Army painter was what led me to paint again. It was cheap and I bought their mega set. I've been painting for more than 3 years with it and although I hate some colours I love them. They brought me here again. And they have an astounding client service. That is all I have to say and for me ... it is more than enough.
Yup, this is EXACTLY how I feel. I got the same set too ^.^ I painted my entire War of the Ring game with them. Maybe it's because the minis there are really rudimentary, but I think they turned out really good. I'm quite proud of the job that I did. One thing that I noticed immediately though is their inconsistent quality. Most paints are okay, but some are just unusable. The yellow for the shields of the Haradrim for instance didn't fully cover no matter how many layers I put on. And the black I had to add water to because it had the consistency of a fresh donut. I will say though when compared to other brands, you do get your money's worth, which is great for beginners.
Honestly most of the stuff from Army Painter I have bought I don't mind.. But, I will never buy the spray cans... I had 2 cans both bought from different sources.. Both nozzles clogged after first use and were unusable afterwards.
I appreciate your honesty, I use army painter paints and lean into what they do well and I get great results! Range access was a big draw for me- having a big box with a large variety for a good price is worth quite a bit. I’m not a professional or daily painter, but army painter paints work great for me!
Same here, I really like their paints. Thing is, I'm a maintenance manager in hotels and have used various paints over the years for painting rooms, walls, skirting boards etc etc. Some are good, some are bad but either way the job needs to be done so you work out how to make it work for you. For example, Dulux Diamond Matt is as thick as pig shit and works a lot better when you dilute it down a bit. You get the same great coverage without your hand feeling like it'll fall off after one wall has been done. I honestly have no basis for comparison with hobby paints as I've only used Army painter but I worked with them, added some water here and there, worked out what ones need an extra coat, what needs more water etc. All I can say is git gud.
I nearly quit the hobby before I even really got started because of army painter. I shouldn’t have to pour out medium or shake it for five minutes every time I use them. I seriously thought I needed five plus layers to get good coverage with BLUE.
@@Grunkaa1 It was the same with me. When I painted my first miniature I got so frustrated with myself, because I thought it's my fault that nothing works, when I just had paint that didn't wan't to cover, didn't wan't mix and didn't want to flow (guess the brand I was using). I lost interest for years until I came buy a GW store, where I painted a space marine, in store with their paints. Yes, Citadel paints a fckng expensive and the pots a hideous...but you know what, they also just fckng work. The last thing beginners need, is to fight the tools they are working with. I like to compare it with learning guitar playing. The worst Idea parents can have, is to buy the cheapest guitar they can find, just to see if the child will stick to the hobby. A good musician can play on about everything, but a beginner needs an instrument that, if nothing else, at lest has a decent setup and good playability.
Army painter is a paint line for people who literally don't give a damn about themselves, don't know how to research or find the "base and dunk in a tube of quickshade" idea appealing, their opinions are so worthless in weight in the grand scheme of things because if you take one of them and actually sit them down and teach them what they've misunderstood I am pretty sure they will never touch AP ever again. They don't know paints well and I know this comes off as elitist but honestly the opinion of someone like say vince whose tried a ton of paints is going to hold more weight than the opinion of someone who settled on just AP because they were the cheapest and locally found thing , you spend what 10 pence more per bottle to go from a 3/10 paint to a 7/10 paint bottle, in a market place where you got stuff like vallejo, ak interactive etc there is no excuse, I'd actually argue that ak interactive 3rd gen is essentially the holy grail of paints right now in that you don't have to shake them that much, they just work, they are matte so your paintjob doesn't look like a reflective monstrosity, they are affordable etc etc etc Like seriously there's one common denominator amongst those who like/use army painter; "I'm not a serious painter" "I'm not a good painter" "I haven't got any time". Yeah, I get that, especially the time to paint shit because if you used AP long enough you'd realize their one objective failing, Reliability, their products are hilariously well known to have issues, from can malfunctions to medium going bad. Ironically you don't save money with them, amount of dumb mofo who are like "oh I want to save money on paints" then also proceed to say shit like "so I bought the army painter mega set" It's like... are you serious? So you saved money by wasting a ton on money on mediocre paints that aren't that much better than hobby craft paints? bravo. If you really wanted to save money you can get like 10 paints and be able to make almost every single one yourself, if you don't want to mix because red + blue = purple is hard then just grab the paints you need as you need them, save a ton of money and not end up with like a hundred paints you'll never use because you have f all time to do stuff. I've never met a good AP painter, because before the paint will ever let them down they usually have let down themselves already. Like I'd bet money to you that AP is only still in business because of taking advantage of painters who know no better. And the arrogance that some AP painters think they know better than people who are willing to go out and try every brand and really put in the time to test shit is so disrespectful. Army painter doesn't appeal to the broke, trust me I would know, if you want good results then AP actually takes more time from you than most other paints on market so it's not good for those who "are low on time", they are not reliable so the investment will sometimes go bad and the only people that it appeals to seem to be either misinformed or I'll be harsh af here, morons.
Agreed, I have only about 10 standard Army Painter paints in my collection and I only use the black. But I have the entire air paint and speedpaint lines and I absolutely love them. The customer service is spectacular, and their washes are incredible as well
While I'm very much a Vallejo Model Colour and Citadel for specialty and metallic paints kinda guy, the army painter silver and range of pinks are absolutely fantastic, if maybe struggling a bit for coverage.
Well, I tried their speed, really slow, paints and no. They can work but always being sensitive to reactivation forces me to varnish them over... I rather not. I love their tools though, dear me them be goood.
Can’t say I’d go out and buy their paint tomorrow, however, I am impressed they reached out and asked for honest feedback. So many companies these days seem to be uninterested in consumer feedback that isn’t a committee panel or some such bureaucracy. It’s nice to see them reaching out to talented artists and soliciting feedback directly.
They are definitely not a bad company. I think the issue is they are trying to be in every LGS in the world and cheaper than all the other specific miniature paints in the world. When you are going for that reach on equal or possibly less resources than say Citadel, the quality will vary. I will say to them, don't change the washes. Dark Tone beats Nuln Oil in my opinion.
I rather enjoy their air line, I love that they don't do the pots, makes them much easier to work with. And flows consistently with just flow improver. At least in my experience.
@@Bonesawisready926 I will say though..I do wish they also had a version of their washes that wasn't so glossy.With GW charging same for 6ml less now I need to find an alt. to Agrax, but Strong tone is just too glossy. I know Matte varnish will help, but only so much
And it feels like they are improving. I love their washes and the speedpaints. And from the air range their rewiew are very solid. Their same colour over diffrent paint is rly good as is their easy colour sytem.
