I think the recent modeling world has kind of gotten confused about the purpose of primers and conflated them a bit with base coat paints. You can see this in the number of colors offered in acrylic 'primers'. Originally, the point of a primer was something that was designed to adhere very well to the base material (be it metal, plastic, resin, etc), and often relied on solvents and other etchants to make sure this was a good, strong, chemical bond. Also things like lead, if I recall, to help bond to metals. Modern ones don't have lead, of course, but the point is still the same, to make a strong bond to protect the underlying material and allow other paints to stick. However, acrylic primers (the ones most often advertised as airbrush primers) don't really do that. I've dug in a bit, and aside from a little bit of polyurethane to make it a bit more flexible, it's nothing more than just a good, opaque acrylic base coat. Now, that's not a bad thing, but it's not really a primer either. With modern plastics, it's been a fairly moot point, since they and acrylics are designed to adhere together well, so everything just works. However, I've seen a couple of very good painters on youtube get surprised and frustrated when painting something like a metal or resin model (Tau Manta?) and the paint kept peeling off. That's because of a poor primer adhesion, and likely not even using a real primer, but an acrylic. I won't get into the pros and cons for one paint to do both jobs, but I think the fact that they are two distinct jobs and you sometimes need one or the other, is important, and we shouldn't confuse the job of a primer with that of a base coat. If you dig into scale modelling, where they're more accustomed to random materials, you'll find a wealth of good information on primers and specifically some of the best to use. Invariably, they're all either lacquers or rattlecans, because they contain strong solvents. You can paint your plastic with them and it will never come off. It must be sanded off, because it becomes part of the plastic. Granted, that may be overkill for some things, but it does make a nice protective coating, and it ensures you don't have issues with resin mold release agents or other things. It can also allow you to do some interesting effects where you scratch through more delicate upper layers, because the primer won't let you just scratch through it with a fingernail or other plastic. Another fun trick is to do a black primer and white primer zenith highlight so you can strip the paint off and just go back to a proper primed, zenithal highlight. But there's other issues that might make that not work so well, too. Anyway, I'd love to see a prominent painter do a real deep dive into the chemistry of primer paints and why some are important and some are just base paints to help educate the miniature painting community. It's something lacking in the videos I see and not everyone has the time to go research other hobbies and ancient alchemy to learn how to properly get paint to stick to everything. Probably needs some attention on the different types of paint solvents, like lacquers/solvent vs oil (model enamels) vs acrylic and true watercolors, too. Then maybe even talk about additives like polyurethane and others! I don't hear much discussion about that in the miniature community either. PS: Your issue with the Humbrol varnish? Yeah, that's because it was probably a lacquer varnish. The best kind of protection for a miniature... but the oil probably bound to it making it a gunky black varnish of sorts. The solvent in oils can blend with the solvents in a varnish and then you just get a semi-permanent goo.
You speak right from my soul, nearly any figure i paint have some trouble with peeling off of the vallejo black primer (especially resin models) i clean them with soap and also give them a rinse with isopropanol and afterwards with water. Still have problems with it and i need some solution.
@@rockstrongo831 You'll need to find a lacquer based primer. The easiest would be those in a rattle can, but for airbrushing you can actually spray a rattle can primer into a cup (through a straw or something so it doesn't evaporate), or you could add a lacquer thinner to a normal acrylic.Test it out first in a little cup to be sure it doesn't gum up when you mix them. Some will. Just a note, but a primer that gives a smooth or satin finish isn't doing you much good. The point is to not only adhere well, but also let other paints adhere to it. Paint doesn't stick well to smooth surfaces. Citadel rattle cans can dry smooth sometimes, which is annoying. Acrylic beads up on it. The best method is to just get an airbrush lacquer. Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer is a good one but might be hard to find. Tamiya's Liquid Primer might be a little easier to get hold of and works well too. For good rattle can primers, sandable automotive primers are good but sometimes go on a bit thick, so be careful. Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer or Tamiya Primers are both very good. However, lacquers are very dangerous to breathe in or get on your skin. It's not just about paint particles in your lungs, it's also very toxic. Make sure to have a mask and plenty of ventilation. Also, go very easy and light coats with it. It WILL dissolve plastic. You want just a thin layer to adhere and build it up slowly, letting each one dry (it dries in 30 seconds). It's a bit more work, but they're the gold standard in paints for a reason.
Thank you for this post mate. While I'm recently new to the hobby; one thing I'm not new to is painting. So, as a result, I'm aware of how a good primer is supposed to work (And even slightly aware of some of the chemicals) but I'm *not* familiar with the primers associated with the hobby or what's in them. This post probably saved me a bit (or a lot) of frustration. I'll be buying a good Lacquer based primer from Wal-Mart tonight.
Corax White needs to be very warm to come out smooth. I usually boil some water, pour it in a bowl and place the can in the bowl for like 10-15 seconds. shake before and after, and you're good to go. I also found that the grainy surface can be counteracted by using a dry drybrush and dusting it all over the mini to remove the grainy particles :) but yeah, it's terrible
Same. I don't find them shiny. For that matter, I've never had the issues that most people have with AP. If anything I've had worse problems with Citadel. Maybe it's the way I paint? I dunno.
The worst thing about the army painter "primer" is, it doesn't fully dry and stays sticky forever, now I have fingerprints on some edges of my landraider and a lot of my armies bases.
@@aaronbrown4275 same here. I’ve never had a problem with army painter except for white drying out a little faster than the others which would clog the tip sometimes while mid paint session but citadel has even worse and more problems with their whites and greys (AP grey has always been great for me) on top of all their pot problems. Fuck AP primer though they’re right in that I didn’t like it.
As a poor I get a smart water bottle with the "sport tip". I also put some painters tape around the bottle so I don't accidentally drink my air brush cleaning mix , hopefully.
Just an addition to the transporting models bit, don't bother buying dedicated miniature transport cases for magnetised mini, a metal cantilever tool box is much cheaper, much stronger, lockable, and is basically guaranteed to outlive you, let alone your army, just make sure you know how tall your models are so you can buy one with enough space inside, picked one of those beauties up for about £30 (40-50euros ish) and I have never even bothered looking at the dedicated miniature cases since, toolbox for the win!
I've been rewatching all of your guides as I've been trying to learn new stuff / hone my skills and you've helped so much it's just nuts. Keep being awesome 😎!
Re: pigments Artist pastel chalk is typically cheaper, larger selection of color, and can be had in sets or individually. They can be ground on sandpaper, files, et cetera to the desired coarseness.
Love these kind of videos, I'm a sucker for buying accessories and products to help with painting whether I need them or not, so now I have a few more items to add to the shopping list. Cheers!
These videos are really helpful. I like your no-nonsense style, to me it feels like casually sitting down with a friend, chatting about the way he is doing things. I prefer this approach of getting shown things I'm interesting in.
