Up until this point I've been using apple barrel. My wife said I could get some better modeling paints when my taxes come in, so I was wondering what's good? I'm definitely picking up some of that Taimya transparent paint so I can work on some electric and flame work, but for normal painting which is better? Taimya or Citadel? Or is it really just up for personal preference.

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I like Citadel better, but Tamiya is good too. You can't go wrong either way. I've noticed that Citadel dries better for me and doesn't "gunk" up as much (it's a little thinner, I've found), but again - both are really great.

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I've only used a couple of Citadel paints, and I didn't mind them, but also haven't gone back for more. I was using mostly model masters/Testors Acryl, and still have a large supply of those, but I have recently switched to Tamiya for most of my colors, with the exception of the fleshtones. I really don't like the way the Tamiya flesh tone finishes. It's smooth - but almost too much so for a realistic flesh appearance. I use a mixture of thinned out Apple Barrel and model masters for the flesh tones. For normal painting I now probably use Tamiya about 60% of the time, as well as other random leftover colors and brands mixed in as need be.

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I mostly use Model Master acrylics. I've got a few odd shades, in other brands. Mostly Polly Scale, and Vellejo. Both of them are kind of soft, so need a good clear coat, and I find the Vellejo's require a primer, to stick to toy plastics. I use my Model Master acrylic primers, with it. I've also still got a bunch of regular Testors acrylics. Some of them are old enough to stil have Pactra labels on them.

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Vallejo's fantasy color line is a direct copy of Citadels. Citadel dries out to much for me in the bottle, and it seems a little more expensive.
If you can find Reaper pro paints get them, they have a pretty large palette, and sell colors in triads (base color, and two highlights premixed).
Still I can't deny Delta Ceramcoat paints: Maybe too thick but they have the largest and cheapest palette on the market! I went back to using Ceramcoat after years of using Vallejos!

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I use Model Masters Acrylics and Pollyscale, but lately I have been trying Appel Barrel for brighter non traditional colors. But I have used Tymira and Citidel in the past.

The Testors products (MM and Polly) and head and sholders obove the Apple Barrel and Citidel for the kind of painting I do. I like the way the Testors coats.

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Honestly, I use whatever is easier to track down. None of the hobby shops around me carries Citadel anymore. I still use what colors I have for them but I'm slowly moving away from them. Again, none of the hobby shops around me carry Model Master Acrylics. The few I have do get used quite a bit, but I have to pick them up whenever I'm on the road. So, by default I use Tamiya. You do have to mix them a lot more then some of the other paints. When say say "flat" they aren't joking. I had to add some matte clear coat to give it a more plastic looking shine.

They all have their positives and negatives. MM goes on the smoothest for me. Citadel provides the widest range of colors of the 3 since they are fantasy based. Tamiya isn't really the best at anything, well maybe transparent colors, but it tends to be average in all of the categories I judge in and #1 in availability. So I guess that makes it versatile and easy to get. If you're not sure then do what I did and buy some of each. Try them out and see what paints you like best. As you can already see, few of us swear by just one brand. Which makes sense because you might prefer this ones flesh and that ones silver and yet another ones black.

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Millsy...whatever you decide on...bring it to the meet.

I need all the help I can get in the figure paints.

I have one bottle of Citadel paint. The Vallejo I've used isn't to my knowledge out of the fantasy line, but there's a huge difference in the paints. The Vallejo is thinner, goes on smoother, and very evenly. It also dries dead flat. The Citadel I've got dries glossy, seems more prone to brush marks, too. The Vallejo is still what I consider a thick paint, but it seems to level itself, nicely. Not sure how hard the Citadel dries. I've only used it on a model railroad structure or two, so I've had no reason to see how easily it's damaged.

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I can't find citadel or vallejo anywhere in a reasonable driving distance. A local shop about 10 minutes away that carries mainly Badger and Pollyscale and one half an hour away also carries Tamiya and MM. I started out with Badger and Pollyscale from the local place and ended up liking the coverage and smoothness of Badger, but both seem to stay soft or get sticky even tho they're acrylic. Right now I have a couple of MMs to mix flesh tones and mostly Tamiya for colors, since MMs are $4 a pop and Tamiya's only $2.20. Maybe there's a reason for that. I do have a MM flat gray that gives me good coverage and smoothness, but requires a lot of mixing or it'll go on glossy. I have to try more to decide. I'm pretty happy with the Tamiya, but it takes a lot of thinning and coats really have to cure for a while before you can recoat or you'll have issues. I rarely get one coat coverage with Tamiya, which can also be frustrating. It's fussy but cheap.

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Model Master Acryl acrylics. I've dabbled with Tamiya a little and other than the smell it's fine. But I stick to Model Master. They haven't done me wrong yet. And I can get almost all of the colors I need.

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I use Citadel as my base. But to get that semi gloss shine, I sometimes use Tamiya or Gunze Sangyo as a second coat.

I've been thinking of using Citadel exclusively but I recently found a new brand: Formula P3 by Privateer Press. The color range is comparable to Citadel as well as the paint coverage but the consistency is nothing like I've ever seen before; it has this rubbery kind of consistency and it dries not too flat, not too gloss.

http://www.plyconskeep.com/paints/formula_p3_paints.htm

- JM

This one intrigues me. I just read a bunch of reviews and it seems like a good one. And only 2.50 a bottle online. I'll have to see if Hobbytown carries it.

Thanks for the rest of the ideas guys(and gal). Still not sure whats right for me though. I think I'm just gonna buy a couple of each and figure it out for myself.

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i have always used acrylics (normally tamiya, easy to get here!) but recently tried enamels.......
as long as you use a good primer they go on really smoothly, drying time is a pain (tamiya aint too bad) but they dry really hard, so rubbing/chipping is unlikely especially if you file down any awkward joints.
was really sceptical about enamels, but im converted now!

Enamels don't get along well with softer PVC plastics, like the modern style Joes use. My experience with model enamels has also been that they'll absorb skin oils, and become sticky and gummy, with too much handling. I switched over to acrylics a long time ago, because I didn't like fumes from the solvent based thinners and brush cleaners they require.

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