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Author Topic: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?  (Read 1100 times)

Offline StreetBushido

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 62
I'm currently working on my Blood Bowl team, and their team colours are red and white. The paints I'm using are from Vallejo.

The difficulties with working with light colours like white are quite well known, but I decided to go ahead with it anyway. Now, I'm trying to get around the issues of painting white over other (darker) colours by basecoating in white. However, occasionally I need to neaten things up a bit and I've noticed that it takes so many layers to get a halfway decent looking finish.

What I'm looking for now, then, are brands of paint that give good coverage for light colours without having to paint a bazillion layers. I'm not really looking for "the best paint" because that's subjective, but I am looking for paints that give good coverage, even with light colours.

Any recommendations?

Online Hammers

  • Amateur papiermachiéer
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Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2017, 08:17:34 AM »
I'm currently working on my Blood Bowl team, and their team colours are red and white. The paints I'm using are from Vallejo.

The difficulties with working with light colours like white are quite well known, but I decided to go ahead with it anyway. Now, I'm trying to get around the issues of painting white over other (darker) colours by basecoating in white. However, occasionally I need to neaten things up a bit and I've noticed that it takes so many layers to get a halfway decent looking finish.

What I'm looking for now, then, are brands of paint that give good coverage for light colours without having to paint a bazillion layers. I'm not really looking for "the best paint" because that's subjective, but I am looking for paints that give good coverage, even with light colours.

Any recommendations?

A basic recommendadtion is to stick to hobby colours (like the best knows model hobby posts) and stay clear of acrylic artist colours (like W&N, Liquitex)

Vallejo  (and I suppose a few other hobby paint brands) has a range of "heavy" paints, meaning they have a higher pigment saturation. Vallejo's basic line has, as a rule, a satisfying pigmentation  but I personally find that it differs from colour to colour. It seems like some pigments, no matter the ratio between pigment and medium, gives poorer coverage than others, most notably (chrome) yellows.

Offline redzed

  • Mastermind
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    • redzed
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2017, 08:30:58 AM »
big question with a plethora of possible answers  :)

..but.... for white use Vallejo Sea Grey 158 as a basecoat, Yellow will always be a problem regardless of brand - either paint it white first and then yellow or try Vallejo Game extra opaque Heavy Ochre as a basecoat.  Anoother trick is to always store your Vallejo upside down and never shake them, that way you always get thick pigments on your palette.
For red use VMC Burnt Cadmium Red [34]
Commission Painting undertaken, PM or email me.

Offline Nord

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    • Nord's Painting Saga
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2017, 08:48:12 AM »
I use coat d'arms paints. I nearly always prime white. Most colours go over the white with one smooth and thinned coat. If a little white shows through your translucent colour, that's not necessarily a bad thing - it's instant highlighting. I have always found vallejo to be a little "oily" or thick.

Offline StreetBushido

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 62
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2017, 10:54:23 AM »
Thanks for the recommendations!

For the red, I'm using Vallejo's Scarlet Red, which has decent coverage. Nothing amazing, but after about two layers it looks good, even against black.

My orc team will be a mustard yellow and white (yeah, I'm definitely not doing things the easy way here, it seems!) and for my test mini I used Game Workshop's Averland Sunset from their Citadel Base line. That line seems to have a high pigment density which gives them good coverage.

Looking up some swedish retailers it seems like Vallejo's Extra Opaque line doesn't include a plain white, which is a shame. Maybe I'll go with Game Workshop's Citadel Base Ceramite White.

I'm a new convert to Army Painter's Quickshades, and I'm following their "method" of priming, basecoating, dipping/splashing (I prefer to paint on the quickshade) and anti-glossing. The colours I've chosen give good results after a hit of Strong Tone Quickshade.

Offline StreetBushido

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 62
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2017, 10:13:48 AM »
Any further suggestions?

Offline SteveBurt

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1286
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2017, 03:34:04 PM »
I disagree about artists's paints - they give very good coverage if you select the 'opaque' varieties rather than the translucent ones.
They generally have higher pigment content that hobby paints.
If you want red or yellow to cover over black, use an opaque undercoat (e.g. red oxide or yellow oxide, both of which cover very well).
An even better suggestion is to avoid black undercoats; they deaden the colours (or force you to use many coats).
I'd also avoid white undercoat as any missed parts show up starkly.
I much prefer mid-toned undercoats - grey or tan.


Offline stone-cold-lead

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1709
Re: Which paints give the best coverage in the fewest (thin) coatings?
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2017, 03:58:15 PM »
GW base paints.

 

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