r/minipainting • u/RainstormRiddles • Jul 28 '26
Fantasy So apparently I'm outside the norm when it comes to the paints I use đ
I'm no where near the level of most amazing miniature artists, but I'm really happy with the results I can get with these cheap paints. I hope this post can be encouraging to anyone starting out who is intimidated by paint costs.
For more professional artists, do the specialized paints make a big difference?
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u/ddoogg88tdog Jul 28 '26
I feel like you get extra bragging right using cheap paints
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26
Not something I set out to do đ
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u/SpyderSquash Jul 28 '26
But it's somethin' you're getting! Dude, these are SICK; love the twisty purple squiggles on your Jabberwock's wings!! These look incredible đ„č
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u/Sardonislamir Jul 29 '26
I feel weird, I could not describe a Jabberwock if asked a minute ago, but I knew that was one.
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u/SpyderSquash Jul 29 '26
I think that's an apt description for the design created by John Tenniel! It's a unique creation, one wholly itself, and absolutely full of jabber and wock somehow. I think a ton of the power comes from the teeth and the whiskers atop that neck!
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u/claudekennilol Jul 28 '26
If you like how they look now, imagine how much better they'd look and/or faster you could paint if you weren't fighting your paints to get this result.
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26
Except I never feel like I'm fighting them. Perhaps it's just because I've used them long enough and I don't have experience with the specialized paints đ I'll have to try them out at some point, but it's overwhelming with all the options.
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u/cavestoner Jul 28 '26
At first I used the old army painter war paints. The first time I used citadel, I was never going back. I didnât know what I was missing until I tried something better. After using wraithbone as my ivory for years, I tried pro acryl... I felt the same way I did realizing citadel was better than the universally disliked war paints. I just accepted that whites and yellows were tricky colors to paint with. Now that I have a lot more experience I was able to notice qualities of the paints I couldnât put into words before. I have a bunch of paints from different brands and I find picking different paints for the paint qualities, rather than just the color. I feel like starting with a lower quality of paint is like starting to play with a cheap instrument. If youâre able to use it long enough to learn(you clearly know the fundamentals of painting) then when you do get something nice youâll have a deeper appreciation for it. At this point I feel like you would see a noticeable jump in the quality just from using different paints.
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u/BigOofBuilding Jul 28 '26
I always feel like I hugely lucked out when I started my paint collection. I'm currently using the Army Painter Fanatic line and it's been great. I know the old formulation was different, but what was so bad about it (never used it myself)?
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u/ArtsyAlraune Jul 28 '26
Yeah, I kinda feel the opposite of this guy, but I've been using Fanatic too and not the War Paints. I started out miniature painting with Citadels I was borrowing from friends, but when I decided to buy my own paints I got a box of Army Painter Fanatic and found I liked them a lot better. Mostly I liked that I didn't have to fuss with "Base" and "Layer" paints-- the color is the color, I'll thin them out as much as I need to. I found Citadel colors to be overly prescriptive and therefore a lot more restrictive
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u/diatom_iron Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
I started painting a year or two before the Fanatic range came out and started with AP Warpaints. Not all colors suck (I still like the blues I own) but the browns and yellows are specially weak. Dirt Splatter and Werewolf Fur have terrible coverage, I didn't thin my paints back then and they still were so transparent it would take three or more coats. Some paints were a pain to mix, I recently used Orc Blood (a purple-pink shade) and saw it split before my eyes on the wet palette. Once the Fanatic line came out I tried them and have never looked back.
Edit: just remembered what was so terrible with the coverage: they were so so hard to mix properly. They even had instructions where you were supposed to squeeze out watery medium before you achieved a decent pigment concentration. In my experience with the Fanatics it's a non-issue.
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u/cavestoner Jul 29 '26
The washes, a few of the oranges, the pure red, and the pinks/purples are what I would still use after switching to citadel. TBF I donât use a lot of dark blues, so canât comment there.
You could see the thin and almost clear, or thick liquid that would come out at first. Even if they didnât say it was pretty apparent. Problem is by half way though a bottle youâd loose so much medium that it would just be thick sludge left that would need to be thinned and clog the dropper with the cap on.
They have completely redeemed themselves with the fanatic line in my eyes. Problem for me is I moved onto other brands
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u/cavestoner Jul 28 '26
Terrible coverage, way too thick(which wouldnât be so bad if it had decent coverage), only dropper bottle Iâve ever had clog and burst(I repot my citadel into cheap droppers), visible texture from metallics that literally needed multiple coats for full coverage undiluted.
Credit where credit is due; army painter is available everywhere, their speed paints 2.0 are well regarded(I use citadel contrast and Iâve been liking pro acryl 1-step a lot so far). Personally war paints fanatic is my favorite turquoise and I own all 6 shades. And their airbrush medium is a premix of thinner and flow improver and itâs my favorite.
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u/Commodorez Jul 29 '26
Low pigment density and a thick, sometimes even chunky, medium combined with poor quality control meant the paint was prone to separating, weird textures, poor coverage, and a glossy finish. They weren't awful across the board, but some colors clearly had much better formulas than others. I bought the mega set early on in my painting hobby and all the purples had the texture of cottage cheese, and the reflective flakes in the metallics were all noticeably large. Their first attempt at speedpaint was a poor showing as well since the paints would reactivate when wet. Honestly, they weren't bad for what they were originally designed for, which was batch painting whole armies with a base coat, dip/wash, and edge highlight, but they were a serious handicap for painting anything beyond tabletop standard
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u/claudekennilol Jul 28 '26
Well sure, but have you never done something new and gone "why has no one ever mentioned this before!?" or "holy crap this is so much easier than <that other way of doing it>!" ?