I shared your exact same sentiment for the early video with AP products, they felt, ehhh.... a lot was left desired. However, once I became a more mature painter, I really leaned into them and found my home. The Warpaints line needs a lot of TLC, the medium is thick and require experience. After I bought a massage gun (I use it as a paint shaker), learned to create my own thinning solutions (different combinations of additives like mediums, glazing, flow improver, retarder, etc..), and put some damn ball bearings in those paints, their usability took off. I now regularly use the Warpaints line with great success. The Air range on the other hand, I just absolutely adore. I now reccomend all new painters to actually brush paint with the Air line over the Warpaints, everything I do manually to the Warpaints line to make them sing are basically just done for you already in Air. That's not to speak to their Washes and Speedpaint which are just S-tier for their role. My only criticism of AP now is that their Washes & Speedpaints don't have more options, which I hope resolves with time.
It’s always seemed like Army Painter’s gimmick has been “look we have stuff that will get stuff painted and get them on the table.” I think their metallics are really good and the tones are actually some of the best products they make so I’m a little bummed that they weren’t featured because they are definitely stand outs. AP is all about painting stuff and getting it on the table and that’s where they shine
That’s why we’re called The Army Painter and not the Mini Painter right? Get more time for gaming! But that’s not all we hope our products can do. Thanks for the comment.
I'm just starting out, and the *very* nice woman at the hobby store said straight up, "if you're just starting out in a hobby, don't spend a ton of money on 'the good stuff.' This will let you see if you actually *like* painting miniatures without having to get a mortgage on your house."
I got started in the hobby with the AP Mega set. Struggled a bit at first, but then learned how "lean into what the paint does best". I've since purchased a couple Vallejo paints to have a good coverage basecoat for colours I use frequently (whites, browns, greys, etc.), but otherwise I still mostly use AP today, especially for layering. Their washes are great as are their metallics. Fully endorse Jon's message - paint with what you have and go with the flow.
Like a lot of people, I started with Army Painter paints, though they were labeled under D&D Starter Paint set. I've had a few issues with the paints, but it was mostly user error. A few of there paints have major quality issues but quite a few are solids I use in nearly paint job even now that I've branched out to other brands. Black, white, Brain matter beige, and skeleton bone. Thanks for giving them another chance and an honest one.
I've only tried tufts, mixing balls and some tools from Army Painter, never their paints. That being said, I dont think you should be too brand-focused; I myself use paints from Citadel, Vallejo, MIG, Liquitex, Green Stuff World etc.
@@steveisaak4320 I've only tried Liquitex inks. Titanium White has become a staple as a zenithal highlight I many of my works. I've also used other transparent inks for different effects. With Green Stuff World I've mostly used their metallic colour shift paints, which are really cool, but also some of the inks. All in all nice tools for your projects!
I feel like a lot of painters get a specific paint they use and get so used to it that they don't look at the good qualities of other paint brands and focus on what they don't like.
This is one of many of the reasons that I love watching Ninjon and Miniac. I always feel like I’m hearing an honest and down to earth opinion or experience of this amazing hobby. I found it at a rough time in my life and it has been an amazing miniature painting experience so far. One of my very first experiences of John was listening to that original mini painting review. So seeing him come back and re-address army painter and re-evaluate it really has been so much fun. Thank you and keep up the awesome work! Can’t wait to listen to the next TUP!
The guys at Army Painter have hands down the best social media and incluencer marketing team of all the paint brands, but also the best and honest customer and brand communication. They where the first paints I have bought and they will have a special place in my heart.
Can i just say that you are the greatest inspiration for me? Even your sped-up painting footage gives me so many ideas i haven't even considered, and testing other 'mediums' / color types. You convert stuff, you paint with craft paints. *chefs kiss*
I haven't used a ton of army painter, but there's one paint I almost ALWAYS buy from them when I find it. Their Gunmetal is spectacular. The only comparable product I've found is Vallejo Metal Color, and as far as I'm concerned that's the gold standard (no pun intended!)
AP's metallics are great. They used to be bad but after that refresh they did a few years ago I find them fabulous. I also really like their speed paints and prefer them to contrasts in a lot of cases. And I like their washes but them drying glossy can be annoying. Their base line acrylics are generally okay. Some I don't like and some I do. I find with AP you really have to shake them. A vortexer can transform what might have been what you thought would be an unusable pot to something that works. Anyways I would never write off an entire company like that. AP has some very good cost to performance paints and tools - and they also have some duds. Ultimately a lot of us also don't live in big cities so if the store near me only sells AP and Citadel what can I do? Shipping acrylic paints in the Canadian winter will just freeze and kill them.
Thank you for this review. I really was upset when so many influencers on YT belittled this brand while in fact (and you have just proved it with this miniature) these colors are as good as the other brands. And I do believe that this review was unbiased and you did it for our education. Hail the justice!
The "emotional damage" bit really caught me off guard. I love the fun you have in your videos. Thanks for keeping the rest of us learning, motivated and entertained! Keep up the best work. You're my favourite miniature painting channel by a long shot.
I got into miniature painting to paint my figures for Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid tabletop game. I did a whole cost analysis for the most cost effective set and ended up buying the large Army Painter set, which came with all their acrylics, washes, and metallics. I completed painting the base box of the game recently. I have incorporated some paints and mediums from other ranges here and there. Ultimately the quality of my painting improved not because of one paint but because of experience. My paint jobs improved more from learning to add blues for shadows and yellows for highlights than using something from another paint range. I think Army Painter gets a lot grief. It is a wonderful range and perfect for anyone painting figures for play. Maybe I could use them to paint for competition but that's just not what I'm here to do.
I think being able to buy a box of paints is an overlooked benefit by many people. I don't live in an Urban center and, frankly, the game stores near me have terrible stock. The paint racks sit like 75% empty for months on end. I can either spend hours on the weekend driving to another store or ship other paints from somewhere - but I live on Canada and acrylics freezing during shipping will ruin them. Being able to just get a big box of a lot of varied colours is nice and you don't feel like you need to run to the store to pick up a paint cause you now want a purple but don't have one or something. This assumes my small scrappy LGS is even open cause their hours are beyond awful.
He looks really great, Jon! A quick tip about focus (that you probably already know): If you can increase the amount of light at your painting desk you could open your camera's aperture (higher F-Stop number) and create a larger focal plane so you have a bit more wiggle room when holding your model. Of course, increasing the light may make it too hard to paint, so I don't know if this will work for you, so take this advice with a grain of salt.
Macro photography needs a lot of light for this reason. Note that depth of field gets shallower the closer you go, so you still need to be in the focal ballpark. More light can't hurt, definitely.
I haven't painted in what feels like over a year. I almost exclusively use army painter paints because of how accessible and cheap it is for me. But I know the mixes need help but cannot afford the vortex mixer I want to get them to work exactly how I imagine they're "supposed to". That being said, this video helped me to realize that I've been seeing my paints as only being able to work one way. I've not tried any of the techniques you did on my paint jobs, and haven't been great about blending things, however I think the next time I sit down to paint I'll have a new perspective. This really encouraged me to stop being afraid and just paint again
Been painting for about 12 years and was always exclusively using citadel. I wanted a dropper bottle replacement and went with AP. Was disappointed by the glossy gel medium and the separation (which worked the vortex to its max). However, it DOES have its place in my collection. That glossy medium makes washes easier by allowing paint to run more smoothly over raised areas. I guess my point is that I love this video and appreciate your takeaway. And I actually appreciated the sponsor ad as well. Keep up the great work, Jon.