Have the same wooden painting handle. Pull the wire rest out and flip it upside down. Us that in your palm with a finger tip grip and the whole thing becomes much more stable. Not an always move but perhaps for filming it could be even better than the shallow block!
This is such an useful video. Always on the lookout for paints, but most UA-camrs hype their own stuff without coming into the details. This is absolutely fantastic quality content. I put this in Tier S.
I have only army painter colours and i have to agree- but i noticed that its very dependend on which surface you paint them. They tend to get glossy on smooth surfaces like 3d printed minis, but on more rough surfaces they work pretty well. I will get myself some citadels too and will test them out because i noticed the same issue
I've been using army painter primer for a few years. It seems to me that for best results you need to shake it thoroughly and then apply very thin coats, basically barely pressing onto the nozzle.
Their new AIR range is also getting rave reviews from pro painters like Trovarion and Juan Hidalgo recommending they ditch their full original range for this new one, as it's performing as well as for airbrush painting as traditional hand brush.
I really can't agree on the artis opus dry brushes - I've painted lots of terrain with makeup brushes and lots of models with the opus brushes and they're lightyears ahead imo. Definitely use makeup brushes for terrain though, they're incredibly good for the price! Great video.
I had to have had THE worst luck with Windsor and Newton series 7 brushes. Ive bought several of sizes ranging from 00 to 3 and theyve ALL lost their tip super fast and splayed no matter how well i treated them including capping and putting them upside down when not using, rinsing frequently when painting, using brush soap, not using them with Contrast paint or shades, etc.
I 3D printed my wet pallet and i use it with kitchen papertowels. Nothing fancy and works great. Also i printed painting handles, different designs and quality, but all works. About brushes, i had never bought real expensive brushes. Just the cheap ones and mostly works fine. I take care of them of course, keep them dry an clean all the time.
This is freaking cool idea! Probably maybe do a tier list for specific colors? Like: Which is the best white? The best black? would be a great point of reference for new painters! As always, an amazing video Zumikito (Ps. you are S Tier paint bro
Only one i didn't agree with is mirco sel/sol. That stuff is decal magic. A tier all the way, everything else i felt you got it right on the money. Great video :)
Best mini painting tool is my handle. Its a water bottle 1/4 filled with beans. The beans shift to the bottom as you turn the mini while panting. Really good for stability
Showing a bit of my age here, but I'm used to varnishing after I finish painting, so the gloss/satin/matte finishes of the paint themselves was never an issue for me. If you didn't varnish, paint chipped quickly and easily. Yes, I'm used to painting on metal, not plastic. Getting back into painting after a 10 year hiatus.
as a new painter, i switched from black to white primer and while the white primer seems to... miss? the mini in some spots, i like how honest it makes me to paint the FULL model.
the thing is - base paints, due to them being "dense" are somewhat more efficient. 12ml of Mephiston red was enough to paint a LOT of blood angels basecoats, while corresponding 18ml from Vallejo Model Color actually ran out more quickly. Qualitywise they are more or less on the same level but huge plus for VMC for... the darn bottles - citadel pots are terrible as a lot of paint gets wasted on the pot itself (dries out around this tipy thing from which You should get paint from). Anyway - as always, excelent material and 30 minutes of lunch break certainly not wasted! :)
Oright, I was wrong. Got myself a Vallejo Model Color black - damn, it's thick and nice. And the bottle is as good as it was for dosing paint. I think I'll be giving Vallejos second chatce after all
As much as I hate the pot lids, I find that I can take out much less paint than comes out of dropper bottles, so if I need to paint a tiny detail like eyes, instead of having a whole drop of paint, I can instead just take less than a 10th of that out of the pot with the brush. But, this is always a contentious discussion across every mini community :D If GW were less greedy fucks, I think people could forgive the pots much easier.
@@Smilomaniac That's true... so true... I mean, I am a lasy ass so i get couple of tones of each color so I don;t have to mix paints that much (in the long run it's actually better cause I waste less) and I like the tones and overal performance of GW paints - they are quite good, even white scar with which i haven't had a single issue... Well, i guess it all depends on a personal preference and a bit of blind chance...
@@Smilomaniac Exactly exactly. You can't do less than a medium drop with a bottle, but you can get exactly one brush of paint easily from Citadel. I never see anyone talking about that. Also those seals are good forever so they outlast Vallejo too.
@@kevinalford take the dropper bottle, gently squeeze and drag along the pallette. It's waiting for a drop to form that causes problems. So just place the bottle directly to your pallette, and squeeze as much or as little as you'd like.
I'm very encouraged by you using a $5 airbrush. I got an airbrush and compressor together for real cheap and have been using that combo. I have issues and wondered if getting a more expensive airbrush and compressor will help. After what you said, maybe it's the user and not the tool. It will be easier and cheaper to change the user. Thanks!
Micro Sol can be used with Micro Set to cause the transfer to form over the surface, especially if the surface is not smooth (a dry glossy area under the transfer is even more ideal).
I got the lamp you linked in a previous video, it's great! But if you have too harsh a light, tape some parchment paper over the lamp. It's what we do in the photo/video industry when we don't have fancy softboxes.
If you dont want to use natural hair brushes, I can recommend DaVinci Nova Series. They have a great tip that holds pretty long and are much cheaper as they are synthetic
A note about Micron technical pens: I freehand all my space marines' chapter and sqaud markings with them. For those of us running homebrews or "literally who"s and don't want to make our own waterslide transfers, it's way easier than using a brush.
@@danielscrimgeour8812 the ink stays on the models, but it dries slower than paint and streaks when being painted over or touched more easily. I'd recommend airbrushing a small amount of varnish over the parts you used the pen on before continuing since it's easier to smear them. Once varnished they're fine, though.
I have a small battery powered engraving tool which I found some diamond tips for, they sold em in The Range for about £6 and the tips from Boyes for like £3 I think. Really great tool for making recesses for magnetising stuff.
A great option for sable hair brushes is Rosemary and Co. Mine have been used nonstop for months and still perform great, also they're really affordable.
I find these kind of videos quite informative as the knowledge here represents the accumulated experience from skilled painters such as yourself, and I believe it gives value to the community by helping us improve our equipment and focus more on practicing techniques.
Agree with most of your ratings. Only thing I would say is don't buy overpriced "hobby" ball bearings to use as paint shakers. Big problem is that with dropper bottles they tend to block the nozzle. I use marine grade stainless steel M5 nuts which you can get in bags of up to hundreds very cheaply. I drop one or two in every paint when I first use it (and mark the bottle to tell me there is a nut in there) and they work a treat. Also they don't block the nozzle 👍😁
Very interesting, but which primer from AP did you try? I use alien purple and it is very good. Also the colormatch to the dropper bottle is an advantage. So I also disagree to your AP basic color decission. Regarding golden paints I recommend to try fluid and high flow acrylics
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the decal placement liquid could maybe substituted with windex. Works great way for placing lego stickers, but I dunno if it'd work for warhammer decals.
