I use a variety of paints. I began using Citadel paints from GW. These paints are solid and I still use some of them. I have tended towards using the Airbrush ready paints of late as they don’t require thinning. Around 2 years ago I began transitioning to Vallejo paints but one citadel paint will forever remain in my collection, Rhinox Hide.

I bloody love this colour. I use it in pretty much every paint job. It can be used for shading in place of black , for facial features, bandages, and wood. it’s my go to colour and while I have tried other options nothing compares.

Vallejo paints have the benefit of coming in dropper bottles which allow you to easily add paint to your wet palette without the need for a brush. The range has a wide variety of colours and retains good pigmentation. Barbarian Flesh, Is a standard colour I use a lot in flesh tones.

Around a year ago I began to read about Scale Colour paints and how they are the paints of choice for high level painters so I purchased a set and tried using them. They come in a different consistency to Vallejo and citadel paints and are more of challenge to thin correctly. However, they do give excellent coverage and the colours have a matt finish that photographs really well. I would recommend them if you would like to push to the next level.

BRUSHES

I will start out by saying that I go through A LOT of brushes so I am by no means an expert. I traditionally used Windsor Newton brushes but after becoming frustrated with how quickly they were losing their tips (roughly 6 months) I recently switched to Raphael Series brushes and have been very impressed. They hold paint well and the tips have remained intact for over 6 months of heavy use. I use size 0 and 1. Investing in brushes may seem a waste of good model funds but honestly if you want to produce good paint jobs its almost impossible without the right tools. Each time I have tried using cheaper brushes I have quickly become frustrated at how poorly they hold paint or the tip has bent within 4-5 painting sessions. Invest and you wont regret it.



In terms of brush maintenance I use Masters Brush cleaner to clean the brushes at the end of every other paint session. There are plenty of videos on You Tube demonstrating how to do this effectively. The plastic bristle protectors should always be kept on the brushes when you aren’t using them and if possible they should be stored pointing straight down with the brush end at the bottom. Use an old brush for mixing paints. Use a brush that is losing its point for base coats. Save one brush for fine lines only. This brush only gets used for 5 minutes each miniature but it has the finest point and is used for all detailed lines, eyes, markings, scratches, and anything else that requires fine control.

PREPARATION