Just transfer your citadel paints to droppers. I love citadel paints despite the pots and the price. They are great quality paints but you just loose so much in pots. I will be doing my transfer soon. It's a great way to save paints while not having to switch to another brand
As someone that is constantly broke, Army Painter rocks! I've never understood the stigma with the brand. It may take a bit more to get certain techniques done, but they work very well and are very affordable
I bought one bottle of Strong Tone and I have non-stopped used it and am almost done with it. Only have been inspired to buy more from them as it does something good that Agrax can't at times.
Its because most people think they're beginner when they're really not. Like vallejo you can squeeze out of the bottle, thin, paint and you're done. I found army painters is pretty average at that. The more you use techniques and everything the better they become. I tried them early didn't like them tried them again recently and loved them. They do require more work to really shine but they're amazing. Their metallics are my absolute favorites
Thing is, at least in Germany and Europe, Vallejo costs about the same or sometimes less and many of their paints work a lot better (talking about the model colour line, the game colour line can be hit and miss, but seems to be improved with the new line tho.) My time for hobbies is already split pretty thin between work, household chores and keeping myself in shape, so I don't want to struggle with my painting just because I bought an inferior product.
I like Army Painter alot. I started out with a handful from all paint brands and found myself buying more and more of it. Great Sorcer you painted Jon!!
I really like army painter I've had some of my best stuff using their paints. Definitely think for whatever reason stippling looks the best. However, the main thing is that I really like is how the company operates a rather rare thing these days. I feel your bang on about buying into other ranges to improve. And I can't help but be reminded of what a joiner told me "don't judge a work by the tools judge by the work"
This was a good call from AP. I bought my first sets based on Ninjons first Miniac video and Vincent Vs inks video. Obviously I went Vallejo. Good to see Jon revising his opinion
I learned in general, that I liked using the best tools because I wanted to be sure that it wasn't the tools holding me back, just my own skill. Then there was nothing to blame but my lack of practice. Sort of a motivation for me. However, one thing I learned was that, well, you learn a lot more when you learn the hard way. You progress a lot faster when you use the cheaper, simpler products. Once you get better and learn to work with the challenges for each tool, the better you become, and the more you appreciate better tools. You know how to deal with problems when they arise, and you don't get stumped by little things all the time. It also means that as you progress, the more you need the nicer tools so you're not spending your time fighting the tools, but instead fighting new challenges, like more advanced techniques. This is true for most anything, be it paint, photography, computer programming, you name it. In the end, you become someone that can create the results you want with any tools you have, regardless of the quality. Also, the attitude of the Army Painter is definitely something to respect. Anyone who focuses on just being better, rather than comparing themselves to others is worthy of support.
The reason we say "this paint brand is the best" is because we have struggled with it and fought with it until we learnt how to use them properly, or well enough. Every single brand has issues. I mainly use Vallejo and AK and I think they are good quality and my local store has them at a good price and Army Painter for the Speedpaints because they are affordable and pretty nice to work with on hordes. But Vallejo game color can be pretty inconsistent in coverage, model color doesn't always point out when a paint is actually an ink or wash (looking at you, Smoke and Woodgrain), and AK's metallics look awesome but on the pallet the mica flakes can separate from the paint way faster than both Vallejo's and Citadel's metallics, and Army Painter Speedpaints has the reactivation thing, issue if you will, but I tend to work around it and use it too my advantage. Sure it can be annoying but for the price and efficiency they are great. TLDR; every brand sucks at something, we just like some brands because we know how to work around them and the suckiness they have.
@@slabrankle9794 smoke and woodgrain are good IF you use them correctly… when I first opened them I was confused. Then I tried to use them as a regular wash and ruined parts of my paint job and the overall look of my mini… But when I used smoke as a wash over dark/brown leather with highlights it’s looked awesome. Woodgrain may not be a Citadel/ Army Painter wash but it looks pretty sweet over astrogranite or similar neutral grey texture paints to get a rich earthy look with the red tones many mud/ earthy texture paints don’t have.
I love Army Painter and what they are doing to make painting fun and easy to enjoy. I been using their stuff for a long time. What you did in this video is amazing. Thanks Jon.
I enjoyed this video a lot. I am new to the mini painting game and haven't really started to delve into different companies or products, but it's great to see something like this. The tools don't make the result. They can help, but ultimately it's what you do with it that matters.
As a craft paint user, I really relate to the final thoughts, all paints have strengths and weaknesses, they have some very surprising strengths that I feel balance out their weaknesses. They make great filters and glazes, and work as well as miniature paints through the airbrush.
I'm glad you gave them another shot! I was having a hell of a time getting my army paints to do what I wanted when glazing. I finally broke down a couple weeks ago and ghetto engineered a paint shaker out of an old jig saw and some random left over 3D printed parts from another project. It's hokey as hell, but it works, and I'm super happy with how my AP paints have been behaving since.
I only started the hobby back in January and started with some old Citadel paints a friend gave me and the mega paint set from Army Painter because the price was so reasonable. I love both paints, there are a couple of of my ap paints that i did buy in other brands because the coverage i wasnt happy with but overall i really like them!
All hail the RUclips algorithm gods...I appreciate your insights on this paint, as I have a set and have had some struggles. Your tips however will help me to sort that out!
I've never used their paints, but I love their wet palette! I find their hobby products to be rather good quality in the end--except the black primer is a bit too glossy for my taste. So maybe I ought to try some of their paints and see what I think. I'm all about my Vallejo paints, because I find them excellent all around, but I still find use for my P3 and Citadel paints here and there also, mostly for a specific color or two. Tried Pro Acryl, and I can't put my finger on why, but I don't much care for those paints--their airbrush primer is excellent, though! Good video, and good on AP for reaching out and not being too proud to solicit input from you.
That model was amazing. I have several friends who are happy with Army painter. I personally lean toward Monument Hobbies and GW Contrast, but glad to see AP get a positiveish review. They seem a company to be out to help the hobbyist
@Ninjon I painted my latest mini with Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments Adventurers Paint Set. It came out quite well and really forced me to color mix on my wet pallet and I am pretty proud of it. I am nowhere near your level, but quite proud of my accomplishment. I love painting minis for the pure zen feeling of it. Keep up the awesome work!
I've had some paints in their range I can't stand but Army Painter got me into miniature painting, speed paint is great, and I still have many paints I buy whenever I run out.