Since you've listed a couple of plastic glues including the super thin one with option to thicken it by adding leftover sprues, I'm pasting my comment originally written under one of Squidmar's vids. Plastic glue protip! Most plastic glues (all the ones you showed in this video) are a solution of plastic (polystyrene) in butyl acetate, sometimes with some other add-ons. Which means you can revive a "dried" plastic glue - usually becoming half a bottle of transparent plastic - just by adding butyl acetate. And that "sprue goo" is therefore the same solution but with more polystyrene in less solvent. You can also make your own plastic glue by simply dissolvin sprue leftovers (transparent polystyrene for that professional transparent look) in butyl acetate. Which costs close to nothing, 1 Liter for 10 Euros in my local chemistry store.
Just wanted mention that a better plastic cement is Mr Cement SP; this one is hotter Tamiya but leave the glued parts for 48 hours or more and you will have a really rock solid bond. Those on a budget who prefer Tamiya just buy Tamiya's air brush cleaner it's basically the same as the cement. Other tool which should be up there along with tweezers is Micro Stix (green or blue depending on the task).
i use my old GW paint pots as painting handles after i transferred the paint to droppers, i just filled the pots with airdrying plaster to make them heavy so they dont tip over and blu tack to hold the minis on top.
Agree with most of these. I'd add Pro Acryl to A tier paints and primers, possibly even S! Good tip on that loctite glue, I'm definitely going to try that.
If anyone needs a solid cheap white, if you got a Micheals arts and crafts store check out their white. It's like a dollar or 1.19 now or something for the basic paints, their white has excellent covering and isn't too thick, used it for awhile on my minis eyes and it's pretty solid. Even right over black it only took two coats, and the first one was still pretty white just a little variation. Haven't tried mixing it much myself though with others, can't comment there. For bone colored near whites, folk art are like 1.49 per bottle and generally those are all pretty solid, except their pale yellow/sand colored ones, those have issues needing a good yellow or tan pre coat. Well,not the best but they are often a fraction the cost of "proper" mini paints, yet still just as good for 90% of your painting work. Can recomend for new people to the hobby or people wanting to test different color schemes or ideas, or painting big custom vehicle kit bashes with lots of area. It's just so cheap to grab a few new colors that you might not even use much in the future. And $2-5 for a giant bottle of metalic paint that can cover an entire army of tanks... ya, the craftsman brand metallics aren't the best, but a solid base coat for vehicles and stuff (I have orks, so I like basecoating in metallic then painting hte paint over it).
I use a bunch of oil paints and acrylic artist paints and micron pens but i am an artist and illustrator so i can use them for my job and hobbyin😂 great video amigo
It's a nice perk when alot of skills become interchangeable. I haven't touched miniatures since I was 11.. but was painting some converse recently and realized I had all the skills I need to skip like 80% of the learning curve.
I have to say army painter air range is great for brush paint straight out the bottle and knowing how contrast 1.0 works I actually like using them over gw . I always cheer for the underdog and using a varnish to then layer isn't a big deal . This list is still super helpful and definitely helps a beginner like me to know how to make sense of such a busy market
If you paint A LOT then I can recommend a vortex (usually to mix eppis in labs). Costs about 100€ for simple small table vortexes and will make your life SO much easier when getting separated paint back together
Get a 25€ cheap one for tatoo artists instead of the medical lab ones. They do the same job for a 1/4th of the price and will last as long if you don't handle them like a brute. And if ever they fail and need replacing, that ends up being half the cost of the calibrated medical one that have to perform flawlessly under daily use in the lab.
I feel like a thick dowel rod from a craft store can be cut to fit your hand, and be a solid hobby handle. RGG's and Citadel's handle is far to expensive for what you get. Not to mention, Etsy has some great cheaper options to boot.
This was a really nice video, good job on explaining why you put things where you put it. I also think that something like this is really useful for beginners and people who have been in the hobby for a long time because there's a lot out there and always nice when you can see some kind of review. Keep up the good work!
I use the Micron pens to paint Text on scrolls and such, I would never use them for recess shading... As for foam transport, you should consider that there are companies like Feldherr that offer customized foam parts that just fit perfectly... If space is an issue, when storing whole armies, foam is preferable over magnets.
this style of video is great but i am biased because i like tierlists. i am glad im not the only one who hates army painter products, there is one exception though - their Basecoating brush is the perfect size for me to get the first ~70% done on a mini. They're synthetic and really cheap so I dont have to worry about taking care of them. Hobby lighting is so essential I went so long without knowing and try to spread the word so others don't make the same mistake.
Thankfully I'm not the only person that had a bad experience with Army Painter rattlecans! Got to be bothered to strip and start again with Biostrip 20. Tamiya Extra Thin is amazing, as well as for sprue goo! The Quick Set is ok, but you don't have much time for positioning, better for sealing parts. The redgrass Games R360 painting handle is great, magnetised and the interchangeable tops, easy to rotate, but they do make larger tops now for bigger models, the Citadel ones aren't "bad", just expensive for what they are (like all GW stuff) The Army Painter (I know you hate them!) Wet Palette is pretty good, the Wargamers Edition is even better, seriously good, but I also love Redgrass Games, their brushes ae fantastic for the price.
Those cheap airbrushes are indeed great. I have a very nice DeVilbiss airbrush but I recently got two of those cheap airbrushes so I don't have to swap needles and nozzles all the time for the Vallejo primer. I find them to work at least as good as my old DeVilbiss with acrylic paints. Most of the times I even don't bother to take them completely apart when cleaning them: just pull the needle out and flush with a bit of airbrush cleaner and water.
I routinely use humbrol gloss varnish through the airbrush, I don't know what the issue you had is about, I have zero issues with it. Though I'll be the first to admit I don't use oils nearly as much. I need to test this
Army Painter is the definition of "you get what you pay for" - they are workable, some even very good but overall they are difficult to work with - only when you can comfortably get near-perfect dilution with every color (and that's different almost every time, but thankfully after 4 years with them I can do it) they are almost ON PAR with other brands. I do like Speedpaints 2.0 a lot though, they are great for what they are intended for - and the result can still be improved with detailing, filtering, glazes etc. If regular AP would be 2 stars - APQP2.0 is 4 starts for sure, especially for us with "adult stuff" taking most of our hobby time.
As some one who bought several brush sets from Artis Opus I don't understand why they cost more than Winsor & Newton brushes cause their quality isn't better from my experience. As for carrying, I've been switching everything to magnets. Nick from IDIC BEER has several great videos on how he does it for cheap in good containers.
It does have a slightly gritty texture to it, which is why I quite like it tbh, it suits the grimdark paint styles I enjoy doing. I wouldn't use it for anything else though.
Have you tried Stynylrez acrylic primers from Badger? I'd rate them very close to Vallejo acrylic primers. Far from perfect since they are acrylic and will "roll" off if sanded/rubbed too hard, but otherwise excellent and relatively non-toxic.
