"Recommended paints for 28mm Napoleonic figures" Topic

Hi all,
I'm returning to my beloved hobby after a very long time. As materials, tools etc have moved on so fast, I am presented with so many paint suppliers (I used Tamiya, yes that long ago.).
Could anyone recommend the best paints to use, any info would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Vallejo acrylics are the ones I would recommend. Good quality, widely available and a good wide range of colours. And being acrylics they are very easy to work with.

Yeah..i second that.good luck with your painting.

You have many a dilemma.

Do you undercoat in matt black or matt white?…….. the former is so forgiving……the latter gives vibrant colours, but any error shows up….as white!

Acrylics for sure. They dry fast, huge range of colours and many a maker.

Have you seen Archiduque's Book on painting French Napoleonics?

deadhead hit it on the nose!

Vallejo acrylics are what I would recommend, as well!

Incidentally, this might be handy for an overview of 28mm figure availability…

link

I usually undercoat everything in gray. It is more forgiving than white and the colors still look fairly vibrant. As for brands, I use a variety. I have found that the cheap acrylics that can be purchased at large discount stores work as well as most of the expensive paints (often even better). I only purchase the more expensive paints for inks (that I use in shading), metallic colors (bronze, silver, etc.) and colors or shades that the cheaper brands don't make.

I am with Kevin C. I sell (at ScaleCreep.com) both Vallejo and Coat d'Arms. They are very good hobby paints. But I also use the craft paints Ceramcoat, Americana and Apple Barrel.

Honestly, with the exception of a few colors here and there, I find most acrylic paints are decent, and if you find a dud color here and there, use it for terrain.

Buy a few and experiment!

I use grey undercoat. I feel it gives a more "true" color to the acrylic paint. Vallejo and AK Interactives are my acrylics of choice, but there are so many from which to choose.

I second Deadhead's recommendation for the Painting War book. It's an invaluable guide. IF you fancy Brits, there is a volume for the Brits as well.

Good luck!

Like others I recommend Vallejo – they cover extremely well, have an extensive range and are widely available. They also mix extremely well.

It's well worth experimenting with primers. Decades ago I used grey cellulose, then switched to white before trying black for a few hundred figures. I now prime everything in white as I find it gives me far more flexibility with the colours and techniques I choose to use. I personally never liked painting over black, for various reasons, but you might love it.

I will use black or grey as an undercoat. On one occasion brown.
Acrylics are your best bet and do not smell like enamel paint.
When I can given limited colours I will use Liquitex artist soft body acrylic.
They also make extenders so the paint does not dry as fast for blending.
Foundry makes their triad paints if you are using the Dalimore method of paint layering.
Vallejo has a wide range of colors.
I also use Americana and Delta Ceramcoat craft paints. These are the least expensive of all.
As deadhead posted Archiduque's book is an excellent painting guide.

As already stated, the cheaper craft paints work just fine. I have used them for years and love them -- but then again, I am a simple line fusiler and not an elite.

Regards
Russ Dunaway

Washes. Do not knock washes. The experts like Archiduque do not favour them……he told me so. He is a professional however.

For you and me, do the primary colour (brighter than you intend), a dark wash, redo the highlights in the same colour…if going for exhibition stuff, OK….. highlight a second time….but see Archiduque's Book for that

For example………Rifle Green needs highlights. Add white of course? No way! Add an earth type brown colour. On a redcoat highlight would you add what is basically pink? No way……orange etc etc…….

Bustamente indeed added a second book on painting British and Allied units, but I had hoped for something in a totally different style, for a novelty value. It does reproduce the original instead and the text has suffered dreadfully.