I started with Army Painter, thought they were decent enough. But after switching to Reaper I realized the drawbacks and don’t fight as much for what I want to get I put of my paint. I still love their tones and new airbrush paints though.
I have found a few Army Painter paints that are a must have for my paint rack. My favorite is their Rough Iron metallic, I have yet to find anything equivalent to this color and it's coverage it one of the best out of any metallic I have used.
John I gotta say I appreciate the way each of your videos have a pointed theme for each of them. A lot of the thought processes that you emphasize really help me to get a grip on what I might be missing in my own hobbying. Thanks a lot for the vids my man.
I bought Army Painter paints and tools before I saw your vid on Miniac's channel and I thought "Oh no". But since, I've been using what I had and I like them very much. I've bought more Army Painter paints since then. That figure you just painted looks incredible!
The very first paints I bought were a Mega Set of Army Painter paint and I am still using them alongside a bunch of Vallejo, Scale 75, & Turbo Dork paints I've picked up along the way. As long as they're well shaken, they work fine and get the job done. Also if you're like me and your main goal for getting into the hobby was to just make your board game minis more presentable, it's not like you need the most high quality paint on the market to get decent results.
I've been incredibly impressed with their metallics. just recently picked some up and they are really good. the platemail metal is especially surprising as its really smooth with no visible flakes and the speedpaints over top of it let you tint the metal into a rougher coloured metal.
I've never had a problem with Army Painter paints. They've always worked great for me. You really do gotta shake the shyte out of them, though. Vortex mixers obviously help a lot.
Great company. I love their speed paints and quick shade washes - ill use these for ANYTHING. Their paint is...ok. Like, i wouldn't use it to brush paint anything, because i simply have better choices that are more effective, but i have done quite a bit of airbrushing with their paints. And...they don't coat as well as i'd like. But i'll tell ya what: They're ALOT cheaper and just as effective as any GW paint, if not better in most cases.
I struggled a very long time with my Scale 75 colors. But as I didn't want to buy a new paint set. I painted with them until I got a feel for them. Now I love them. I never buy any new paints until I have the feeling I totally understand my current paints.
@@steveisaak4320 Preshading and glazing are your friends. The colors tend to be transparent. So layering takes time. But due to the very matt medium they tend to get also chalky very fast. Further thinning with glaze medium or water or the scale 75 thinner helps very much. I usally do some heavy preshading with thick layers and then work into the midtones and shadows with glazes. As the glazes don' help with the chalkyness I paint stark highlights and smooth them out with the glazes. Don't store them upright. I always have some gel medium in the tip of the nozzle. Even using a vortex mixer. If some unmixed gel medium gets with the paint on the palette the paint will not cover at all. And if you loose too much of the medium over time the paints get chunky. I store them upside down, that helps. But on the side would work too IMO. I still don't like that the dark colors have also some white or ight pigment mixed in. They look dark in the pot but most of the colors don't do well as last shadow colors. Black Leather is one of the best colors. After about painting six years with these colors I now expanded my colors with single pigment heavy body acrylics. I hope this helped. Happy painting!
@@steveisaak4320 More than just zenithal priming. Not a straight grisaille. But I do paint a lot of the highlights before I do the glazes. Sometimes a deliberate drybrush too. But most of the times I enforce the light situation of the zenithal. Something like 'thick, near white brushstrokes', sometimes just white (great for painting red), on the places where I want the dominant highlights.
@@steveisaak4320 Let Vincy V light you the way: ruclips.net/video/N88NtHNmz1Q/видео.html This was eye opening for me and after this tutorial I understood how the Scale 75 colors work for me.
I've painted with Army Painter for a few years now, as I could get their set for half the price of other brands. They work fine and that price point makes them something I still recommend to friends who are starting. I've also started buying Vallejo because I like that they don't go chalky when I try to do a thin blend. Interesting to see that was the same issue he ran into. Also curious to try the airbrush line given the stated difference.
When i got back into model painting after a long Hiatius, had to pick up new paints (as all my old citadel stuff from my warhammer days were mojave dry). Picked an army painter starter set at random (mostly as It had the paints for 2 seperate color schemes I wanted to do in one box). I've since bought a bunch more army painter stuff and used it to paint 2 and a half divisions of battlemechs and been very happy with the results (i'm mostly in it for the wargaming and the painting is more set dressing for that... for me at least. So the fact that its a little less useful than the top shelf stuff means very little if in exchange its cheap, it works, and gets my mechs all kitted up with the Heraldry I wanted and presentable enough for the big fight)
This was an awesome video! I’ve been using Army Painter for a while and have wondered how it would compare since it isn’t as “renowned” but this helps a lot to show its potential if a painter uses their resources wisely.
Army Painter got me back into the hobby after 20 years. I painted a few minis when I was 15 and loved it and started again at 35. Army Painter is a solid workhorse product and it’s affordable and available. After I bought their Mega Paint Set I had change to invest in mediums and inks which allowed me to customise the Army Painter paints so much more. Yes, they take more shaking than other paints and a little more work to understand their strong and weak points. Is that a problem? No way! To me it’s so satisfying experimenting with the paints, new techniques, adding mediums and other products to build glazes and washes etc. that I can’t get enough. I’ve learned how to achieve so much from a “basic” paint range that I really don’t need to worry about what other brands are up to because I can adapt the Army Painter paints to meet the challenge. The final thing I have to say about the Army Painter brand is that it’s built on a foundation of customer support, fun, innovation and a genuine desire to continually improve. There’s no brand bias or snobbery, it’s about enjoying the hobby and having fun with the painting process. Rock on Army Painter and kudos Ninjon!
I really appreciate your attitude of always wanting to learn more and encouraging others to paint regardless of skill level or type of equipment. We need more people like you!
That's fun bc your guest apparence on Miniac's channel was what led me to *your* channel and you are actually on of my fav YT creators ever and 100% my favourite miniature painter ✌🏻
I have found good and bad paints in every line that I've tried. I only paint DnD minis mostly to tabletop standards and if I have a pile of mooks to paint I will often grab craft paints. A couple of craft paint colors are my go to for those colors. Like Jon says "Just paint!"
I found the army painter set that does come with mixing balls on amazon and their speed paint range also comes with mixing balls. Overall I'm a huge fan of army painter and it makes me feel like a bad painter whenever my paint idols say it's bad paint. It honestly almost made me quit cause they're the paints I like working with but they're bad so... I have never had issues working with army painter, yeah it doesn't have the best covererage buuuuut it taught me how to properly glaze and use thin layers to achieve better details.
Since my old paints have been drying up in their oh so amazing Citadel pots over the past 3 years I was considering just going for Armypainter next time, since as you said: They are available in most stores.
I’ve found Mr. Color Leveling Thinner can reconstitute almost any brand of paint. I had a 15 year old bottle of Testors Model Master that was a bottle of gelatinous goo and mixed it with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner and brought it back to a working consistency.