Thx for the info, very usefull video. I love AK 3rd generation paints and Graphene Grey from Scale75 is a must have (of course both are my opinions). There is one huge trick with plastic glue, use Tamiya airbrush cleaner as glue (same recipe than glue) but 75% cheaper.
Regarding the mat: if you only paint or assemble stuff, it doesn't really matter too much, but like you said it's nice to have those guides there as well, but not necessary. But of you also do some modelling or building (terrain or otherwise) the Red Grass Games mat offers nothing other than protection of the desk surface, whereas the one you (and I) use have grids and often a ruler, with cm, mm, inches, angles etc, which can be extremely helpful and convenient! So it depends on usage. Solid B tier, but could also be A, or even S for some! :D
Second the hate for Citadel Corax White Primer. I've used it in many different weather conditions and temperatures, no matter how much shaking, or soaking in warm water, or whatever I do, it comes out as an adhesive dust. I've had to strip every model I've ever attempted to use it on. FWIW Grey Seer works great, and is usable as a primer for light colors.
They must've changed their formula over at army painter, because their primers are basically perfect for priming pink with white zenithal (which is the best way to prime for yellow, bar none)
YES, finally somebody who shares my hate for army painter spray primer! I thought I was going crazy reading so many positive reviews online for these. They just never ever worked for me, the cans leaked and the paint covered up details of the models.
Loving the video, categories 1-8 are very good for me, but categories 9 and 11 are kinda pointless... cause you stopped comparing different models of the same thing, like different brands of compressors, airbrushes, but just went through essentials of typical workplace instead of going through light sources (sunlight, cheap light, better lamp with good bulb and pro painting lamps for example). Great video anyways!
Army painter can primers always develop a crackle effect for me, no matter how long I shake it, put it into warm water, spray thin coat... might be humidity issue but at this point I gave up and just use some cheap auto primer instead.
Army Painter I feel is mostly C tier, but all of their green paints belong in the depths of F tier! I've used craft paints with better coverage than Scaly Hide or Treant Green. Their washes are awesome though, definitely A tier for me, especially for the price.
I agree about the washes, but i find dropper bottles for washes inconvenient. I like to dip directly in the pot so i dont waste any and it goes faster. Then again i spilled my nulns oil the other day so maybe i need a sippy cup for my washes afterall 😅 their paint is sadly poor quality, bought an orange from them, instantly regretted it, it looks like marmalade when it dries.
The AP greens work great for me, I use them all the time for osl, flames, etc. Washes are great, as are most metallics and black & white. I don't like their blues and purples as much, I don't know what it is, but they always give me problems. Also, I love their skeleton bone color, but I get the impression that it dries significantly faster than other colors.
i got the lamp you recommended it looks wonderful! i will have to paint with it now! hopefully i can live up to the standard it sets! :) thank you so much for the suggestion!
I bought 2 Windsor & Newton 7 brushed and the bristles are very short, way shorter than on your video. I was very surprised by that but I like them, they have its use. What I don't like so much is daVinci Maestro 35, the bristles are a bit too long for my taste..
Late to comment… try Krylon Camouflage rattle cans. Ultra flat. Started using them on model railroad craftsman kits and now moving over to miniature priming.
In my experience, the Vallejo Model Colors do not form as strong a bond as the other brands. They tend to chip more easily. I think they are a mix of acrylics and vinyl. For a beginner or someone unsure of how green Snot green really is, compared to Scorpion, Glade, or whatever, they may be more demanding to plan an army on. Model Colors has a huge range of tones and are, I think, intended for military dioramas and such. I have a few that I use here and there. Somehow they seem to pass the test of time better than Game Colors, of which I have probably had to throw away tens...
I really don't like Vallejo Primer just for the fact that they dry very rubbery-ish. Can't sand em afterwards they just start to peel. Very bad if you clean imperfections after priming. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend Mr- Surfacer 1500. It is rather smelly to work with but the results are amazing. Nice satin silky smooth finish and very hard after drying.
I use almost exclusively AP spray primers, except for some chalkiness with white (not always) all other colours I've used are great (I've used 6 colour primers from them)
Great video. As others here have said, I really like these kinds of videos. Also, It would be awesome if you could make one about all the paints you like/dislike in the future. Which ones you think are must haves etc. Btw, Thanks for the great content.
Great video. Can you make a video on how to do a LARGER transfer. I've mastered the shoulder pad ones..but the big ones *always" fold up or rip or just look like a pile of crap ....maximum frustration
Subscribe and The Emperor will bless you with superb painting skills!
What do you think about reaper paint?
@@boostingaddict Reaper paints have a nice matte finish but doesn't flow so well so add some flow improver to counter that
Why would I receive a blessing from that Heretic Chaos God?
I am hoping the blessing will work 'cause right now I am just goobering around a bit 😂
I'm curious how he would rate the Vallejo Spray Can Primers @Zumikito Miniatures
I think the recent modeling world has kind of gotten confused about the purpose of primers and conflated them a bit with base coat paints. You can see this in the number of colors offered in acrylic 'primers'. Originally, the point of a primer was something that was designed to adhere very well to the base material (be it metal, plastic, resin, etc), and often relied on solvents and other etchants to make sure this was a good, strong, chemical bond. Also things like lead, if I recall, to help bond to metals. Modern ones don't have lead, of course, but the point is still the same, to make a strong bond to protect the underlying material and allow other paints to stick.
However, acrylic primers (the ones most often advertised as airbrush primers) don't really do that. I've dug in a bit, and aside from a little bit of polyurethane to make it a bit more flexible, it's nothing more than just a good, opaque acrylic base coat. Now, that's not a bad thing, but it's not really a primer either. With modern plastics, it's been a fairly moot point, since they and acrylics are designed to adhere together well, so everything just works. However, I've seen a couple of very good painters on youtube get surprised and frustrated when painting something like a metal or resin model (Tau Manta?) and the paint kept peeling off. That's because of a poor primer adhesion, and likely not even using a real primer, but an acrylic. I won't get into the pros and cons for one paint to do both jobs, but I think the fact that they are two distinct jobs and you sometimes need one or the other, is important, and we shouldn't confuse the job of a primer with that of a base coat.
If you dig into scale modelling, where they're more accustomed to random materials, you'll find a wealth of good information on primers and specifically some of the best to use. Invariably, they're all either lacquers or rattlecans, because they contain strong solvents. You can paint your plastic with them and it will never come off. It must be sanded off, because it becomes part of the plastic. Granted, that may be overkill for some things, but it does make a nice protective coating, and it ensures you don't have issues with resin mold release agents or other things. It can also allow you to do some interesting effects where you scratch through more delicate upper layers, because the primer won't let you just scratch through it with a fingernail or other plastic. Another fun trick is to do a black primer and white primer zenith highlight so you can strip the paint off and just go back to a proper primed, zenithal highlight. But there's other issues that might make that not work so well, too.
