Plaka. Why?

[Captain Blood]

Now I know the Prof and one or two other excellent miniatures painters use Plaka - and I must say, I used to have a Plaka orange about 25 years ago which I loved and used a lot.

But having recently found an art shop that sells it in London, I bought a few jars and discovered:

I don't like the smell of Plaka.
It's damnably thick and glutinous.
It doesn't seem to mix very well with acrylics.
And it seems to have a slightly 'micatellic' quality - like minerals in the mix...

Is it just me? Am I using it wrong or failing to see the true potential?

So you painters who swear by it - how do you use it, and what is it that you like about it? 

[Svennn]

Horses for courses my dear Captain.

I have not used any Plaka for over twenty years because I cannot get hold of it without paying a kings ransom in postage but my main memory is of a very dense pigment mix which I have never seen equalled. I would actually like to do what you have done and re-try them.

I on the other hand find the appeal of Vallejo baffling. I have a few esoteric colours but absolutely hate the dripper bottles, the amount of work getting them into a useable consistency and I find they don't mix with others well either.

But then I know that we are both happy to use craft paints which many would never dream of. How much of that is snob value I could not guess but adds to the evidence that we are all different in tastes and long may it continue.

[rob_the_robgoblin]

I used craft paints once upon a time.

Never tried Plaka.

Have tried artist acrylics, but find them harder to use (size of the pots).

I like GW (or similar) paints. They are a nice size, easy consistency to work with and I have never felt the need to change.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it... 

[white knight]

Never tried it.

However, I use coat d'arms, vallejo and (when I have to) GW as well as DecoArt craft paints and all seem to mix reasonably well. IMO all have their good and their bad shades.

[Greystreak]

In the 1970s, when paint choices were fewer and farther between, Plaka had a near 'mythic' status, particularly for metallics.  It appears some 'old dogs' may have over-egged the pudding? 

[Orctrader]

Only have a couple of colours.  Had heard about them and saw an art shop selling it.

Seems gloopy, but then I add lots of water to all my paints.  Seemed to mix OK with acrylics, but then I find if you add enough water anything will mix with anything.  Even Rackham paints - I got a few cheap - which is more like a gel.

As most of you alreay know, I use paints from most ranges, intermix freely and mix my own colours as I go.  But certainly there are easier paints than Plaka to use.

Figures below.  The jacket is Plaka as the main colour - don't recall it's name.  A VGC dark brown mixed in for the first layer.  Terracotta mixed in for the highlight.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I used Plaka paints some years ago (picked them up for less than 1Euro each in Austria or Germany).

I found them too thick, but didn't have any issues mixing with other acrylic brands.

Not sure I would buy them now - I find GW and Vallejo Game Color suits me better. (I don't have any issues with the 'dropper bottles, in fact I think I prefer them to the flip-top GW pots).

Tony
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/

[Prof.Witchheimer]

I don't like the smell of Plaka.

me too

In the meantime I hardly use Plaka. There's no reason anymore. In the past they had some unique colours and were relatively cheap compared to GW and others. Now you can get almost everything from Vallejo and Foundry. Plaka time is over for me.

[fastolfrus]

Haven't tried Plaka, personally I like Tamiya acrylics (although some of them smell dreadful).

Glynis likes alkyds but you have to use thinners with them.

[sepoy1857]

I haven't tried them yet, but I hear some get really nice reds with Plaka. I use Foundry, Coat d'arms, and Vallejo mostly with a few odd craft paints (mostly for basing and terrain).  I don't really like Foundry reds unless you are looking for a sort of faded pinkish red.

[white knight]

a sort of faded pinkish red.

cowboy underwear?