Army Painter Warpaints - are they all this bad?

[Charlie_]

For what it's worth I emailed Army Painter yesterday about my own problems with the dark tone wash, basically politely asking if they'd changed the recipe or something.

Got a reply today - they didn't know anything about why I'm having problems, but asked for my address so they could send me some replacement bottles. So that's good!

[Dags]

I've got a few but always store them upside down so the pigment and carrier separate. Just use the pigment and thin with Vallejo Glaze Medium

[Orctrader]

I've only ever bought one bottle so can't really comment.  But...

...The skellie is brilliant.   

[Nordic1980s]

I have shaken it and stirred it to no effect. It is thinly pigmented, glutinous, translucent shite. And dries shiny. Probably the worst paint I've ever had the misfortune to put on a brush.

About a year ago I bought ~10 of their paints, plus many of their washes/inks. The washes/inks were excellent (even better than P3 inks IMHO) and would buy again. The actual paints were horrible. No matter how much I would shake the paint bottle, the paint would come out as thin, watery or gelatinous blobs, with some paint flecks there and here. Even on a palette I couldn't get the ingredients to mix properly into a smooth consistency!

It was wintertime back then and I wonder if the AP paints contain some ingredients vulnerable to frost damage. Most acrylic paints should be as such immune to frost damage, but some paint additives are vulnerable to frost damage. I have been painting miniatures since 1997 and have never ever encountered that same issue with Citadel, Miniature Paints, Tamiya, Decorlack, Coat 'd Arms, P3 or Stynylrez colours, no matter what time of the year the paints were bought or ordered by mail.

Edit: Keith you're a master painter!

[Sir_Theo]

I've used AP paints quite a lot over the last few years and in the main I've been very happy with them. I have had a few duff bottles but I've had that with Vallejo as well.

What I will say is that I'm not sure if they have changed their recipe or something because they do seem to need more shaking than they used to.

[Captain Blood]

Well it seems that the thin, gelatinous experience is not that uncommon with this product...

Like you Jon, I also store all my paints upside down and just draw off the thick stuff for painting. This works a treat with Vallejo bottles.
Unfortunately with the Army Painter paint in question, there is no thick stuff - it’s just an entire bottle of uniformly thin, under-pigmented jelly 
Sounds like your approach is the best one Charlie... Let’s see if they can send me a bottle of paint that actually looks and behaves like paint, rather than a kind of gel...
(Do you happen to have their email address? )

[ced1106]

No problems here. Vigorously shake the paints, and all that. Can also thin with their washes.

[Dr. Zombie]

I have the reverse problem. The few bottles of army painter I have are thick and chunky. The consistency of semidry wood glue really. And when I try to thin the paint so I can actually paint with it. It sort of separates.

I like their inks and use them by the gallon.

But it would seem that they really have some serious quality control issues with the paints.

[waitwhat]

Likewise - it seems like the medium and the pigment split into unusable oil and tar. I only use them for scenery now as they are just a PITA in smaller amounts.

[Mindenbrush]

I have a few that I use with Vallejo and Reaper, initially I thought they were 'greasy' but a good shake seems to have cured that and I find them as good a VMC and Reaper.

[digid]

I have had mixed success with Army Painter paints. Some seem to be good, and most seem to be very bad. If I have a choice I will not purchase any more.
I will stick with Vallejo, Reaper, Privateer Press, and Citadel, but the PP and Citadel get transferred to dropper bottles.
I also tried some of the AK, and MIG paints which I am very happy with.
I have mixed feelings with Scale 75. I find it a little to glossy, does not stick well and has a tendency to lift off the model if you do not let it dry fully before adding the 2nd coat.

I also will not buy paint in the winter, as the paint freezing can have a very bad effect on it. I have noticed that paints that I purchased through the mail in the winter separates easily, and goes bad fast. If I need paints in the winter time I get them from my FLGS only.

Dale

[Codsticker]

I have had mixed success with Army Painter paints. Some seem to be good, and most seem to be very bad. If I have a choice I will not purchase any more.

I feel exactly the same.

[Malebolgia]

Same here, I also find AP subpar (apart from the washes and the matt varnish) and don't bother with them.
If people are looking for great alternative acrylics, I can really recommend the Italeri acrylics. Excellent coverage and even paints like white go on smooth without being chalky. Love them a lot!
It's this range:

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I have not used Army Painter very much (I have the sprays - which tend to be a bit on the thick side).

I did have some dud Vallejo way back when which sounds like the problem described in the initial post.

I have found the Stone Golem and Skeleton Bone to be fine. The Chaotic Red seems a bit odd.

[Codsticker]

If people are looking for great alternative acrylics, I can really recommend the Italeri acrylics. Excellent coverage and even paints like white go on smooth without being chalky. Love them a lot!

Never heard of the range Malebolgia- thanks for pointing it out.