Anyway, I'd love to see a prominent painter do a real deep dive into the chemistry of primer paints and why some are important and some are just base paints to help educate the miniature painting community. It's something lacking in the videos I see and not everyone has the time to go research other hobbies and ancient alchemy to learn how to properly get paint to stick to everything. Probably needs some attention on the different types of paint solvents, like lacquers/solvent vs oil (model enamels) vs acrylic and true watercolors, too. Then maybe even talk about additives like polyurethane and others! I don't hear much discussion about that in the miniature community either.
PS: Your issue with the Humbrol varnish? Yeah, that's because it was probably a lacquer varnish. The best kind of protection for a miniature... but the oil probably bound to it making it a gunky black varnish of sorts. The solvent in oils can blend with the solvents in a varnish and then you just get a semi-permanent goo.
You speak right from my soul, nearly any figure i paint have some trouble with peeling off of the vallejo black primer (especially resin models) i clean them with soap and also give them a rinse with isopropanol and afterwards with water. Still have problems with it and i need some solution.
@@rockstrongo831 You'll need to find a lacquer based primer. The easiest would be those in a rattle can, but for airbrushing you can actually spray a rattle can primer into a cup (through a straw or something so it doesn't evaporate), or you could add a lacquer thinner to a normal acrylic.Test it out first in a little cup to be sure it doesn't gum up when you mix them. Some will. Just a note, but a primer that gives a smooth or satin finish isn't doing you much good. The point is to not only adhere well, but also let other paints adhere to it. Paint doesn't stick well to smooth surfaces. Citadel rattle cans can dry smooth sometimes, which is annoying. Acrylic beads up on it.
The best method is to just get an airbrush lacquer. Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer is a good one but might be hard to find. Tamiya's Liquid Primer might be a little easier to get hold of and works well too. For good rattle can primers, sandable automotive primers are good but sometimes go on a bit thick, so be careful. Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer or Tamiya Primers are both very good.
However, lacquers are very dangerous to breathe in or get on your skin. It's not just about paint particles in your lungs, it's also very toxic. Make sure to have a mask and plenty of ventilation. Also, go very easy and light coats with it. It WILL dissolve plastic. You want just a thin layer to adhere and build it up slowly, letting each one dry (it dries in 30 seconds). It's a bit more work, but they're the gold standard in paints for a reason.
@@stormycatmink thank you for your detailed answer.
Thank you for this post mate. While I'm recently new to the hobby; one thing I'm not new to is painting. So, as a result, I'm aware of how a good primer is supposed to work (And even slightly aware of some of the chemicals) but I'm *not* familiar with the primers associated with the hobby or what's in them. This post probably saved me a bit (or a lot) of frustration.
I'll be buying a good Lacquer based primer from Wal-Mart tonight.
Corax White needs to be very warm to come out smooth. I usually boil some water, pour it in a bowl and place the can in the bowl for like 10-15 seconds. shake before and after, and you're good to go. I also found that the grainy surface can be counteracted by using a dry drybrush and dusting it all over the mini to remove the grainy particles :)
but yeah, it's terrible
It’s weird this is the second time I’ve seen a channel say Army Painter was super glossy. I find them to be extremely matte. Very strange
Same. I don't find them shiny. For that matter, I've never had the issues that most people have with AP. If anything I've had worse problems with Citadel. Maybe it's the way I paint? I dunno.
The shades definitely do get glossy, normal paints not so much
@@tomg7913 Shades yes agreed
The worst thing about the army painter "primer" is, it doesn't fully dry and stays sticky forever, now I have fingerprints on some edges of my landraider and a lot of my armies bases.
@@aaronbrown4275 same here. I’ve never had a problem with army painter except for white drying out a little faster than the others which would clog the tip sometimes while mid paint session but citadel has even worse and more problems with their whites and greys (AP grey has always been great for me) on top of all their pot problems. Fuck AP primer though they’re right in that I didn’t like it.
I use curved tip squeeze bottles for having water on hand when needed. Less chance of spillage. Much easier to control how much you use.
These are great!! Just picked some up this weekend with my first airbrush and they're so useful.
As a poor I get a smart water bottle with the "sport tip". I also put some painters tape around the bottle so I don't accidentally drink my air brush cleaning mix , hopefully.
Just an addition to the transporting models bit, don't bother buying dedicated miniature transport cases for magnetised mini, a metal cantilever tool box is much cheaper, much stronger, lockable, and is basically guaranteed to outlive you, let alone your army, just make sure you know how tall your models are so you can buy one with enough space inside, picked one of those beauties up for about £30 (40-50euros ish) and I have never even bothered looking at the dedicated miniature cases since, toolbox for the win!
I've been rewatching all of your guides as I've been trying to learn new stuff / hone my skills and you've helped so much it's just nuts. Keep being awesome 😎!
Re: pigments
Artist pastel chalk is typically cheaper, larger selection of color, and can be had in sets or individually. They can be ground on sandpaper, files, et cetera to the desired coarseness.
Love these kind of videos, I'm a sucker for buying accessories and products to help with painting whether I need them or not, so now I have a few more items to add to the shopping list.
Cheers!
These videos are really helpful. I like your no-nonsense style, to me it feels like casually sitting down with a friend, chatting about the way he is doing things. I prefer this approach of getting shown things I'm interesting in.
Awesome "basic tools" review, Sir! It's great to get an honest opinion/evaluation instead of a commercial for one brand!
Have the same wooden painting handle. Pull the wire rest out and flip it upside down. Us that in your palm with a finger tip grip and the whole thing becomes much more stable. Not an always move but perhaps for filming it could be even better than the shallow block!
This is such an useful video. Always on the lookout for paints, but most UA-camrs hype their own stuff without coming into the details. This is absolutely fantastic quality content.
I put this in Tier S.
I have only army painter colours and i have to agree- but i noticed that its very dependend on which surface you paint them. They tend to get glossy on smooth surfaces like 3d printed minis, but on more rough surfaces they work pretty well. I will get myself some citadels too and will test them out because i noticed the same issue
I've been using army painter primer for a few years. It seems to me that for best results you need to shake it thoroughly and then apply very thin coats, basically barely pressing onto the nozzle.
For Army Painter products I can recommend washes - they play really well and have nice range of shades, good price too. Their basings are OK as well.
Their new AIR range is also getting rave reviews from pro painters like Trovarion and Juan Hidalgo recommending they ditch their full original range for this new one, as it's performing as well as for airbrush painting as traditional hand brush.
I really can't agree on the artis opus dry brushes - I've painted lots of terrain with makeup brushes and lots of models with the opus brushes and they're lightyears ahead imo. Definitely use makeup brushes for terrain though, they're incredibly good for the price!
Great video.
I had to have had THE worst luck with Windsor and Newton series 7 brushes. Ive bought several of sizes ranging from 00 to 3 and theyve ALL lost their tip super fast and splayed no matter how well i treated them including capping and putting them upside down when not using, rinsing frequently when painting, using brush soap, not using them with Contrast paint or shades, etc.