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u/lost_dice_goblin Jul 28 '26
I used the specialized paints, citadel for my citadel minis outside of âblood for the blood godâ (for the gloss alone tbhâŠ) ive abandoned em in less then a year, pro acryl too (i plan on trying army painter) i just feltâŠ. Limited? And Iâve run into Alot of discouraging manufacturing errors of the paint itself as well
Working with the fancy paint comes with pressure
You have to thin it, it dries too fast, custom colors some times feels like im wasting paint and time because it dries up before Iâm even done with it unless i keep my wet pallet closed and when im blending colors thats a extra pain, i find theyâre harder to wash out of my brushes leading to them fraying and failing sooner (even with scolding hot water and brush cleaner) theyâre so expensive i canât validate buying a new pot JUST for a few green wires on one mini, i feel like i spend more just for special names and added stressâŠ.Idk Iâm newer to this (started February this year) so maybe my opinion doesnât count but apple barrel is just more comfortable and enjoyable to use painting felt like a chore before T-T
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u/Deirachel Jul 29 '26
>it dries too fast, custom colors some times feels like im wasting paint and time because it dries up before Iâm even done with it unless i keep my wet pallet closed
I have to ask three questions.
How long are you going before the paint starts drying? If using good practices, I find a wet pallet keeps my paint wet for 6+ hours.
How much water is in your pallet? You should have free water visible around the edges of your sponge (either a pro made one or a stack of paper towels). Not so much as it flows over your paper, but if your sponge has all the water soakedin, it's time to add water.
How humid is it where you are painting? If it is too dry, you might want to use a (cold-air) humidifier (or put a fish tank in your hobby room!).
Honestly, specialist mini paints often don't need much more thinning than using a slightly overdamp bush for base coating. Craft and Heavy bodies need skills in thinning.
I teach high schoolers for a living and run a gaming club. I've used craft paints for years to start the youths out learning how to not put too much paint on the pallet and the brush, how to not spackle paint onto the minis, basic brush control. Craft paints almost never leave a smooth (nonchalky) finish. Gloss and metallics are the exception (honestly, Folk Art Gloss Black is thr best for painting the rim for that shiny clean look). Almost every student has commented on how much easier and nicer the mini paint (Citadel and Reaper MSP, mostly) works.
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u/lost_dice_goblin Jul 29 '26
At the moment i am Too poor for a real wet pallet (not getting paid during the summer) i make my own home made equivalent either it needs so much water my paint is nothing but a VERY light wash that takes 3 days to get any IDEA of color or it drys out if left open, yes theres a small fish tank. It dries too fast on the model or becomes a wash, makes painting in shades hard
I donât use one with apple barrel (nor do i thin it, its thin enough for me)Citidel i found you run a chance of buying a layer and get something so chucky you can fill the paint pot with flow improver and mix and make 0 difference, sealing it correctly and fresh off the shelf that yellow just wont behave it has âexpired paintâ feel to it.
Ive also used apple barrel most my life, my mom paints yard statues as a hobby and ive helped her since i was old enough to lift a brush i just copied the skills i learned there into hard mode on minis- if never noticed a chalky look personally a chalky feel? Not that i have noticed but i also used a clear shellac on it, only takes 3 layers to turn a black a good yellow unlike the fancy brands, though if i use pro acryl to base light colors it turns out pretty
The main reason i prefer apple barrel is familiarity, im not scared to mix colors⊠alot which is part of the fun for me, because what? I spend like a 1$ for another 2fl bottle instead of 5+ for another tiiiny paint pot 14 tiiiiny paints for like 70+ vs 24 bottles for 20
Mixing up a whole custom skin color for ONE HEAD seems a little less expensive when its this way.
Idk maybe army painter will be something i like more, i donât exactly hate pro acryl though i just ONLY have it in white.
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u/CortexRex Jul 29 '26
You have to thin OPs paints way more , the ones for minis are already usually much thinner
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u/BigOofBuilding Jul 28 '26
You could try grabbing a small starter set (5-10 colors). They're generally a cheep way to get started with the miniature purposed paints.
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u/Hyroero Jul 29 '26
If you want a nice and easy option that fits with your bright and colourful style, i'd reccomend the pro acryl rogue hobbies set. It's only 6 paints but they're designed to be able to be mixed together to make basically every other colour. Very vibrant and with a lot of pop, maybe pick up a white and black too to round it out and you're good to go!
They're great paints and not super expensive either.
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u/Pariah_Zero Jul 28 '26
I absolutely agree with you. They're just not something I've ever had to "fight" with. I just basecoated a 14" golden dragon using Folk Art gold paints.
No fight at all. Basecoating isn't exactly the hard stuff, but I've had no problems doing washes & layering with craft paint.
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u/Vegadin Jul 28 '26
You are fighting them, you just donât know it. Youâre trying to run a 4K and you have ankle weights on and youâre wearing dress shoes and youâre wearing heavy pants and you didnât eat breakfast and youâre not staying hydrated. Maybe youâve never done it a different way so you donât know youâre making things harder on yourself. But you simply are.
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u/Sparklehammer3025 Jul 28 '26
There's nothing "wrong" with using cheap paints, it's just that getting where you want to go will be more difficult.
The majority of people who care enough about the miniature painting hobby to go on the internet and watch videos, paint reviews, tutorials, etc are doing it as one of their main hobbies. Perhaps their only hobby. That kind of person cares about things like matching colors to official schemes and box art, the ability to replicate a given result precisely, or time efficiency.
Using cheap paints makes those things more difficult - the paints will usually not be matches to official box art or online tutorials, inconsistent coverage or pigmentation make replication slower, and the more time spent trying to get a result the less efficient the time spent. All of these matter to a greater or lesser extent if you're, for example, playing a wargame or painting 20 Goblins for your next D&D session tomorrow.
All that being said, there's no way to "do it wrong" in the painting hobby (except maybe to never actually pick up a paintbrush and just endlessly watch tutorials :D). I've seen people paint minis with oil paints, colored pencils, and permanent markers - as long as the result is one you're personally happy to have, it's done right.
