"Have views changed again concerning oil or acrylic paints?" Topic

With going up a few scales to 28mm wargaming, I find I'm obviously going to use more paint than what I required for my 6mm miniatures. I'm also a diehard (for now, anyway) user of humbrol enamel paints. But Humbrol paints seem harder to find these days so I'm considering going over to Acrylic paints, since they seem more available everywhere. But when I looked into the latest trend, concerning paints, there seemed to be a movement back to using oil paints! I wondered if I've missed something? Are people moving away from Acrylic paints and back to using oil?

No, people are not going back to oil paints. I think there is a trend for using oil washes. Mostly for vehicles, but also for minatures.

Acrylic paints all day long.

Perhaps, but not for me. I use acrylics and will continue to do so.

I have used acrylics from hobby and craft stores for decades and the only thing limiting me now if not desiring to paint much any more.

Yet was putting together some plastic train buildings for a co-worker and wasn't happy with results much. Primed them as well

My views haven't changed. I swapped out my long-fiber enamels for acrylics somewhere around the Carter administration, and I'm not going back.

Acrylics for me

I think most people, by far, still use acrylics.

Decebalus is correct: there has been a small renaissance in using oil paint washes, over acrylics, of late. At least on the YouTube figure painting channels.

There has been a resurgence in The Dip Technique, as well, but they call it by other names: Nuln Oil (likely just stain, w/o polyurethane added to it), Army Painter Quick Shades (an expensive, "hobby" formula of stain + polyurethane), etc. They are all pretty much oil-based, dark washes, which is basically what The Dip Technique is. "A rose by any other name," and all of that jazz.

The Army Painter Strong Tone/Light Tone, are just variant colors of brown, darker and lighter; woodworking polyurethane stains come in a much wider variety of colors, though the normal color used for miniatures was Minwax's Tudor (nearly black, seems to be mostly available in hardware stores).

Magic Wash still exists: mix your acrylic paint color of choice with clear, acrylic floor polish, to taste, and brush on your figures to achieve a custom color wash. The usual go-to product for this was Pledge/Future Floor Shine/Polish, which has been discontinued, but other companies still make clear, acrylic floor polishes, for cheap.

With both the polyurethane stains, and the floor polish formulas, you will need a matte clear coat to dull the shine. These coatings make the paint jobs nigh indestructable.

If you are curious what The Dip Technique looks like, or how impactful it really is, look here: simple block painting, and freshly applied Dip, brushed on; and here is the same figure, matted, ready for tabletop use.

For an example of what Magic Wash can do, look here: skin painted black, with a blue Magic Wash applied.

Oil and acrylic paints are not exclusive -- both can be used on the same figure, as long as each is fully dried/cured before the other is applied. Both have their pro's and their con's. Cheers!

I loved the Humbrol oil paints when I started to paint 25mm figures. I have transitioned to acrylics over the years because I find them easier to work with and they have good coverage. There is also an almost endless supply of colors, if you take the craft paints into consideration.

I always considered oil paints to be the thick ones in tubes.
I never considered Humbrol, Pactra, Testors etc to be oils.

But, no. As soon as Uncle Duke, RIP, did his snake oil presentation of Heritage paints at a convention, I never looked back.

I still use the "solvent paints" for extremely specialized tasks, like Flat Brown on gravel for terrain, or drybrush Steel over black prime for knight armor.
I've gone over exclusively to craft acrylic, or even quick washes.

Yep, enamel paints are getting hard to find, Humbrol is steadily decreasing the number of colours in their range. You could try Revell, but die-hard enamel painters, like me, are probably going to have change eventually as most people use acrylics and manufacturers would rather not make two types of paint if they don't have to.

Oils get used for grim dark techniques where you slobber an earthy grimy oil color over the whole, already painted, mini, then with the assistance of mineral spirits, q-tip off the highlights, leaving mucky grime in the recesses.

Monument Hobbies (Pro-Acryl) has an acrylic version called Newsh that creates the same effect.

I've never used oil paints. I started with enamels back in the late 60s / early 70s, but then switched to acrylics and never looked back

I still use Humbrol Enamels – though I had to use an acrylic colour recently, and it was ok. I have no problems getting my enamels in the UK, from Fenwick's department store in Newcastle and many online retailers, for example:
Humbrol sell direct
ScaleModelShop
Jadlam toys and Models
Wonderland Models
etc, etc – also look on e-bay and Amazon if you don't mind paying top dollar!

Yes! "Enamels" is the term I was looking for and couldn't think of. Mi used hobby enamels exclusively until I discovered acrylics.

Half my Napoleonic French are done in proper artists oil paints, my friend David painted them that way back in the 1970s. Mine ar all enamel (original) or acrylic (anything painted after 1995).

There are lots of yoo tooby things about using artist oils, but not enamels. And yes, I'm old enough to have used humbrol.