I 3D printed my wet pallet and i use it with kitchen papertowels. Nothing fancy and works great. Also i printed painting handles, different designs and quality, but all works.
About brushes, i had never bought real expensive brushes. Just the cheap ones and mostly works fine. I take care of them of course, keep them dry an clean all the time.
Thanks so much for keeping the paints explanation so short and clear. I just can’t watch a video for ages to find out which paint to buy. Top job!!
15:03 "it's quite expensive for what you get" - pretty much most things from GW
This is freaking cool idea! Probably maybe do a tier list for specific colors? Like: Which is the best white? The best black? would be a great point of reference for new painters! As always, an amazing video Zumikito (Ps. you are S Tier paint bro
Vallejo model color black, monument hobbies pro acryl titanium white.
The whole pro acryl range is great, but ultra matte.
Love Vallejo Black. Goes on so nicely and is really Matt which I find makes it easier to highlight.
Only one i didn't agree with is mirco sel/sol. That stuff is decal magic. A tier all the way, everything else i felt you got it right on the money. Great video :)
Best mini painting tool is my handle. Its a water bottle 1/4 filled with beans. The beans shift to the bottom as you turn the mini while panting. Really good for stability
Dude Thank you - Thank You - for being so real - So honest with your opinions. - I value them immensely ❤
Showing a bit of my age here, but I'm used to varnishing after I finish painting, so the gloss/satin/matte finishes of the paint themselves was never an issue for me. If you didn't varnish, paint chipped quickly and easily. Yes, I'm used to painting on metal, not plastic. Getting back into painting after a 10 year hiatus.
The silicone brushes are great for pigment powder as well
as a new painter, i switched from black to white primer and while the white primer seems to... miss? the mini in some spots, i like how honest it makes me to paint the FULL model.
Black and white for dramatic effect! Thanks for the tips
the thing is - base paints, due to them being "dense" are somewhat more efficient. 12ml of Mephiston red was enough to paint a LOT of blood angels basecoats, while corresponding 18ml from Vallejo Model Color actually ran out more quickly. Qualitywise they are more or less on the same level but huge plus for VMC for... the darn bottles - citadel pots are terrible as a lot of paint gets wasted on the pot itself (dries out around this tipy thing from which You should get paint from).
Anyway - as always, excelent material and 30 minutes of lunch break certainly not wasted! :)
Oright, I was wrong. Got myself a Vallejo Model Color black - damn, it's thick and nice. And the bottle is as good as it was for dosing paint. I think I'll be giving Vallejos second chatce after all
As much as I hate the pot lids, I find that I can take out much less paint than comes out of dropper bottles, so if I need to paint a tiny detail like eyes, instead of having a whole drop of paint, I can instead just take less than a 10th of that out of the pot with the brush.
But, this is always a contentious discussion across every mini community :D If GW were less greedy fucks, I think people could forgive the pots much easier.
@@Smilomaniac That's true... so true... I mean, I am a lasy ass so i get couple of tones of each color so I don;t have to mix paints that much (in the long run it's actually better cause I waste less) and I like the tones and overal performance of GW paints - they are quite good, even white scar with which i haven't had a single issue... Well, i guess it all depends on a personal preference and a bit of blind chance...
@@Smilomaniac Exactly exactly. You can't do less than a medium drop with a bottle, but you can get exactly one brush of paint easily from Citadel. I never see anyone talking about that. Also those seals are good forever so they outlast Vallejo too.
@@kevinalford take the dropper bottle, gently squeeze and drag along the pallette. It's waiting for a drop to form that causes problems. So just place the bottle directly to your pallette, and squeeze as much or as little as you'd like.
Great videos!
Also try DSPIAE nippers, they are expensive, but make extremly smooth cuts and save a huge amount of time on cleanup.
I'm very encouraged by you using a $5 airbrush. I got an airbrush and compressor together for real cheap and have been using that combo. I have issues and wondered if getting a more expensive airbrush and compressor will help. After what you said, maybe it's the user and not the tool. It will be easier and cheaper to change the user. Thanks!
Micro Sol can be used with Micro Set to cause the transfer to form over the surface, especially if the surface is not smooth (a dry glossy area under the transfer is even more ideal).
Made it to the end! Thank you for making this. Must have been a boring one for you, BUT, really helps us plebs. You’re a gem ❤️
Nice video and agree on army painter except for the black, it’s absolute for one purpose only, base borders best black for this job
I got the lamp you linked in a previous video, it's great! But if you have too harsh a light, tape some parchment paper over the lamp. It's what we do in the photo/video industry when we don't have fancy softboxes.
I like reverse tweezers, also known as cross lock styles. Put pressure on to grab the item or release, then let go and it's gripped. Very handy.
If you dont want to use natural hair brushes, I can recommend DaVinci Nova Series. They have a great tip that holds pretty long and are much cheaper as they are synthetic
the wargamer wet palette comes with a storage for brushes and works just perfect
A note about Micron technical pens: I freehand all my space marines' chapter and sqaud markings with them. For those of us running homebrews or "literally who"s and don't want to make our own waterslide transfers, it's way easier than using a brush.
they look like felt tip pens, does the ink stay on the models or can you fill them with paint?
@@danielscrimgeour8812 the ink stays on the models, but it dries slower than paint and streaks when being painted over or touched more easily. I'd recommend airbrushing a small amount of varnish over the parts you used the pen on before continuing since it's easier to smear them. Once varnished they're fine, though.
I have a small battery powered engraving tool which I found some diamond tips for, they sold em in The Range for about £6 and the tips from Boyes for like £3 I think. Really great tool for making recesses for magnetising stuff.
half an hour packed with information, thank you a lot. I find this very helpful!
Army painter wet pallette is nice, has a brush storage section in it
I have one and I love it. The brush storage really helps to keep things organized and ready to go when want.
I have one and I love it. The brush storage really helps to keep things organized and ready to go when you need to.
A great option for sable hair brushes is Rosemary and Co. Mine have been used nonstop for months and still perform great, also they're really affordable.
I find these kind of videos quite informative as the knowledge here represents the accumulated experience from skilled painters such as yourself, and I believe it gives value to the community by helping us improve our equipment and focus more on practicing techniques.
Agree with most of your ratings. Only thing I would say is don't buy overpriced "hobby" ball bearings to use as paint shakers. Big problem is that with dropper bottles they tend to block the nozzle. I use marine grade stainless steel M5 nuts which you can get in bags of up to hundreds very cheaply. I drop one or two in every paint when I first use it (and mark the bottle to tell me there is a nut in there) and they work a treat. Also they don't block the nozzle 👍😁
Very interesting, but which primer from AP did you try? I use alien purple and it is very good. Also the colormatch to the dropper bottle is an advantage. So I also disagree to your AP basic color decission. Regarding golden paints I recommend to try fluid and high flow acrylics
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the decal placement liquid could maybe substituted with windex. Works great way for placing lego stickers, but I dunno if it'd work for warhammer decals.