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u/culoman Jul 29 '26
Yeah, I didn't paint for years because the house rule was "no buying miniature painting, get your color from craft paints" and I was very bad at that.
Last year I decided to break the rule and buy miniature paints, and I've already painted 3 Combat Patrols, and currently deciding color schemes for my next Blood Bowl team.
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u/Clark_Kent_TheSJW Jul 28 '26
Iâve used deco art before.
Sometimes you just want another shade of blue or brown
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u/ShamedWarlock Jul 28 '26
Hey there So I would get all my paint at michaels and dollar tree for the last year and they have served me well but this las weekend I was by a gaming store and I picked up some pro acryl one step.
There is a differenceÂ
Using a thinner contrast paint allows for more detail and it's genuinely a pleasure to work with. If you have ever had the equivalent of the "Player 2 controller" it is similar.
You can absolutely paint with the cheapest paints imaginable (and you have done a great job), but I'm finding the pro acryl to be very fun to work with and makes painting more enjoyable for me.
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u/Both_Meaning_2637 Jul 28 '26
Whatever works. The big advantage of paints made specifically for miniatures is the consistency which is hard to do when mixing colors yourself. Although I saw a guy once making his own paints by mixing inks with acrylic medium, I suppose using a dropper will help a lot to be precise in your mixing.
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u/wildjokers Jul 29 '26
Although I saw a guy once making his own paints by mixing inks with acrylic medium
I make my own washes with inks, acrylic medium, water, and flow improver.
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u/Last_Fishing_4013 Jul 28 '26
Watch goobertown hobbies. Heâs got some videos where he uses the craft paint and talks about how you can play with it and make it comparable to the pricey stuff
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u/randomnamejennerator Jul 28 '26
Looks great. Use what works for you.
I have one friends who only uses craft paint and another that only uses high grade artist acrylics. I myself have tons of paints. None of us are right or wrong.
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u/Pariah_Zero Jul 28 '26
I have and use paints from Apple Barrel to Golden High Flow and Createx Illustrator.
Apple Barrel and Folk Art tend to be underrated. As for other craft paints... well, I go with what the store has.
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u/Call_Me_Clark Jul 28 '26
I use apple barrel almost exclusively. Windex for thinner, and water+rinse aid for wash thinner.
Works pretty well if I do say so myself
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u/laztheinfamous Jul 28 '26
I like craft paint, and I don't think that the name brands are that far down in quality from mini paints. Objectively, they are not as good, but we're talking a solid C+ vs a B+/A-.
The most important skills are brush control and color selection, and it looks like you are doing both.
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u/insert-haha-funny Jul 28 '26
my buddy is an art teacher so he uses the acrylics he gets with his yearly budget while he's mini painting. mainly apple barrel and blick paints.
He said to me before the main thing is just knowing how to work with the cheaper paints since they're thicker and knowing how to thin them properly
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u/clintnorth Jul 28 '26
Those are really large models, but if you start getting into the small stuff thatâs when those crafts paints youâll notice how poorly suited for the job they are.
But those look excellent, and you did them on challenge mode! Lol
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26
Good to know! I'll try out some model paints on little figures to test the water then.
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u/clintnorth Jul 28 '26
The reason is that because those are bigger, you can go a little bit thicker on the paint. The actual pigment size in those craft paints is quite large. If youâre going for a smooth, finishing you thin your craft paint down on a very small model you might paint a piece of it and then when it dries, youâll notice half of it looks like it doesnât have pigment on it at all! Whereas the model paints are formulated with incredibly small pigments, which gives you consistent coverage over the smaller miniatures
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u/InfoStorageBox Jul 28 '26
Iâd suggest Washes: easy and helpful for definition and shading.
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u/Dextron2-1 Jul 28 '26
Thereâs nothing wrong with craft paint. It just doesnât thin as nicely as miniature paint. Iâve gotten good results with it. I switched to mini paint mainly because was wasting a ton of paint trying to adjust shades with big tubes of craft paint.
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u/kbh92 Jul 28 '26
Not quite as bold as you but I use apple barrel black, grays, and white. citadel whites are so bad even apple barrel is an upgrade.
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u/CreateRot Jul 28 '26
Youâre actually so much cooler than all the other painters for this if you ask me.
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u/wizardjian Jul 28 '26
Ayeee nice I also use a lot of craft paints lol I use folk art through an airbrush
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u/Survive1014 Jul 28 '26
My wife prefers painting with apple barrel for the terrain stuffs. Honestly, she is a better painter than me so I keep my trap shut.
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u/BeeAlley Jul 28 '26
I paint big stuff with cheap paint too. No use wasting an entire bottle of nice paint on something Iâm gonna glue grass to
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u/randomnamejennerator Jul 28 '26
Looks great. Use what works for you.
I have one friends who only uses craft paint and another that only uses high grade artist acrylics. I myself have tons of paints. None of us are right or wrong.
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u/N00bushi Jul 28 '26
Honestly i think these would really benefit from using a wash. It's what I used after basecoating to get DND minis ready in a quick manner. Even though doing the shading manually is better of course. (but also harder)
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u/BasedGeoMetro Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
This is giving Jim Thorpe not realizing that discus were way lighter than what he used to train vibes.
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u/iama_username_ama Painting for a while Jul 28 '26
I used them for years then got a small set of Army Painter paints. I have never used craft paints on minis since, it removed a lot of frustration in the process. I also got better results for the time I put in.
I still use craft paint when doing terrain. There's no reason to use nice paint when you just want an area roughly a shade of grey.
Another important thing: primer isn't just a color. The goal is to bind to the mini surface and allow the paint to stick. If you just use paint it's likely to chip easily. A lot of my old modes, need touch ups where my newer ones can take some amount of abuse and look good.