I've started transitioning out of GW paint in favor for AP. As someone who likes using an airbrush, the new AP airpaints work wonders. I also am a fan of the DnD AP lines. You get some cool unique paints, and I actually did a minotaur model yesterday using mostly all AP paints. (I don't have an AP wood color yet, so I'm gonna be testing some mixes for that color.) This was a great video, and I appreciate where you got to by the end. Take care and have a good week
Maybe I missed this in the video, or maybe I heard wrong, but my understanding about AP is that you’re supposed to squeeze first to dump out the glob of excess medium they use to “seal” the paints to prevent drying out on the shelves before you actually shake them and then use them. Is that not the case?
That's correct. There's two separate issues that were kind of conflated here: when you first open the paint, you're supposed to dispense a couple mL of medium, then shake thoroughly. But also if left to sit for awhile the medium can separate so you have to thoroughly mix before use. (Which is true of any paint - always mix well before using for best results.)
I've been painting about two years using mainly Army painter paints. My main issue with them is inconsistent quality. Some of their paints are great like Greedy gold but their other gold Bright gold has very poor coverage.
Props for nailing the mini and persevering despite paints not being the best. You have proven that it's skill and determination which matter most, even if it takes you a bit longer. For the sake of convenience and sanity though, other brands cover better and i think Army Painter knows that.
This was a great video to watch Jon. Learning the strengths of each line of paint we work with can be a big learning curve, but the rewards are a more effecient and enjoyable painting experience. The chaos marine looke fantastic and while it might have been a paint to paint, the NMM gold looks ace!
Watching the video, I can't help but come to the conclusion that everything you said about Army Painter paints the first time is still true. They're still diluting their paints with extra medium, you had to fight the paint to make it behave, you had to add other products to thin them, and they can end up looking nice--- IF you're willing to lay down a dozen layers. But when a company uses the name "Army Painter," it seems to me that that's what their paint should be good at. Not at endless layers, expert skills needed, and a secret menu to rival In 'n' Out. That's for display models. Painting an Army should take less stress and grief, in my not all that humble opinion. I appreciated the effort you went to here; I just can't figure out why.
I’ve seen amazing paintjobs with almost all the brands available in the market, however a good paint is a game changer. I personally use Scale 75, Vallejo Model Color and some AK Gen 3
Great work. I appreciate your candor and humor and your down to earth look on painting minis. I have gotten a lot of tips/techniques from you. Thanks again.
Good video! I also noted that your channel really took off since you were "just the friend of Miniac" in the beginning. You have a great voice on your own and unique style. Speaking of golden demon: maybe 2023 will be the year where you put so much effort in a bunch of pieces that you'll compete for a trophy. This will bring you to a whole nother level.
Honestly, this kinda makes me want to give them another shot at some point. It seems like they're aware of the issues many people have with their paints and try to improve upon them, all while being transparent and honest about it. I can definitely respect that. I've started out with that same mega paint set (got it from a buddy of mine who tried mini painting and found it wasn't his cup of tea, so unfortunately I have no idea if the excess medium from the bottle was drained initially ... ) but moved on to paint mostly with vallejo and pro acryl by now, but one can never have too many paints, right? (Well, depending on who you ask I already have WAY too many, but I won't let that stop me haha)
I've never had a real problem with Army Painter paints, I always make sure I have a ceramic mixing bead in every bottle or pot and shake it like crazy, cats find this entertaining.
Army painter have a good overall colour range. as long as you follow their instruction of re moving the liquid at the top of the bottle and stir will you have NP with them. Agree with buy what your store sells. i can buy Army Painter, Vallejo and GW paints. this is the full range, including Air for Army Painter, Vallejo and GW paints
I've struggled with Army Painter's Warpaints line, and most of the ones I've bought have been replaced by other brands. But their washes have always been pretty good, their Speed Paints are pretty great, and I've heard that their Air paint line is actually pretty decent. Unfortunately new painters looking to start out often buy a big set of War Paints because they are so affordable and have a good range of colours. If you know someone in that situation, nudge them towards buying the Air Paint or Speed Paint line instead.
I love how you got your head into the game and made it work really well. If I had the money to buy that model I would give you £200 or equivalent to the $. PS RUclips being late with the update....again. Take care loving the video.
That is a refreshing idea - use a paint the way it works best. It sounds obvious but how often do we just try and follow a techniques or style without a thought for what the paint is best at. I like it.
I have some army painter paints that I bought when I started painting again in 2020. I definitely very quickly moved away from them because it's hars to work with because it looks so chalky compared to many other paint brands. BUT, that's because that style of paint is just not what I want in my minis most of the time right now. I can definitely see myself wanting some more army painter paints for specific projects in the future. The model looks great! Sometimes you just have to be patient when working on stuff. I had to relearn that recently, actually. I was painting something and I was getting frustrated with the process but I just told myself to be patient and it'll turn out. And I'm honestly really really proud of that model now!
I just love how once Army Painter starts throwing product and money around suddenly everyone on RUclips and Twitch start to change their mind. Great video!
Cool video. You just added 110 paints to what is already a massive paint collection. I think we need a video going over how many paints you actually have. Then we need to know how your paint horde compares to Vinny V.
I do not have very good access to army painter but I absolutely agree the paint brand does not really matter. I’ve been using some pretty cheap acrylic paint set from my local art store and it actually works really well i thinks it’s definitely improved my painting
I have been painting for a few years. Army painter I fell are one of the best. I never had a problem mixing them without a vortex mixer. The Metallic are east the best I have used.
I started out with the Army Painter line, it's still serving me well. A few of the colors do take a lot of layers for even coverage (yellow, I'm looking at you..) I'm experimenting with the SpeedPaints for the single coat coverage.
Lol, that's Jungle Green for me. I actually really like the color and think it mixes really well with Citadel yellows when doing Green NMM (Did Green Swords on my Grey Knights) it just takes a while to get the coverage I want. However, I find the yellows cover better if you basecoat in a Browner tan first.
i have been painting now for just at little over 2 months.. and i started withe AP speedpaints, and since have got their entire catalog of paints. I am happy with it for the price to quality. I have no complaints.. the problems i do have i beleive are just me from being a newb. I run them through an airbrush as well. I guess i dont know any better but ive watched a million videos on paints and i think this is a happy spot for me..
Just a quick comment to thank you for including the blurred shots of your model. I am exploring the different ways to blend and the blur removes the details and allows me to focus on colours. Already seeing results and learned to purposely look past the details of the minis and focus only on the colours.
Working with what you got reminds me when I was a kid starting to paint figures. Being 10, I had no money to go out to buy new paints, let alone higher quality brands, so I started painting with my dad's old figuring painting bottles in the garage that he used for his Space Hulk figures. Mind you that he painted those in 1996, and it was now 2004. The black was goopy tar, yellow the worst transparency, the one ink bottle smelt like the dickens and yet... I didn't care, and sure as hell trudged on using what I had and made some pretty bad ass LOTR horses (through a 10 year old's eyes). Today I've found a happy medium where I like to have small varieties of different brands of different qualities. Sometimes there's just things an expensive brand can't do, like a crusty 1996 paint can.