I find tamiya glue to be a bit too weak if your moving models a lot, never bonds as well. But it's also a lot easier to use
Since you've listed a couple of plastic glues including the super thin one with option to thicken it by adding leftover sprues, I'm pasting my comment originally written under one of Squidmar's vids.
Plastic glue protip! Most plastic glues (all the ones you showed in this video) are a solution of plastic (polystyrene) in butyl acetate, sometimes with some other add-ons. Which means you can revive a "dried" plastic glue - usually becoming half a bottle of transparent plastic - just by adding butyl acetate. And that "sprue goo" is therefore the same solution but with more polystyrene in less solvent. You can also make your own plastic glue by simply dissolvin sprue leftovers (transparent polystyrene for that professional transparent look) in butyl acetate. Which costs close to nothing, 1 Liter for 10 Euros in my local chemistry store.
Just wanted mention that a better plastic cement is Mr Cement SP; this one is hotter Tamiya but leave the glued parts for 48 hours or more and you will have a really rock solid bond. Those on a budget who prefer Tamiya just buy Tamiya's air brush cleaner it's basically the same as the cement.
Other tool which should be up there along with tweezers is Micro Stix (green or blue depending on the task).
i use my old GW paint pots as painting handles after i transferred the paint to droppers, i just filled the pots with airdrying plaster to make them heavy so they dont tip over and blu tack to hold the minis on top.
Agree with most of these. I'd add Pro Acryl to A tier paints and primers, possibly even S!
Good tip on that loctite glue, I'm definitely going to try that.
If anyone needs a solid cheap white, if you got a Micheals arts and crafts store check out their white. It's like a dollar or 1.19 now or something for the basic paints, their white has excellent covering and isn't too thick, used it for awhile on my minis eyes and it's pretty solid. Even right over black it only took two coats, and the first one was still pretty white just a little variation. Haven't tried mixing it much myself though with others, can't comment there. For bone colored near whites, folk art are like 1.49 per bottle and generally those are all pretty solid, except their pale yellow/sand colored ones, those have issues needing a good yellow or tan pre coat. Well,not the best but they are often a fraction the cost of "proper" mini paints, yet still just as good for 90% of your painting work. Can recomend for new people to the hobby or people wanting to test different color schemes or ideas, or painting big custom vehicle kit bashes with lots of area. It's just so cheap to grab a few new colors that you might not even use much in the future. And $2-5 for a giant bottle of metalic paint that can cover an entire army of tanks... ya, the craftsman brand metallics aren't the best, but a solid base coat for vehicles and stuff (I have orks, so I like basecoating in metallic then painting hte paint over it).
I use a bunch of oil paints and acrylic artist paints and micron pens but i am an artist and illustrator so i can use them for my job and hobbyin😂 great video amigo
It's a nice perk when alot of skills become interchangeable. I haven't touched miniatures since I was 11.. but was painting some converse recently and realized I had all the skills I need to skip like 80% of the learning curve.
I have to say army painter air range is great for brush paint straight out the bottle and knowing how contrast 1.0 works I actually like using them over gw . I always cheer for the underdog and using a varnish to then layer isn't a big deal . This list is still super helpful and definitely helps a beginner like me to know how to make sense of such a busy market
If you paint A LOT then I can recommend a vortex (usually to mix eppis in labs). Costs about 100€ for simple small table vortexes and will make your life SO much easier when getting separated paint back together
Get a 25€ cheap one for tatoo artists instead of the medical lab ones. They do the same job for a 1/4th of the price and will last as long if you don't handle them like a brute. And if ever they fail and need replacing, that ends up being half the cost of the calibrated medical one that have to perform flawlessly under daily use in the lab.
Lineo brushes are awesome! Finally someone gave this company a shout out. Just remember to buy 190 series and get size 1 and 2.
Anyone else expected the `And now for the sponsor of this video...` piece to end with Army Painter? I was so ready to chortle.
I feel like a thick dowel rod from a craft store can be cut to fit your hand, and be a solid hobby handle. RGG's and Citadel's handle is far to expensive for what you get. Not to mention, Etsy has some great cheaper options to boot.
This was a really nice video, good job on explaining why you put things where you put it. I also think that something like this is really useful for beginners and people who have been in the hobby for a long time because there's a lot out there and always nice when you can see some kind of review. Keep up the good work!
I use the Micron pens to paint Text on scrolls and such, I would never use them for recess shading... As for foam transport, you should consider that there are companies like Feldherr that offer customized foam parts that just fit perfectly... If space is an issue, when storing whole armies, foam is preferable over magnets.
this style of video is great but i am biased because i like tierlists. i am glad im not the only one who hates army painter products, there is one exception though - their Basecoating brush is the perfect size for me to get the first ~70% done on a mini. They're synthetic and really cheap so I dont have to worry about taking care of them. Hobby lighting is so essential I went so long without knowing and try to spread the word so others don't make the same mistake.
What a comprehensive tier list! Well done Zumikito!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I agree with you on the artist opus dry brushes. They aren't crap but they are they are distinctly average with a premium price tag.
Thankfully I'm not the only person that had a bad experience with Army Painter rattlecans!
Got to be bothered to strip and start again with Biostrip 20.
Tamiya Extra Thin is amazing, as well as for sprue goo! The Quick Set is ok, but you don't have much time for positioning, better for sealing parts.
The redgrass Games R360 painting handle is great, magnetised and the interchangeable tops, easy to rotate, but they do make larger tops now for bigger models, the Citadel ones aren't "bad", just expensive for what they are (like all GW stuff)
The Army Painter (I know you hate them!) Wet Palette is pretty good, the Wargamers Edition is even better, seriously good, but I also love Redgrass Games, their brushes ae fantastic for the price.
I'm rarely if ever going to be using black or white primers ever again after I started using grey ones, that's something I think everyone should try.
Micron is neat for doing text!
Also neat, you say Vallejo right haha, most people miss the "B" sound at the start.
Those cheap airbrushes are indeed great. I have a very nice DeVilbiss airbrush but I recently got two of those cheap airbrushes so I don't have to swap needles and nozzles all the time for the Vallejo primer. I find them to work at least as good as my old DeVilbiss with acrylic paints. Most of the times I even don't bother to take them completely apart when cleaning them: just pull the needle out and flush with a bit of airbrush cleaner and water.
Great video love the tips, but I would add a mini vortex mixer to your S list, such a game changer I found with shaking my pots and bottles.