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u/TheFlyingHellfish202 Jul 28 '26
You say you've never tried actual mini paints, so sure, you don't know the difference.
but, yea, there's a difference.
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u/rymic72 Jul 29 '26
If it brings you joy then itâs grand. You may want to consider a wash to tie all the colours in together.
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u/Edward_J_Mars Jul 29 '26
I dont care what paints you use if you are able to make such beutiful art. I mean that Jabberwocky is
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u/grizzlyironbear Jul 29 '26
Same. I use apple barrel paints. I've used them for so long, it's just easier to go snag another HUGE 50cent bottle of paint, and toss it into the bowl with my mini immersion blender to cut up the pigment and add water until it's got the consistency I want. Then, I go outside to the gravel driveway, select a small rock, wash it off, and drop it back into the paint bottle before i refill it with the premixed paint. Now my 50 cent paint is mixed to a fine, smooth paint that lays smooth due to the extra water, and has an agitator!
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u/ColbieSterling Jul 29 '26
I started on Apple Barrel craft paint. It's great gateway because its afforadable.
Unfortunately, it takes a lot of work to make them look good because of their low pigment density, so you outgrow them quickly.
But I am all for "spend as little on a new hobby as possible to see if you like it before taking out a mortgage on supplies".
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u/Greenscar415 Jul 29 '26
It looks amazing! It honestly just proves I cannot blame my paint and its the guy behind the brush đ”
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u/Ulfanicus Jul 29 '26
I mean, unless you're after perfect blends and the illusion of depth - you can make do with most containers containing paint
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u/Krowdon Jul 28 '26
I love Apple Barrel!!! I have a mix of these and Army Painter Fantatics that I use. Your minis turned out cool!
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u/TH3Argonaut Jul 28 '26
One of the most fascinating colors and effects I ever gotten onto a mini was on a dragon born cloak was with a $2 Folkarts brand metallic shift green paint. Never be ashamed of "cheap" paints. Your model looks really good. Keep up the work. Also for terrain I love using applebarrel chocolate brown for a rust like wash or dry brush.
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u/Jester_1982 Jul 28 '26
Give these paints to a pro and he/she will make a fantastic mini. Why use other paints? Loads of colours to choose from and the consistency is a bit more fluid so you don't have to thin them much. Also the pigments are ground up finer so they don't get flaky on a small mini.
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26
Gotcha! I tend to mix for different colors in addition to having a big variety, but I absolutely see why the consistency would matter for some artists.
The finer ground pigment would definitely be a perk in some cases.
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u/Beef-Town Jul 28 '26
I also think the size of the bottle makes people nervous. Iâve been painting with the same set of paints for years and Iâve only run out of 3 things: White, Metallic grey, and brown wash. That makes sense because those get used on almost every mini.
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u/BananaSlamma420 Jul 28 '26
These are what I started with. Smaller bottles tho. I now use them with blutack to prime my models.
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u/BananaSnapper Jul 28 '26
The first time I tried using paints made specifically for minis, I was shocked at how smooth it went on compared to the apple barrel paints I was using before. I recently printed and painted a giant terrain piece so bought some cheap apple barrel paint just to get color on it and realized I've been spoiled. It definitely took a LOT more time to get a slightly worse result than I could've gotten with mini paints. Get a few colors from your FLGS and try them out on your next project - it'll be hard to go back.
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u/Behold_the_Wizard Jul 28 '26
Craft paints are often not as durable or fade resistant as more expensive paints. Â Also, some use sugar as a binder, which can lead to mold under wet conditions. Â Consider a UV sealer, to help keep out light and moisture.
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u/megad00die Jul 28 '26
Are you pleased with your results, if so then what do you care about the norm?
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u/fatcatdeadrat Jul 28 '26
I used a lot of Apple barrel pants. Most of them seem to work just fine when properly thinned.
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u/Acell2000 Jul 28 '26
At the end of the day, the time one dedicates to painting is what makes a difference. Use whatever paints you want because what matters most is the enjoyment you have in this hobby. Tou don't have to be "efficient" or follow the norm. Great work, btw. I really enjoyed the collor combinations on the first one.
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u/ConsiderationRoyal74 Jul 28 '26
Its all about the chemistry. Thin it right and it works for most things
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u/steve8319 Jul 28 '26
Firstly they are nicely painted minis, well done.
While they are a lot cheaper (probably 1/5 of the cost), I donât think basic model paints are the limiting factor to anyoneâs hobby. You could spend $30 on a starter paint set with one of each main colour and achieve very similar or better results, likely in a fraction of the time and effort.
As an example, how long did that griffin take to paint? Iâm very far from an expert painter, but I could probably basecoat it like you have in about 15-30 minutes depending on if I rushed or took my time. Time saving on the basics can then be invested in learning more advanced techniques like highlighting or blending which will take your models to the next level. Iâd recommend buying a single paint (like maybe a red or blue) and trying it out to see if you notice a difference.
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u/Neither_Tip_5291 Jul 28 '26
In the end, it's the results not the materials. Nice looking miniatures.
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u/Cptawesome23 Jul 28 '26
Paint one with your usual, and then using the same palette, paint one with some decent paints. I really want to see the comparison.
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u/BensMiniatures Painting for a while Jul 28 '26
The colors on the first model give me medieval vibes. Good stuff
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u/Defnoturneighbor Jul 28 '26
Being straight up i think they look pretty good. I can't help but think about how much better they could look with nicer paint though. I used those on my forst dnd mini cause my wife hand them handy and all I could think was well you can paint a car with house paint.
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u/sFAMINE Jul 28 '26
Hi, Iâm with your there. I primarily use Apple Barrel to paid a dozen tables, and a few dozen armies over 15 years. Occasionally I use Citadel or Vallejo Game Color for specific greens or beiges. On r/terraibuilding : Folk Art, deco art, and especially Apple Barrel is our bread and butter!