This is a really nice looking model, I'd like to see you take these paints to something like a Sylvaneth or even an orc. Something with a lot of bright and contrasting colours. A bit out of the comfort zone of chaos but painting something a bit unfamiliar with an unfamiliar paint range and the learning process would be useful for my own exploration within the hobby and how to break my own pre conceived notions of how to paint
I started with Army painter paints and I know they have a hard time thinning but I love their paint so much. I find it easier to use than citadel paints. But that’s just my opinion. I really appreciate the honest review you gave them this time. I know it’s hard to go back on what you said previously it takes a lot of guts to re review something again. Thanks for another great video!
Haven't painted a model since the 80s, but props to army painter for handing over their product and saying give it an honest go, tell us what you honestly think.
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Army painter was what led me to paint again. It was cheap and I bought their mega set. I've been painting for more than 3 years with it and although I hate some colours I love them. They brought me here again. And they have an astounding client service. That is all I have to say and for me ... it is more than enough.
Yup, this is EXACTLY how I feel. I got the same set too ^.^
I painted my entire War of the Ring game with them. Maybe it's because the minis there are really rudimentary, but I think they turned out really good. I'm quite proud of the job that I did.
One thing that I noticed immediately though is their inconsistent quality.
Most paints are okay, but some are just unusable. The yellow for the shields of the Haradrim for instance didn't fully cover no matter how many layers I put on.
And the black I had to add water to because it had the consistency of a fresh donut.
I will say though when compared to other brands, you do get your money's worth, which is great for beginners.
Honestly most of the stuff from Army Painter I have bought I don't mind.. But, I will never buy the spray cans... I had 2 cans both bought from different sources.. Both nozzles clogged after first use and were unusable afterwards.
I appreciate your honesty, I use army painter paints and lean into what they do well and I get great results! Range access was a big draw for me- having a big box with a large variety for a good price is worth quite a bit. I’m not a professional or daily painter, but army painter paints work great for me!
Same here, I really like their paints. Thing is, I'm a maintenance manager in hotels and have used various paints over the years for painting rooms, walls, skirting boards etc etc. Some are good, some are bad but either way the job needs to be done so you work out how to make it work for you. For example, Dulux Diamond Matt is as thick as pig shit and works a lot better when you dilute it down a bit. You get the same great coverage without your hand feeling like it'll fall off after one wall has been done.
I honestly have no basis for comparison with hobby paints as I've only used Army painter but I worked with them, added some water here and there, worked out what ones need an extra coat, what needs more water etc. All I can say is git gud.
Same, I love just being able to pop by and pick up a paint I need. Not wait like a few days to get delivered
I nearly quit the hobby before I even really got started because of army painter. I shouldn’t have to pour out medium or shake it for five minutes every time I use them. I seriously thought I needed five plus layers to get good coverage with BLUE.
@@Grunkaa1
It was the same with me. When I painted my first miniature I got so frustrated with myself, because I thought it's my fault that nothing works, when I just had paint that didn't wan't to cover, didn't wan't mix and didn't want to flow (guess the brand I was using). I lost interest for years until I came buy a GW store, where I painted a space marine, in store with their paints. Yes, Citadel paints a fckng expensive and the pots a hideous...but you know what, they also just fckng work. The last thing beginners need, is to fight the tools they are working with. I like to compare it with learning guitar playing. The worst Idea parents can have, is to buy the cheapest guitar they can find, just to see if the child will stick to the hobby. A good musician can play on about everything, but a beginner needs an instrument that, if nothing else, at lest has a decent setup and good playability.
Army painter is a paint line for people who literally don't give a damn about themselves, don't know how to research or find the "base and dunk in a tube of quickshade" idea appealing, their opinions are so worthless in weight in the grand scheme of things because if you take one of them and actually sit them down and teach them what they've misunderstood I am pretty sure they will never touch AP ever again. They don't know paints well and I know this comes off as elitist but honestly the opinion of someone like say vince whose tried a ton of paints is going to hold more weight than the opinion of someone who settled on just AP because they were the cheapest and locally found thing , you spend what 10 pence more per bottle to go from a 3/10 paint to a 7/10 paint bottle, in a market place where you got stuff like vallejo, ak interactive etc there is no excuse, I'd actually argue that ak interactive 3rd gen is essentially the holy grail of paints right now in that you don't have to shake them that much, they just work, they are matte so your paintjob doesn't look like a reflective monstrosity, they are affordable etc etc etc
Like seriously there's one common denominator amongst those who like/use army painter; "I'm not a serious painter" "I'm not a good painter" "I haven't got any time".
Yeah, I get that, especially the time to paint shit because if you used AP long enough you'd realize their one objective failing, Reliability, their products are hilariously well known to have issues, from can malfunctions to medium going bad.
Ironically you don't save money with them, amount of dumb mofo who are like "oh I want to save money on paints" then also proceed to say shit like "so I bought the army painter mega set" It's like... are you serious?
So you saved money by wasting a ton on money on mediocre paints that aren't that much better than hobby craft paints? bravo.
If you really wanted to save money you can get like 10 paints and be able to make almost every single one yourself, if you don't want to mix because red + blue = purple is hard then just grab the paints you need as you need them, save a ton of money and not end up with like a hundred paints you'll never use because you have f all time to do stuff.
I've never met a good AP painter, because before the paint will ever let them down they usually have let down themselves already.
Like I'd bet money to you that AP is only still in business because of taking advantage of painters who know no better.
And the arrogance that some AP painters think they know better than people who are willing to go out and try every brand and really put in the time to test shit is so disrespectful.
Army painter doesn't appeal to the broke, trust me I would know, if you want good results then AP actually takes more time from you than most other paints on market so it's not good for those who "are low on time", they are not reliable so the investment will sometimes go bad and the only people that it appeals to seem to be either misinformed or I'll be harsh af here, morons.
I really like Army Painter as a company and how they treat their customers. I really want them to be good. At least speed paints are amazing
The air paints are as well.
loving their speedpaints!
Agreed, I have only about 10 standard Army Painter paints in my collection and I only use the black. But I have the entire air paint and speedpaint lines and I absolutely love them. The customer service is spectacular, and their washes are incredible as well
While I'm very much a Vallejo Model Colour and Citadel for specialty and metallic paints kinda guy, the army painter silver and range of pinks are absolutely fantastic, if maybe struggling a bit for coverage.
Well, I tried their speed, really slow, paints and no. They can work but always being sensitive to reactivation forces me to varnish them over... I rather not. I love their tools though, dear me them be goood.