Would love to see an update with your thoughts on the Army painter 2.0 lineup
I routinely use humbrol gloss varnish through the airbrush, I don't know what the issue you had is about, I have zero issues with it. Though I'll be the first to admit I don't use oils nearly as much. I need to test this
Army Painter is the definition of "you get what you pay for" - they are workable, some even very good but overall they are difficult to work with - only when you can comfortably get near-perfect dilution with every color (and that's different almost every time, but thankfully after 4 years with them I can do it) they are almost ON PAR with other brands. I do like Speedpaints 2.0 a lot though, they are great for what they are intended for - and the result can still be improved with detailing, filtering, glazes etc. If regular AP would be 2 stars - APQP2.0 is 4 starts for sure, especially for us with "adult stuff" taking most of our hobby time.
As some one who bought several brush sets from Artis Opus I don't understand why they cost more than Winsor & Newton brushes cause their quality isn't better from my experience.
As for carrying, I've been switching everything to magnets. Nick from IDIC BEER has several great videos on how he does it for cheap in good containers.
Army painter primer in F tier was a surprise to me. I used it for my 2000 pts of necrons and had no problems with it. To each their own i guess =P
It does have a slightly gritty texture to it, which is why I quite like it tbh, it suits the grimdark paint styles I enjoy doing. I wouldn't use it for anything else though.
Have you tried Stynylrez acrylic primers from Badger? I'd rate them very close to Vallejo acrylic primers. Far from perfect since they are acrylic and will "roll" off if sanded/rubbed too hard, but otherwise excellent and relatively non-toxic.
Thx for the info, very usefull video.
I love AK 3rd generation paints and Graphene Grey from Scale75 is a must have (of course both are my opinions).
There is one huge trick with plastic glue, use Tamiya airbrush cleaner as glue (same recipe than glue) but 75% cheaper.
Regarding the mat: if you only paint or assemble stuff, it doesn't really matter too much, but like you said it's nice to have those guides there as well, but not necessary. But of you also do some modelling or building (terrain or otherwise) the Red Grass Games mat offers nothing other than protection of the desk surface, whereas the one you (and I) use have grids and often a ruler, with cm, mm, inches, angles etc, which can be extremely helpful and convenient! So it depends on usage. Solid B tier, but could also be A, or even S for some! :D
Second the hate for Citadel Corax White Primer. I've used it in many different weather conditions and temperatures, no matter how much shaking, or soaking in warm water, or whatever I do, it comes out as an adhesive dust. I've had to strip every model I've ever attempted to use it on. FWIW Grey Seer works great, and is usable as a primer for light colors.
They must've changed their formula over at army painter, because their primers are basically perfect for priming pink with white zenithal (which is the best way to prime for yellow, bar none)
YES, finally somebody who shares my hate for army painter spray primer! I thought I was going crazy reading so many positive reviews online for these. They just never ever worked for me, the cans leaked and the paint covered up details of the models.
Loving the video, categories 1-8 are very good for me, but categories 9 and 11 are kinda pointless... cause you stopped comparing different models of the same thing, like different brands of compressors, airbrushes, but just went through essentials of typical workplace instead of going through light sources (sunlight, cheap light, better lamp with good bulb and pro painting lamps for example). Great video anyways!
I was about to buy lots of army painter products for a mantis warrior primaris army many thanks fella perfect timing lol 😂 saved me £110
Micro Sol/Micro Set is S tier for me. Absolute game changer for transfers.
For the army painter paints, apply Matt varnish to get rid of that gloss. simple
Army painter can primers always develop a crackle effect for me, no matter how long I shake it, put it into warm water, spray thin coat... might be humidity issue but at this point I gave up and just use some cheap auto primer instead.
Army Painter I feel is mostly C tier, but all of their green paints belong in the depths of F tier! I've used craft paints with better coverage than Scaly Hide or Treant Green. Their washes are awesome though, definitely A tier for me, especially for the price.
I agree about the washes, but i find dropper bottles for washes inconvenient. I like to dip directly in the pot so i dont waste any and it goes faster. Then again i spilled my nulns oil the other day so maybe i need a sippy cup for my washes afterall 😅 their paint is sadly poor quality, bought an orange from them, instantly regretted it, it looks like marmalade when it dries.
The AP greens work great for me, I use them all the time for osl, flames, etc. Washes are great, as are most metallics and black & white. I don't like their blues and purples as much, I don't know what it is, but they always give me problems. Also, I love their skeleton bone color, but I get the impression that it dries significantly faster than other colors.
I like their metallics looks really good on Mechanikel parts
Right? I just made a similar comment. I was trying to use Crypt Wraith (dark olive green) and it just has no coverage. It's unbelievable.
i got the lamp you recommended it looks wonderful! i will have to paint with it now! hopefully i can live up to the standard it sets! :) thank you so much for the suggestion!
I bought 2 Windsor & Newton 7 brushed and the bristles are very short, way shorter than on your video. I was very surprised by that but I like them, they have its use. What I don't like so much is daVinci Maestro 35, the bristles are a bit too long for my taste..
I agree with army painter paints but a lot of people seem to hold them in the highest esteem. Just wish I could get Vallejo near me rather than online
Late to comment… try Krylon Camouflage rattle cans. Ultra flat. Started using them on model railroad craftsman kits and now moving over to miniature priming.
In my experience, the Vallejo Model Colors do not form as strong a bond as the other brands. They tend to chip more easily. I think they are a mix of acrylics and vinyl. For a beginner or someone unsure of how green Snot green really is, compared to Scorpion, Glade, or whatever, they may be more demanding to plan an army on. Model Colors has a huge range of tones and are, I think, intended for military dioramas and such. I have a few that I use here and there. Somehow they seem to pass the test of time better than Game Colors, of which I have probably had to throw away tens...
I really don't like Vallejo Primer just for the fact that they dry very rubbery-ish. Can't sand em afterwards they just start to peel. Very bad if you clean imperfections after priming. I highly highly HIGHLY recommend Mr- Surfacer 1500. It is rather smelly to work with but the results are amazing. Nice satin silky smooth finish and very hard after drying.
Gosh, Idk why but I seem to be the only person who has had good experiences with Army Painter Primer. I think the stuff works great.
I use almost exclusively AP spray primers, except for some chalkiness with white (not always) all other colours I've used are great (I've used 6 colour primers from them)
Keep them coming buddy, and your humour does make me chuckle!
Great video. As others here have said, I really like these kinds of videos. Also, It would be awesome if you could make one about all the paints you like/dislike in the future. Which ones you think are must haves etc. Btw, Thanks for the great content.
Great video. Can you make a video on how to do a LARGER transfer. I've mastered the shoulder pad ones..but the big ones *always" fold up or rip or just look like a pile of crap ....maximum frustration
I think you undersold "piece of cork with blutac". I use a similar product ("block of wood with blutac") and would rank it as S tier.
thanks for the lamp tip!
Good lamp greatly improve the result
Vortex mixer! this is such an awesome addition to the desk. If you havent already, you should try it out, and watch it shoot straight to S-tier.
Listen to this man! A Vortex mixer is the reason I paint at all, nowadays - don't paint with a tired arm!
Great but also 100% luxury item.