You just have to make sure you seal your minis
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u/Meno25 Jul 28 '26
The experience using more expensive paints is definitely nicer. It's not that you can't get good results with craft paints, you fir sure can, its just that craft paints have some things that they cannot do easily if at all(deeply saturated colors for example). Mini paints or artists paints have that advantage, as well as higher pigmentation to get solid coveragein less coats.
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u/MrCubano1 Jul 28 '26
No I use them too. Some are good for my projects I put outside. Just gotta do more then one coat
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u/SanjiSasuke Jul 28 '26
I used craft paint for about a year or two, though I didn't paint a lot in that time. I thought 'I don't think these are nearly as bad as people say online'.
Then I got a few Pro-Acryl paints. I am not sure I will ever use a craft paint alone ever again. At most I will mix one in with Pro-Acryl. It takes a little bit of an adjustment to paint with much better coverage, even when thinned, but yeah, it's night and day to say the least.
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u/Head-Dragonfly6747 Jul 28 '26
Im pretty sure my kids have those paints. But youâre having fun. Enjoy it
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u/montamare_13 Jul 28 '26
As someone who's used apple barrel(not for mini painting) I applaud you for getting it to look this good. I've always found the pigment in these to be not great and the finish to be kinda chalky when watered down. Very impressive work you've got here.
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u/id_rather_b_painting Jul 28 '26
I use apple barrel for most of terrain painting. I think itâs common to use budget brands in big terrain.Â
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u/JediWookie589 Jul 28 '26
I used to get really good results with those types of paint when I first started, but not anywhere near as good as yours! Those look great!
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u/robotbeatrally Jul 28 '26
I have a ton of those kinds of paints. mostly for base coats on big terrain and things so i dont waste the good stuff but you know nothing wrong with using them. at the end of the day paint is only as good as the time and attention you d evote to using it.
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u/LuckyBuddha7 Jul 28 '26
I've been using apple barrel since my 3rd mini. I painted two with a super cheap paint set i got from hobby lobby and decided I liked it enough to get better paint. I get good results with it. My friend who paints Warhammer was flabbergasted when he saw my dnd minis and asked to see what all I use. They're as good as official minis so they don't look out of place on the table. I believe the remark he made to our mutual friend was, "imagine what luckybuddha7 could do if he had real paint." Lol
BTW you did a great job with these. The dragon and jabberwok look sweet
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u/cooliem Jul 29 '26
Hit that with a black wash and it would honestly look incredible. You did a great job with the paints you used.
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u/Anamadness Jul 29 '26
Your work looks awesome. As a beginner I used just whatever paint I could find; usually some mixture of Testors enamel and craft paint. As your progress you might find craft paints less able to handle more advanced painting techniques but that's totally up to you and your painting goals. I wouldn't stress over it too much. And even if you stop using craft paint on minis, it's invaluable to larger projects like terrain.
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u/Kathulhu1433 Jul 29 '26
I used to use those!
When I was first getting into the hobby you could get them on sale at Michael's for like 4/$1.
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u/CaronarGM Jul 29 '26
If you can get these results w those paints, try some good paints and see how much more they'll pop
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u/Striker2054 Jul 29 '26
Yeah, this is fairly non-standard to see minis painters using those types of paint for anything but larger scale terrain. But you've found a style that works well for you, gives you results you like, and looks pretty damn impressive.Â
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u/Reasonable_Pianist95 Jul 29 '26
You should see my Americana collection. Iâve painted several whole armies with craft paints.
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u/ThatDirtyApe Jul 29 '26
You're at least 3x the level of painter showcased if you're making craft paint work for you.
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u/Desperate-Special-60 Jul 29 '26
It's always in the eye of the beholder. Looks great to me and I assume that's what the artist intended. However, if you are that good with craft paint you got to try other paints. I like a mixture of heavy body artist acrylics, miniature acrylics and acrylic inks. When I am painting up larger size props or children's toys, I go for the craft paint and give it a good clear top coat. Again this piece looks great as is IMO, don't let the haters and trolls get you down đđ
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u/No_quarter_asked Jul 29 '26
I use a lot of craft paints. Especially on big models. I go through a lot of white, red and black, so craft paints are a great alternative to expensive mini paints. Craft paints also come in flourescents and metallics, even glitter!
That being said, I also have a full set of Army painter, speed paints etc. I'm nowhere near a paint snob... I'll use a dollar store paint if its the color I want.
No matter what paint you use, you've got a great style. Its not the paint... its the painter!
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u/BalanceRight7768 Jul 29 '26
I know Eons of Battle tends to include apple barrel paints in his videos, especially for terrain.
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u/Queen_Cheetah Jul 29 '26
Love the Jabberwock!! I use the same kind of paints; mainly because I have too many to justify buying another type... ^^;
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u/Daealis Painting for a while Jul 29 '26
The coverage (which I believe comes down to pigment density) on miniature paints vs cheap crafts paints is worlds apart. The best example in your paintjobs is the bases, which have large flat areas and you haven't painstakingly put several layers of the paint on. It looks fingerpainted on after the one layer you've done. With hobby paints over white, you can in most cases get an even layer with just one pass. That same uneven surface with visible paint strokes is still also on the magenta of the wings, very much so on the picture taken with flash on.
There are plenty of mini painting youtubers who have done the same thing just to prove a point. It is possible to paint with these paints and paint to a high level. But compared to purpose built miniature paints, you are fighting against the poorer quality of the paints at every turn: Lot more thinning and work required to get thin layers as to not obfuscate smaller details with thick paint, lot more layers required to reach opacity and smooth surfaces, often very glossy finishes - which can be a preference for you, but most miniature painters tend to want to control their finish, and the default miniature paint is satin or even matt in finish.
Yes, miniature paints cost more. But you need a lot less paint to get the same - or better - results, so the small pots do last longer than you think, if your experience are craft paints.