Can’t say I’d go out and buy their paint tomorrow, however, I am impressed they reached out and asked for honest feedback. So many companies these days seem to be uninterested in consumer feedback that isn’t a committee panel or some such bureaucracy. It’s nice to see them reaching out to talented artists and soliciting feedback directly.
They are definitely not a bad company. I think the issue is they are trying to be in every LGS in the world and cheaper than all the other specific miniature paints in the world. When you are going for that reach on equal or possibly less resources than say Citadel, the quality will vary.
I will say to them, don't change the washes. Dark Tone beats Nuln Oil in my opinion.
@@Bonesawisready926 Yes, the washes are amazing!
I rather enjoy their air line, I love that they don't do the pots, makes them much easier to work with. And flows consistently with just flow improver. At least in my experience.
@@Bonesawisready926 I will say though..I do wish they also had a version of their washes that wasn't so glossy.With GW charging same for 6ml less now I need to find an alt. to Agrax, but Strong tone is just too glossy. I know Matte varnish will help, but only so much
And it feels like they are improving. I love their washes and the speedpaints. And from the air range their rewiew are very solid. Their same colour over diffrent paint is rly good as is their easy colour sytem.
I shared your exact same sentiment for the early video with AP products, they felt, ehhh.... a lot was left desired.
However, once I became a more mature painter, I really leaned into them and found my home.
The Warpaints line needs a lot of TLC, the medium is thick and require experience. After I bought a massage gun (I use it as a paint shaker), learned to create my own thinning solutions (different combinations of additives like mediums, glazing, flow improver, retarder, etc..), and put some damn ball bearings in those paints, their usability took off. I now regularly use the Warpaints line with great success.
The Air range on the other hand, I just absolutely adore. I now reccomend all new painters to actually brush paint with the Air line over the Warpaints, everything I do manually to the Warpaints line to make them sing are basically just done for you already in Air.
That's not to speak to their Washes and Speedpaint which are just S-tier for their role.
My only criticism of AP now is that their Washes & Speedpaints don't have more options, which I hope resolves with time.
It’s always seemed like Army Painter’s gimmick has been “look we have stuff that will get stuff painted and get them on the table.” I think their metallics are really good and the tones are actually some of the best products they make so I’m a little bummed that they weren’t featured because they are definitely stand outs. AP is all about painting stuff and getting it on the table and that’s where they shine
That’s why we’re called The Army Painter and not the Mini Painter right? Get more time for gaming! But that’s not all we hope our products can do. Thanks for the comment.
I'm just starting out, and the *very* nice woman at the hobby store said straight up, "if you're just starting out in a hobby, don't spend a ton of money on 'the good stuff.' This will let you see if you actually *like* painting miniatures without having to get a mortgage on your house."
I knew Bo and Jonas back in the days, when they were just another gamer in Copenhagen, and when they say they want your honest opinion- they mean it!
I got started in the hobby with the AP Mega set. Struggled a bit at first, but then learned how "lean into what the paint does best". I've since purchased a couple Vallejo paints to have a good coverage basecoat for colours I use frequently (whites, browns, greys, etc.), but otherwise I still mostly use AP today, especially for layering. Their washes are great as are their metallics. Fully endorse Jon's message - paint with what you have and go with the flow.
I have been binge watching miniature painting videos for the last couple weeks, love this channel, I think I am ready to start my first miniature!!!!
Like a lot of people, I started with Army Painter paints, though they were labeled under D&D Starter Paint set. I've had a few issues with the paints, but it was mostly user error.
A few of there paints have major quality issues but quite a few are solids I use in nearly paint job even now that I've branched out to other brands. Black, white, Brain matter beige, and skeleton bone. Thanks for giving them another chance and an honest one.
I've only tried tufts, mixing balls and some tools from Army Painter, never their paints. That being said, I dont think you should be too brand-focused; I myself use paints from Citadel, Vallejo, MIG, Liquitex, Green Stuff World etc.
PLEASE tell me a little more about greenstuff world and liquitex? I have some of the liquitex inks, but can’t get all I need
@@steveisaak4320 I've only tried Liquitex inks. Titanium White has become a staple as a zenithal highlight I many of my works. I've also used other transparent inks for different effects. With Green Stuff World I've mostly used their metallic colour shift paints, which are really cool, but also some of the inks. All in all nice tools for your projects!
I agree, blind brand loyalty really is a big problem in all fields being paints, electronics etc.
I feel like a lot of painters get a specific paint they use and get so used to it that they don't look at the good qualities of other paint brands and focus on what they don't like.
This is one of many of the reasons that I love watching Ninjon and Miniac. I always feel like I’m hearing an honest and down to earth opinion or experience of this amazing hobby. I found it at a rough time in my life and it has been an amazing miniature painting experience so far. One of my very first experiences of John was listening to that original mini painting review. So seeing him come back and re-address army painter and re-evaluate it really has been so much fun. Thank you and keep up the awesome work! Can’t wait to listen to the next TUP!
So glad to have you along for the ride!
The guys at Army Painter have hands down the best social media and incluencer marketing team of all the paint brands, but also the best and honest customer and brand communication. They where the first paints I have bought and they will have a special place in my heart.
Can i just say that you are the greatest inspiration for me? Even your sped-up painting footage gives me so many ideas i haven't even considered, and testing other 'mediums' / color types. You convert stuff, you paint with craft paints. *chefs kiss*
I haven't used a ton of army painter, but there's one paint I almost ALWAYS buy from them when I find it. Their Gunmetal is spectacular. The only comparable product I've found is Vallejo Metal Color, and as far as I'm concerned that's the gold standard (no pun intended!)
AP's metallics are great. They used to be bad but after that refresh they did a few years ago I find them fabulous. I also really like their speed paints and prefer them to contrasts in a lot of cases. And I like their washes but them drying glossy can be annoying.
Their base line acrylics are generally okay. Some I don't like and some I do. I find with AP you really have to shake them. A vortexer can transform what might have been what you thought would be an unusable pot to something that works.
Anyways I would never write off an entire company like that. AP has some very good cost to performance paints and tools - and they also have some duds.
Ultimately a lot of us also don't live in big cities so if the store near me only sells AP and Citadel what can I do? Shipping acrylic paints in the Canadian winter will just freeze and kill them.
Thank you for this review. I really was upset when so many influencers on YT belittled this brand while in fact (and you have just proved it with this miniature) these colors are as good as the other brands. And I do believe that this review was unbiased and you did it for our education. Hail the justice!
The "emotional damage" bit really caught me off guard. I love the fun you have in your videos. Thanks for keeping the rest of us learning, motivated and entertained! Keep up the best work. You're my favourite miniature painting channel by a long shot.
I got into miniature painting to paint my figures for Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid tabletop game.
I did a whole cost analysis for the most cost effective set and ended up buying the large Army Painter set, which came with all their acrylics, washes, and metallics.
I completed painting the base box of the game recently.
I have incorporated some paints and mediums from other ranges here and there. Ultimately the quality of my painting improved not because of one paint but because of experience.
