Zelkon Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 So, am I required to buy special miniature paint? I pledged vampire for the bones KS, which was my first ever purchase of non-preprinted D&D minis. What do I need to paint these guys? I'm not looking for quality, just some color. Also, I'm looking for the cheapest deal I can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goblyn Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 buy the basic paint set # 1 in the kickstarter for $18 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cramnhoj Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 The KS paint sets are the cheapest high quality paints (by this I mean paint actually made for miniatures) available. If you want cheaper than that you can get craft acrylic paints at your local art store, though that will probably end up giving you more in quantity rather than actually cheaper dollar wise. Even cheaper than that, I dunno, try watercolor or ask buglips how to make paint out of crushed bugs (I heard some lipsticks get their red color that way). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelkon Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 But then I can't get 'thulu and Kally II. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buglips*the*goblin Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Even cheaper than that, I dunno, try watercolor or ask buglips how to make paint out of crushed bugs (I heard some lipsticks get their red color that way). And M&Ms. See? Everybody likes beetles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquil Ape Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I'm a newb as well but shelled out a little money for the MSP HD sets 1 and 2... its a little addicting, at least for me... since then i've purchased 5 or six different triads and some brush on primer, some additives and such... you would think i would learn how to paint first... but no... It doesnt even stop there, today i picked up a light tent and a macro flash ring for my nikon so that i can take better pictures of my minis ... that im still learning how to paint..... the best thing though, is being in the vampire club is we are going to have a crap-ton of things to practice on... feels like a bottle of reaper paint lasts a while though... only using a few drops here and there, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cramnhoj Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 But then I can't get 'thulu and Kally II. Well you still have a month to save up for those or the paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inarah Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Get the basic paint set from the Kickstarter. It's the best paint deal you're going to see in a long time. Your other choice is to get craft store acrylic paints. They go on sale for about 75c a bottle. http://www.plaidonline.com/apple-barrel-craft-paint/brand/detail.htm http://www.plaidonline.com/acrylic-paint/brand/detail.htm http://www.michaels.com/Americana-Acrylic-Paint/cp0028,default,pd.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregR Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) But then I can't get 'thulu and Kally II. If you can't spare $18 for paints, I think your options are going to be limited to craft paints and/or borrowing paint from a friend. In the craft paint line, Michaels in the US has Delta Ceramcoat, Apple Barrel, and FolkArt brands. I've heard the most positive reviews from Delta Ceramcoat, but I haven't used any of them on miniatures in more than 15 years and my painting has changed so much since then (and the paint has likely changed too) that I don't have any personal opinion. You will want to thin craft paints down, using Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Thinner. You can thin high quality miniature paints with water, but craft paints don't thin well with water (muted color, and sometimes a failure to dry, or dry only in spots). It should be about $2 per 2 oz of paint, or thinner (the MSP paints are $3.29 for 1/2oz). That means 8 colors and one bottle of thinner gets you to $18 again. The MSD paint sets in the Kickstarter really are an amazing deal... high quality paints just don't go on sale, period. You'd be hardpressed to find someone selling half-used MSP paints for the same price. You'll also need a brush that comes to the sharpest point possible, and can return to that point time after time. You don't actually need a "tiny" brush like a #3/0... you can get a great paint job with a #1 or even #2 if the point is sharp enough. The tiny brushes just hold much less paint and have you dipping and cleaning them more often. Ideally you'd get a kolinsky sable brush, or a red sable brush to save a bit, but you're looking at $10-$12 from a place like http://dickblick.com/ It sounds like that's going to break your budget as well, so you may need to use synthetic fiber brushes. They're fine, you'll just end up with hooked tips and splayed bristles sooner and end up wanting to replace them sooner than a more expensive brush. EDIT: looks like there are 1oz bottles of craft paint for closer to $1, which will get you more variety. And 1 oz of a paint color is probably more than you'll need for a very long time. Edited September 8, 2012 by GregR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Okay everyone- avert your eyes- here I go about my paints again. I use craft paints. I head to Michaels, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby (even Wal Mart) and purchase them. I always get them on sale because it's just silly to spend a ton of money on them when you don't have to. (I'd rather spend a ton of money on the miniatures) They also go on sale usually once a month- I get them when they are buy one get one free and I use my 20% off coupon that is in the Sunday paper and online at their website (Michaels anyway). When all is said and done I spend about 80 cents for 2 ounces of paint (if that). As for coverage- I'm