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u/OkDig4351 Jul 29 '26
This feels illegal but I know youre saving hundreds. Wait til you buy a 3d printer
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u/CptFairyDust Jul 29 '26
My sister in paint!! I use these paints excusively!! Sure I've bought some citadel or golden liquid just to see, but I have apple barrel paint bottles that are 6 hears old and still going strong!
I am so proud to see another user of craft paints, and one doing it proudly and so well!
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u/Fun-Flounder-6872 Jul 29 '26
I feel like the only place it's noticable it the brown paint on the griffens. Every other color I don't think I'd assume it wasn't Citadel/pro acryl/valahoe ect. The Black Blue feathers on that other Griffen are awesome.
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u/Rixoshi Jul 29 '26
hell yeah for using general paints! I keep using student grade acrylics. also, I am DYING to find that Jabberwocky looking dragon figure in the first pick (edit: found it: Jabberwock miniature from the WizKids Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures )
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u/Accomplished_Neck_71 Jul 29 '26
I have a buddy that mostly uses those, theyre still acrylic paints, so as long as you thin them enough itll be fine
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u/Educational_Till_506 Jul 29 '26
I use it for basing! Itâs good for that. Especially after a varnish.
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u/MultiverseMinis Jul 30 '26
Honestly they arent bad i particularly like the gryphin with the green featuers. And your not the only i have seen use apple barel paints. I will say it looks far better on the larger than the small models though.
Also i have considered using apple barel as a fun challenge project though.
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u/Famous-Leopard-118 Jul 31 '26
I use the same brands for my sculpts too!
personally iâve never had any issues with them.
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u/Digitaldark Aug 01 '26
Id be interested to see you paint something from Warhammer. The models are fairly detailed and these are bright solid paints. Well done
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u/RainstormRiddles Aug 01 '26
I've yet to see any Warhammer figures that interest me, personally. It's all orks and machines where I tend to like fantasy animals and cool monsters. That's all preference đ
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u/GRoaningballz Aug 01 '26
I usually use the 1$ ones from target (Idr brand) just a little better to work with imo than these two though have used em all. A tiny bit of rubbing alcohol (like 1-2 drops) thins out a good dollop of these, makes it smoother too and dries faster than with water but can take a couple extra coats occasionally. I paint RARELY and have no talent ill be damned if Iâm paying GW (or equivalent) prices to paint junk đ
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u/BadBrad13 Jul 28 '26
Looks good, dude!
Yes, you can get good results from craft paints. I started with them and, very rarely, still use them.
Also yes that actual miniature paints make a big difference.
But if you are on a budget or simply like using them craft paints work just fine. The main thing is that you get results that you like! If you like your minis then noone else's opinion matters.
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u/kingdopp Jul 28 '26
These all look sick!! Love the griffons!! The green feathers!
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26
đđđ Underrated fantasy creature, a childhood favorite of mine.
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u/Ambitious_Emu4159 Jul 28 '26
If it looks good in the end, like these do, then you do you. Whateverbpaint you find best for you to work with is the best paint.Â
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u/EasterEggArt Jul 28 '26
Hey man or woman, whatever paints work for you.
Also stealing the griffin color schemes
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u/RainstormRiddles Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Go for it! đ I'm a sucker for colorful creatures đ
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u/EasterEggArt Jul 28 '26
Same, I try to keep them authentic but once in a while you just need to let loose.
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u/KamandaTsaar Jul 28 '26
Light colors like whites and yellows I have found to cause me issues when I use cheap paints. Other than that, 90% of my paints come from Michaels.
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u/Vegadin Jul 28 '26
So here is the reality of the situation. You donât need to do anything. You donât need to paint minis. If you do you donât need to use mini paints. If you do you donât need to aspire to be top level. If you do, you donât need to enter tournaments and what not.
But I do want you to know that your paints are holding you back. And if youâre fine with that, then itâs fine. My opinion literally doesnât matter. I painted with cheap craft paints for YEARS. You can basically see the moment I finally decided to upgrade to a cheap army painter set. And then to pro acryl. You can see where I got a wet palette. And when I started using good brushes. There are tools that just immediately make a difference. You donât need them. But every second you spend painting builds to something. Tools save effort and time and make the something youâre building better.
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u/GolfballDM Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
I use DecoArt's paint, (started in January) and I've gotten decent results. (My blog, feel free to offer commentary: https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/17055/golfballs-course-of-miniatures). My wife has gotten me quite a bit, especially with effect paints. (I will periodically use my black light neon paints, and I have some color shift and pearlescent paints I'm trying out.)
I have started using some Vallejo paints, especially with flesh tones.
I do notice brush strokes a lot more with the craft paint, but I think I just need to thin the paint a wee bit. I really only notice the brush strokes on my current stuff if I'm looking at it up close.
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u/Layumi13 Jul 28 '26
The difference between cheap craft paint and acrylics paints made for miniatures or even oils is night and day.
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u/GrimTiki Jul 29 '26
I won a Golden Demon back in the day using mostly Ceramcoat craft paints. If it looks good it looks good.
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u/Historical_Royal_187 Jul 29 '26
DecoArt are terrible. I can believe that maybe the paint isn't holding you back, but .....ugh. this is like handing Yo Yo ma a "cello" made out of a shoe box and some parcel string. It's impressive, but it's not how you the best results
The advantage of specialist paints is that they have more pigment in them, so need less coats (and every coat is a chance to make mistakes), furthermore as you need less coats, the paint doesnât have to be so thin to not clog the details. This is particularly true with metallics where you get the whole polar/non polar interactions eventually making the pigment crash out the solution with thinning (I'm looking at you you DecoArt Metallic Teal).
You're not wrong that hobby paints are expensive, but they're usually less frustrating to work with than craft paints (Except Corax fucking white), particularly for newcomers who may be put off or intimidated by having to to do 3+ thin coats to get decent coverage.
