and in this Xpress line you can take about a 2:1 mix of Black Lotus and Storm Blue, thinned with the Xpress Medium, and that should also make a substitute. 🤔
I have only 48 of the Army Painter range as yet so perhaps one of the others will suit better...
But the Xpress paints are all available right now
I don’t think that thinning the Xpress will be a concern for me because I always dab my brush in water regardless of which type of paint I am using. I realize that I am biased for Vallejo because I really like their paints and bottles and because GW is pricey.
I think you look fantastic in red.
I agree that the consistency seems like a miss. And I frankly think they all look too patchy. I have to assume that Vallejo expects people to thin them a bit just like any other paint of theirs, which on the one hand effectively gives you more bang for your buck, but on the other seems to be missing the point of express contrast paints. Then again, even Games Workshop generally stopped slapping one thick coat of Contrast paint onto models in painting vids about a year or two after their initial release.
Hi there! Did you find that any of the colors dried glossy? I painted up a bunch of dried paint lids with the colors I have (all but a few that were out of stock) and some of them came out SUPER glossy for some reason. Others, no gloss at all. If you talk about this in the video, ignore me, I’m only partway through. 😂
I found when thinned with water they sometimes became glossy... Do you think that was why or did you use them out of the bottle and they became glossy?
@@swordnsteele712 Straight from the bottle. I mixed them on my vortex mixer for about 20-30 seconds each, then put a few drops on a dry palette, then straight onto a primed-white paint lid. About half are glossy, half aren't. No clue why!
Hmmmm not sure then! 🤷♀️ I didn't find any of mine turn glossy just like that by themselves 🤔
Well, to fix that glossiness, a brush on matte varnish will work!
@Sword 'n' Steele To not change the paint properties you have to use the xpress medium.
Thank you!
In my experience of XPress paints on historical miniatures they work just as well as contrast and speed paints, but then I would never cover such large surface areas you did here. They are more ‘normal’ paints than a contrast out of the bottle it’s true
what models are these??
They are Conquest models :)
That turquoise caught my eye. Feeling it would look sexy on my mechs for my Rasalhague merc unit......ohhhh sorry battletech fan not 40k. Just here for painting tips and maybe a slight crush on Naomi 😮hehe.
Word has it that splotching isn't a problem if Xpress colors are used over Vallejo spray primer. Haven't tried Xpress colors yet so can't vouch for that.
My black lotus looks blue T^T
I guess that is the beauty of variety! I personally, prefer the Xpress Colours as they have a matt finish, are very consistent in application, are less opaque and have longer working time. Contrast paints are very inconsistent in both application and pigmentation, are typically satin and come in those terrible pots. Honourable mention on how many colours they have though!
I love a dozen or so of them and will always keep them on the shelf, but I'm speaking about them range wide. I hated AP speed paints v1 and have had bad experiences with other AP products in general, so will not be giving v2 a try.
Seems like GWs Contrast line is the best quality wise.
Nope, some of them are - most of them are not. I would say that from GW, Vallejo and some AP 2.0 you could collect a perfect set of lets say 30-40 coulours. In all ranges you would find a superb paints, but as whole I wouldn recommand any.
I’ve painted nine 2000 point 40K armies and 11 Kill Teams using a combination of GW Contrast Paints and acrylics all with a paint brush (no airbrush) and IMHO they all look pretty good. Some paints are better than others, but I’ve yet to find a model that can’t be painted to an amazing standard using GW Contrast Paints. Most pro painters rate them pretty highly as well.
MAA and Squires? Bold, but ultimately the Spires will win.
I'm going to agree. They are my least favorite of the 3 brands after trying Xpress Color. I really hate how cheap the bottles feel as well. I was expecting more a blue hue on the Black Lotus after seeing another channel's first impressions.
contrast paints cost to much. just got burnt by army painter speed paint 1.0 real garbage, got the set then 2.0 was released. these are by far my favorite
So no metallics ?
Nope, but their Metal Color line is fantastic :) And you can put these over a bright metal like Chrome to make coloured metallics :D
❤🖤❤
Purple ? Looks Pink to me 😂
I really dislike the soft plastic bottles and the strange nozzles on these paints, they look and feel flimsy and cheap.
;)
Not sure you know what you are really doing ?? Different brushes and the way you stroke it is a little suspect to say the least ….Puck a brush and get use to it with the paint ..Just a little advice since you’re giving advice ./.
Oh no, incoming strike against your channel for either copyright or smut
These look absolutely horrible. Every one of those shields looked splotchy and amateurish.
I was expecting much better coverage from these paints. Yuck! AP speed paints 2.0 plz
Because she isnt applying them properly. They are supposed to use straight the bottle or with a wet palette. If you look closely she put a ton of the paint in a dry plastic, the pigment will overspread in that, the paint will dry between uses and of course if you take a ton of paint in the brush and put it in a great plain surface without moving it thats the result. I can assure that Speed Paints and Contrast CANT compete with these xpress colors. But you need to know how it works in basics.
@@themajinchaos7886 are they meant to be used with a wet pallet? I thought water was a no no where "contrast type" paints are concerned? And if not putting them on a plastic pallet, what would you recommend using when applying the paint?
I absolutely agree that a wet palette can benefit these as, like I mentioned, these cannot be used out of the bottle without some refining, in some cases. And I find these work well for very small surface areas right out of the bottle, like I showed. But I cannot see how these would be *better* than Contrasts or Speed, however, since the other two can perform on a broader range of surfaces without refinement, or with the same amount of refinement (i.e. medium) *and* they are not as picky as these with respect to which brush to work with them.
And are you suggesting that the paint was applied inaccurately because, allegedly, it could not last the few seconds it took me to apply one layer over the entire miniature while on a dry palette? Or because it could not handle being put on heavily and then pulled away to leave only the level of shading desired? But does that sound like a superior paint to you? When others can do just that?
As a fellow fan of Vallejo paints, I can understand the defense of their brand, and I will continue to play around with these as I am not one to give up on a good paint--but I did not comment or review these paints willy-nilly. I showed my initial efforts with them and my more focused use of them towards the end, and gave suggestions for future use.
There are far more new painters than senior painters who need to know what to expect with these and who will not know how to adjust these accordingly. I believe my video has aided them in their knowledge.
I am curious now what you found to be inferior in the Speed and particularly in the Contrast range. I've used 48 paints in the Speed 2.0 range and all 62 of the Contrast paints excessively. What is your experience with those lines and what makes you not care for them?
Cos she is using those pains like my 6 yo kid?
These certainly seem interesting but I'm not sure I need to get even more paints right now, I just started experimenting with contrast paints lol