extremely happy with how they turn out. I personally don't see the difference between "miniature paints" and "craft paints" and with my budget I can't spend more money for less product. I thin with water and a bit of flow medium (from the craft store in their paint section) to make a wash & for shading. I dip the brush in the flow medium and then straight into the bottle of paint (the lid actually) and put it directly on the mini for excellent coverage. It works for wet blending as well. I dip the brush straight into the paint for dry brushing. I do use good brushes but you can get teeny-tiny good brushes (10/0, 20/0) from the craft stores for a dollar or so (again, use the coupon from the Sunday paper/website & watch for sales). About 6 months ago I completely restocked my paints and spent $90 for 250 2oz bottles of paint (1 bottle of every color they have plus some duplicates), some brushes, flow medium, crackle medium (for other hobbies though I want to try it on some minis), and a brush basin. Then I went across the street to Wal Mart and purchased a CD bookcase to put all my paints on. I am very happy with my wall of color. My opinion, if you are just starting out painting minis head to your local craft store, pick up a few bottles of the basic colors a few brushes, a bottle of flow medium, and start painting. Get a feel for brush control, mixing the paints with each other, with water, and with the flow medium to see how they behave with each other. Once you get the hang of it get a bottle or two/three of the "miniature paints" to see if you notice a difference and decide for yourself which you like more. One other thing- if you are painting metal minis you'll need primer. I use Krylon primer. I'm in love with their new Duel- paint + primer in one and it comes in different colors- which comes in handy depending on the colors you plan to use on your figures. Darker primers for primarily darker figures, lighter primers for primarily lighter figures. You will not need a primer for the Bones figures you are getting from the Kickstarter. I am having NO issues getting the craft paint to stick to them, or stay stuck to them. You'll also want a way to protect the minis once you are happy with the paint job. There's a lot of different options for this step, it will depend on what you prefer: spray on, brush on, dip and what you want the finished mini to look like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingwreckage Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Just to add some balance, I use and recommend miniature paints. MSPs in particular are very, very nice to work with. You may never use up a bottle, the dropper tops are very convenient, and the small size makes them a lot easier to store, move, and shuffle back and forth between storage and shared workspaces like a kitchen table. If you're a long way from civilisation, like me, and everything comes via mail-order, the hobby paints are easier to get and cheaper to post. That said, there's nothing to lose by trying out some craft paints and cheap brushes. Kay is spot-on when she says you need to play around to get a feel for the paint, and flow medium is a must for craft paints and even for some hobby paints (Vallejo Model Colour, I'm looking at you!) I might add that one time, when I was looking for a smooth white for large areas, I ended up using layers of thinned latex housepaint. The hobby paints I had at that time tended to go grainy and wouldn't lay down a translucent layer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samurai007 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I use craft paint and it works fine. With sales/coupons, you can often get a 2 oz bottle for .60 to .75 cents each, which lets you get a good selection of colors. The real trick isn't the paint, IMO, it's finishing it off with a dip or brush-on stain of some kind. I use Minwax water-based wood stain. It will bring out all the tiny details on the mini and also help seal the paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranquil Ape Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Also wanted to add, the reason I initially picked reaper was due to the dropper bottles... its really easy to duplicate ratios when mixing paint. To be honest, its really not that hard with the other manufacturers either but I feel like I waste less paint with the dropper style. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loim Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I have and do use both craft paints and MSP. In my opinion the MSP are better paints, and make it easier to achieve better results. Having said that, if what you can afford are craft paints then pick up a few of the primary colors and start mixing. Craft paints handle differently, and you should take the advice mentioned before about thinning them. Same with brushes. If all you can afford at the moment are cheap ones, then by all means go that route. However, with cheap brushes they will wear out faster, and you will replace them more frequently, so the good brushes really pay for themselves fairly quickly. I have a handful of craft store brushes, but mostly I use them for priming and dry brushing now. Take this all with a grain of salt, since all this is from my perspective/experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingwreckage Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Yeah, with brushes, I have a lot of experience with both cheap and expensive. Buy some of both, but the expensive brushes will let you paint faster, neater and more confidently. Cheaper brushes are just physically incapable of acting like expensive brushes. In retrospect I wasn't far into the hobby at all before the cheap brushes started to hold me back and, of course, they needed to be replaced every few miniatures. I use them for priming, some basecoating, slopping washes around,and drybrushing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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