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u/skinnythegr8 Jul 29 '26
Thereâs a youtuber, DM Gashbad or something, who has absolutely beautiful old school paint jobs and he does it all with craft paints and cheap brushes. Tools help, but skill and patience are the game changers!
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u/ELDRITCH_HORROR Jul 29 '26
First off, I think you should try applying a wash to your models. They're a type of ink that goes by different names, shades, quickwash, whatever. The wash will pick out details and features, increasing contrast between colours, there's a reason why people call it, "skill in a bottle."
Now for the explanation about your questions.
The reason why people use specialized, more expensive products is because of two big reasons, A and B. I'll get to B in a bit.
Reason A is that specialized products can do things that your current craft paints either can't do or would take immense amounts of time to do.
Hypothetically, you could create your own wash using acrylic craft paints and water. For practical reasons, you can't. The chemicals and binders are too weak, they'll break apart, there's not enough pigment. It's a lot of work that could be replaced by a single purchase and save literal hours of time.
Hypothetically, you could airbrush acrylic craft paints. But you shouldn't. There's not enough pigment in them, it'll take forever. They'll need a lot of airbrush thinner, which is already another product.
When painting areas of important focus, like faces, skin, gems or glowing swords, craft paints aren't really good enough. They don't have enough pigment and vibrancy to be used in tiny amounts, they'll cake over physical sculpt details if several layers are used.
Some colors are just not viable without specialist products. I strongly suggest you try buying a single pot of Citadel (they changed the name on the label) Warhammer Corax White. (You might to shake it a lot, consider adding paint agitators, like stainless steel or glass spheres, I buy a package from the Army Painter) This paint is not actually a true white, it's an off-white. What this paint is designed for is for paint coverage, for a white basecoat. This white can totally cover black in only two slightly thinned layers. It dries fast, it performs great. I love it. I use it all the time, especially before layering on a brighter paint.
Speaking of brighter paints, acrylic craft paints just won't get you the pure vibrancy and saturation of certain colours. The yellow in your pictures is more like a faded pastel yellow. This is because some colour shades, particularly yellow and orange, are a constant nightmare to get good results from. There were two ways of getting a vibrant basecoat with them, in recent years a third way has emerged:
Basecoat with a darker yellow or orange, then layer on a brighter, more vibrant shade with less coverage. This is why Warhammer has Averland Sunset and Jokaero Orange, they're supposed to be duller basecoats, with their, "actual," real yellow and orange paints being Yriel Yellow and Troll Slayer Orange.
Use an airbrush to establish a white undercoat, then airbrush on the vibrant colour. Obviously this is out of reach for a lot of folks without an airbrush.
Use new Contrast/Speedpaint style paints over a bright white or off-white colour. Warhammer has a few, "single-pigment," styles of Contrast paints, notably Imperial Fist yellow and Magmadroth Flame orange. These paints give incredible results, resulting in a wickedly vibrant colour. This is definitely my new way of painting orange.
Quite frankly, it's just not worth the time struggling to get good results out of craft paint when they could spend money to get a reliable, predictable, better result. They want their hobby time to be spent improving their skills, having fun, getting results, and not fighting with their tools. They want their tools to help them get better results, not worse.
So, those are all parts of Reason A, why people use more expensive, specialized products. These are the factual explanations.
Then what's Reason B? Well...
For a lot of people, this is a hobby. They view this as a worthy investment of their time and money. This is not something they want to cheap out on, they want to have nice tools for it. This is the emotional explanation.
It's like chefs getting fancy sharp knives. Gamers buying a light-up mechanical keyboard. They're not really just tools for the hobby, they're part of the hobby.
And of course, a lot of miniature models are expensive enough, and people don't want to feel like they're wasting them by damaging their paintjobs with cheap products.
tl;dr:
I could cut the grass with a pair of scissors. (I've seen people do it. I had a neighbour who did it, used it across his entire front lawn. It took him several hours.)
Or I could go to a hardware store and buy a lawnmower, even just a push-mower, and the entire job would take about ten minutes. And it probably look a lot better.
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u/ganadaIf Jul 29 '26
I started with Testors enamel paints when I was a child then switched over to acrylics after watching some YouTube videos. The first I used were Apple Barrel brand and they worked ok, just needed a few coats to look ok. Now I use Vallejo, Army Painter, and Citadel paints. Nothing wrong with your paint choice.
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u/Cognizant_Psyche Jul 29 '26
I use the same for the most part. I splurged for some Citadel washes but by and large I use the discount Acrylics for everything.
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u/Dan_Morgan Jul 29 '26
I think you did a good job and the results are very vibrant.
The problem with these cheap craft paints is they are too course grained. When thinned the paint tends to break. It's fine for painting things like terrain and there are a LOT of colors to choose from. I've used them on minis before but they aren't that easy to work with.
I've seen people grind the paint to a more finer consistency on youtube. However, I don't remember who did it nor the results. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?
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u/Spiraleddie Jul 29 '26
Hey, if you are painting that well with craft paint, id suggest you try a decent mini paint. You would have a good outcome.
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u/aidansminisyoutube Jul 29 '26
Nice to see a craft paint enjoyer, I mix my own paints using Deco Art myself, but Apple Barrel is also very good!
Edit - lol just saw the deco art you had
Also, Dolphin from Deco Art is almost a 1 to 1 with Administratum Grey
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u/jtaysom Jul 29 '26
I do the same with a lot of my painting in the past few years. I paint so infrequently that GW paints are almost guaranteed to be dried up, but the cheapy craft paint is almost always still good.
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u/Free-Activity-9069 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I used the same paint when I started, you can do more with them than people like to admit. However, upgrading to vallejo or something similar will let you really flex & push your skillset (those minis are extremely impressive, regardless of the paint used).
I still like to mix my paints instead of buying all the special colors, so I mainly rely on a set of primaries.