Having used all types, acrylic is the way to go, unless you want a specific effect, along the lines what's in videos. The latest acrylics – pro acryl, army painter fanatic, AK 3rd generation are significantly better than previous ranges

Lots of people are happy with craft acrylics, although I find the ceramcoat better than the others. I use craft paints for scenery and bases, but prefer the smoothness and flexibility of the hobby paints for the miniatures themselves

Don't ignore contrast/speed/xpress. It works, but needs some messing around to get a specific effect or color

John

Consensus on proper artists' oils used to be that you got a color a day, though I'm sure you could improve that a little by not painting adjacent colors.

Not sure any improvement in the paint--as opposed to the painting--would be worth the additional fuss.

Yes, the main problem with artists oils is that they take days to dry (which of course is a huge benefit when working on a painting) . Iirc one of Leonardo Da Vincis paintings never dried and he binned it.

Over the past few years a number of new acrylic paint lines have been released, and others reformulated. But other than the aforementioned washes and weathering products, I can't think of any new enamel lines released. I think that's pretty telling with regards to where the current market stands.

I just can't see me ever going back to the pain involved in clean up from oil paints.

Very interesting and informative info from everyone. Much appreciated. I reckon, depending on the availability of humbrol paints, I might stick to using oil for now, especially since I have quite a few unused tins. However, the shops within travelling distance for me, that did actually sell humbrol, are closing down one by one, so it might be a case of having to go over to Acrylic paints eventually. I guess time will tell.

I used solvent-based (oil-based?) Minwax Polyshades Urethane Stain for shading/washing my figures, for many years. They typically required 4+ days to fully cure/dry.

I discovered that if I baked them, at 170-200 F, for 30 minutes, they came out fully dried/cured. I bought a very large, used 16-quart Slow Cooker/countertop oven (crock pot), at an estate sale, for curing my Minwax'ed figures: I set it for 170-200 F, bake them in the garage to let the fumes escape harmlessly, outside of my breathing spaces, and they came out ready for matte clear coat . Metal figures melt at 700+ F, while plastic figures melt at 300-400 F -- they get soft. I had around two plastic figures partially melt, out of more than 400 figures I have baked in that Slow Cooker. Those two figures melted because I was baking/curing/drying them in my garage, in sub-freezing temperatures, and the oven tried to compensate for all of the heat is was losing in the garage -- it could not maintain proper temperature, as it was never designed to be used below normal room temperatures. I only use that Slow Cooker for curing my figures -- I will never use it for food.

I switched to water-based Minwax formulas, several years ago: no odors (the solvent-based figures give off a noxious, noisome odor, for around 10+ years…), and they air-dry completely, in around 30 minutes, without applying any heat.

Acrylic paints are water-based, they air-dry within 15-20 minutes, w/o any heat; they are readily available, and they provide decent coverage (the pigment load is much higher in hobby paints, as opposed to craft paints, but I am cheap, so I go for craft paints… "They're freakin' everywhere, Man!"). Unless you have a special situation requiring oil paints, I recommend switching to acrylics. Cheers!

Acrylic spray paints, with waterproof inks from art shops, for horses, especially chestnut coloured bays and even more so for true chestnut horses. Acrylic (mostly Vallejo) and washes for humans. Contrast technique for plastic horses only, as most metals have pitted surfaces, which are only exaggerated as the holes fill with the paint.

I tried artists oils in the early 70s and waited days and days for each to dry. Burnt Sienna on a white base and then rubbed off was a great effect back then for larger horses 1/32. Contrast does it now and dries in minutes.

What an interesting thread

Enamels for me!

If you use artist oils on metal figures, you can dry them overnight with a light box. Mine is a cheap metal tool box with a light socket on one end and a hole in the side for the power cord. Don't use it for plastics, unless you are looking for a slouching, droopy look. Ask me how I know.

Wow! Some of the efforts and techniques people have employed are very impressive and time consuming. But with only recently having moved up to the 28mm scale, I just have a few miniatures to work on, for now. I also decided to have another go at obtaining and painting up some smaller (15mm/18mm) scale miniatures, due to the added bonus of costing less and requiring less space etc. The smaller scale miniatures did look really good (before I tried painting them) but, despite the fact my mind (and wallet) said yes, my eyes said no. So it is the 28mm scale for me from now on and who knows what will happen in the future, paint wise. And I'll also be sticking with humbrol oils, well, while they are still available. LOL

Oil paints make good washes like AK Streaking Grime

You can put it on and then use thinner to wipe it away. It's also great for panel lining

Never used oils and been painting for nearly 60 years. Started with Humbtol enamels, moved on to Plaka paints, which I really liked. They are casein based paints, take dilution ver w ell and most of my 1980s era Russian army were done with them. Firvtge last 25 years or so almost exclusively acrylics, various brands, both hobby and craft paints. Coupled with a "Magic Wash", they produce a very useable tabletop finish.
I do know a few people who use oils specifically for painting horses and I have to admit it produces a very fine look, but is very time consuming.

Always used Humbrol enamels for over 60 years.

Rod

Right on Rod – humbrol enamels forever! I guess I will stick with them while they are still attainable. But I do respect the skills, determination and incredibly amazing paintwork that others have produced, whatever their preferred choice of paints. Not sure what my standard will be, since I will be painting larger scale miniatures than before, but I'll keep on trying and I won't let myself accept a 'oh that will do' sort of attitude. Well, not yet anyway. LOL