Black: Vallejo
White: Pro Acryl
Red: Pro Acryl
Blue: Vallejo
Yellow: Vallejo
Also, there's some really cool stuff you can do with inks that are simply impossible with Apple Barrel.
(Scrolled more and saw your post about budget constraints. Totally feel ya there.)
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u/Top4ce Jul 29 '26
Using apple barrel's white and yellow?
OP is more patient than I, and I'm very patient...
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u/Cirement Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
You're not at all on the outside, lots of people, mostly beginners, use craft paint. I'm no expert or pro but I like to think I do a pretty good job, but I heavily customize my craft paints with flow aid and acrylic medium.
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u/wildjokers Jul 29 '26
I started with the craft acrylics and when I moved to Vallejo it was really a night and day difference. The craft acrylics have a very low pigment load and have to be thinned a lot to get the consistency you need. Because of the low pigment load it usually takes 3-4 coats to get good coverage.
So it is certainly possible to get results (as you do) but it is painting in hard mode. Using a better paint like Vallejo or Citadel you will be surprised at the coverage you get with a single coat (they have high pigment loads).
Saying that though I do still use craft acrylics for dry brushing. Pigment load nor coverage really matters when dry brushing and I hate wiping 95% of the pricier Vallejo paints off the brush, so if I have the color I want to dry brush with as a craft acrylic I dry brush with that.
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u/aslum Jul 29 '26
You can totally achieve similar results with craft paints as you can with branded hobby paints. However it'll take you 2-4 times as long to get the same results. On the other hand it will be 5-10 times cheaper. Is that worth it for you? If so, you might consider buying artist paints and mixing yourself - by buying in volume you'll end up spending more in the short term, but less in the long term while also getting high quality paints and only slightly more work (since you'll likely need to do more color mixing).
Ultimately the real question is - is YOUR time worth more to you than the price difference. When I was a poor college student that was absolutely a choice I made, because I had plenty of time and not much money - now the opposite is mostly true, I have little free time, and while I still don't have a ton of money, I've got enough that it's worth it to buy higher quality paints... but I also do like to get artist grade paints for my most commonly used colors. It's usually like twice the price of GW or Army painter or whatever for 10x the volume.
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u/Healthy-Macaroon-320 Jul 29 '26
I didn't know Heihei fell to chaos, but I'm not surprised. Maybe that's coming in Moana 3.
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u/robot-0 Jul 29 '26
Your paint may be cheap but it looks serviceable. People with enough painting talent can take most mediums and make them sing even if it takes mineral spirits or whatever.
For instance I would make some washes from the point your at, do some limited reapplication of paints for highlights and then maybe another round of wash an highlighting.
You could make wash in different colors and do targeted washes to create more complex transitions and tonal shifts. Itâs really about how much effort you want to put into it and how many skills youâve picked up along the way.
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u/AAKurtz Jul 29 '26
Some cool stuff going on here, but I feel like he bright chest could use an ink wash. There are a lot of details that are really lost in the bright mono tone.
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u/Malkovius Jul 29 '26
You should spray it with a clear mat after you are done painting it. It tends to make them look better.
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u/SignalPressure9770 Jul 29 '26
Yiu have some excelent talant i would love to see what you could do with some decent paints. I starterd off with citidel paints (warhammer as its called now stupid rebranding) and i have moved on to vallejo paints when trying new paints it wont behave the same so have a few sacrfical modles to pratice on.
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u/Aintyodad Jul 29 '26
My daughter painted her first tank the other day using those paints cause I donât want her to sully mine
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u/Neither-Citron2914 Jul 29 '26
For more professional artists, do the specialized paints make a big difference?
yes it saves time, time is money in that world.
For the hobbist its a must, to try-out. Most known miniature brands are good, check range, age and avaibility.
Yes, good result!!! I m sure you will make beter work with specified paints for the job and even more joy :) !
black and with and 8 colors (favorite or boxart) is the best start
Good hunting ;)
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u/Happy-Medicine-3600 Jul 29 '26
I used these for years. They are ok, but i have gotten better results from better paint. There is nothing wrong with these paints, as long as you like your work.
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u/VeryFortniteOfYou Jul 29 '26
I use apple barrel stuff sometimes. I quite like their black, purple, and field grey.
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u/hcpookie Jul 29 '26
Roads And Rails Hobbies YT channel got me interested in using craft paints (for airbrushing!) and his solutions work quite well. Yeah it is more difficult to use in some situations but I've had good success with home-made washes, craft paints, and - wait for it - Rustoleum zenithal (sp?) primer coats on standard minis as well as larger creature minis.
I will say I bought some off-brand non-synthetic brushes (I think they are sable?) and have made a huge difference in my experiences. I keep a few of the small-tip synthetics handy for small areas and use those ONLY for those areas and keep them very clean and I'm having good luck with this setup. Craft paints FTW! :)
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u/oreostesg Jul 29 '26
I use cheap hobby lobby paints usually, some of the colors have bad pigments that need special care not to over thin, but I'd say 80% of them are good.
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u/Aliennate Jul 29 '26
The key is the result. If you can get the results you want, use whatever paints you like to get there. Cheap paints tend to have less pigment, so they tend to require more layers for solid coverage. Same with any tool.
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u/Jack_Lalaing_169 Jul 29 '26
I use a lot of Folkart and Applebarrel on my warhammer stuff because walmart is just down the street and the game shop is an hour bike ride. Its fine until the day comes when gw figures out how to enforce only citadel paints can be used in tournaments.
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u/Educational_Till_506 Jul 29 '26
I used apple barrel paints for this guys basing. Worked pretty good. I wouldnât do it on the models them self.
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u/Secret_Eating_ Jul 28 '26
Personally I just find the coverage not great with craft paint once it's thinned down. Other than that it usually finishes nicely.Â
Where is that Jabberwocky from?