My paint jobs improved more from learning to add blues for shadows and yellows for highlights than using something from another paint range.
I think Army Painter gets a lot grief. It is a wonderful range and perfect for anyone painting figures for play.
Maybe I could use them to paint for competition but that's just not what I'm here to do.
I think being able to buy a box of paints is an overlooked benefit by many people. I don't live in an Urban center and, frankly, the game stores near me have terrible stock. The paint racks sit like 75% empty for months on end.
I can either spend hours on the weekend driving to another store or ship other paints from somewhere - but I live on Canada and acrylics freezing during shipping will ruin them.
Being able to just get a big box of a lot of varied colours is nice and you don't feel like you need to run to the store to pick up a paint cause you now want a purple but don't have one or something. This assumes my small scrappy LGS is even open cause their hours are beyond awful.
I almost exclusively use Army Painter, and I'm pretty happy with them.
He looks really great, Jon! A quick tip about focus (that you probably already know): If you can increase the amount of light at your painting desk you could open your camera's aperture (higher F-Stop number) and create a larger focal plane so you have a bit more wiggle room when holding your model. Of course, increasing the light may make it too hard to paint, so I don't know if this will work for you, so take this advice with a grain of salt.
Macro photography needs a lot of light for this reason. Note that depth of field gets shallower the closer you go, so you still need to be in the focal ballpark. More light can't hurt, definitely.
I haven't painted in what feels like over a year. I almost exclusively use army painter paints because of how accessible and cheap it is for me. But I know the mixes need help but cannot afford the vortex mixer I want to get them to work exactly how I imagine they're "supposed to".
That being said, this video helped me to realize that I've been seeing my paints as only being able to work one way. I've not tried any of the techniques you did on my paint jobs, and haven't been great about blending things, however I think the next time I sit down to paint I'll have a new perspective. This really encouraged me to stop being afraid and just paint again
Been painting for about 12 years and was always exclusively using citadel. I wanted a dropper bottle replacement and went with AP. Was disappointed by the glossy gel medium and the separation (which worked the vortex to its max). However, it DOES have its place in my collection. That glossy medium makes washes easier by allowing paint to run more smoothly over raised areas.
I guess my point is that I love this video and appreciate your takeaway. And I actually appreciated the sponsor ad as well. Keep up the great work, Jon.
Just transfer your citadel paints to droppers. I love citadel paints despite the pots and the price. They are great quality paints but you just loose so much in pots. I will be doing my transfer soon. It's a great way to save paints while not having to switch to another brand
As someone that is constantly broke, Army Painter rocks! I've never understood the stigma with the brand. It may take a bit more to get certain techniques done, but they work very well and are very affordable
I bought one bottle of Strong Tone and I have non-stopped used it and am almost done with it.
Only have been inspired to buy more from them as it does something good that Agrax can't at times.
Its because most people think they're beginner when they're really not. Like vallejo you can squeeze out of the bottle, thin, paint and you're done. I found army painters is pretty average at that. The more you use techniques and everything the better they become. I tried them early didn't like them tried them again recently and loved them. They do require more work to really shine but they're amazing. Their metallics are my absolute favorites
Thing is, at least in Germany and Europe, Vallejo costs about the same or sometimes less and many of their paints work a lot better (talking about the model colour line, the game colour line can be hit and miss, but seems to be improved with the new line tho.) My time for hobbies is already split pretty thin between work, household chores and keeping myself in shape, so I don't want to struggle with my painting just because I bought an inferior product.
I like Army Painter alot. I started out with a handful from all paint brands and found myself buying more and more of it. Great Sorcer you painted Jon!!
I really like army painter I've had some of my best stuff using their paints. Definitely think for whatever reason stippling looks the best.
However, the main thing is that I really like is how the company operates a rather rare thing these days.
I feel your bang on about buying into other ranges to improve.
And I can't help but be reminded of what a joiner told me "don't judge a work by the tools judge by the work"
This was a good call from AP. I bought my first sets based on Ninjons first Miniac video and Vincent Vs inks video. Obviously I went Vallejo. Good to see Jon revising his opinion
I learned in general, that I liked using the best tools because I wanted to be sure that it wasn't the tools holding me back, just my own skill. Then there was nothing to blame but my lack of practice. Sort of a motivation for me. However, one thing I learned was that, well, you learn a lot more when you learn the hard way. You progress a lot faster when you use the cheaper, simpler products. Once you get better and learn to work with the challenges for each tool, the better you become, and the more you appreciate better tools. You know how to deal with problems when they arise, and you don't get stumped by little things all the time. It also means that as you progress, the more you need the nicer tools so you're not spending your time fighting the tools, but instead fighting new challenges, like more advanced techniques. This is true for most anything, be it paint, photography, computer programming, you name it. In the end, you become someone that can create the results you want with any tools you have, regardless of the quality.
Also, the attitude of the Army Painter is definitely something to respect. Anyone who focuses on just being better, rather than comparing themselves to others is worthy of support.
Maybe there are better paints out there, but at least it makes me happy that AP wants a feedback from the community to improve.
The reason we say "this paint brand is the best" is because we have struggled with it and fought with it until we learnt how to use them properly, or well enough. Every single brand has issues. I mainly use Vallejo and AK and I think they are good quality and my local store has them at a good price and Army Painter for the Speedpaints because they are affordable and pretty nice to work with on hordes. But Vallejo game color can be pretty inconsistent in coverage, model color doesn't always point out when a paint is actually an ink or wash (looking at you, Smoke and Woodgrain), and AK's metallics look awesome but on the pallet the mica flakes can separate from the paint way faster than both Vallejo's and Citadel's metallics, and Army Painter Speedpaints has the reactivation thing, issue if you will, but I tend to work around it and use it too my advantage. Sure it can be annoying but for the price and efficiency they are great.
TLDR; every brand sucks at something, we just like some brands because we know how to work around them and the suckiness they have.
Smoke and Woodgrain made me so mad.
@@slabrankle9794 smoke and woodgrain are good IF you use them correctly… when I first opened them I was confused.
Then I tried to use them as a regular wash and ruined parts of my paint job and the overall look of my mini…
But when I used smoke as a wash over dark/brown leather with highlights it’s looked awesome.
Woodgrain may not be a Citadel/ Army Painter wash but it looks pretty sweet over astrogranite or similar neutral grey texture paints to get a rich earthy look with the red tones many mud/ earthy texture paints don’t have.
I love Army Painter and what they are doing to make painting fun and easy to enjoy. I been using their stuff for a long time. What you did in this video is amazing. Thanks Jon.
I remember watching that first paint video. Glad to see you go back and review yourself.
I enjoyed this video a lot. I am new to the mini painting game and haven't really started to delve into different companies or products, but it's great to see something like this. The tools don't make the result. They can help, but ultimately it's what you do with it that matters.
As a craft paint user, I really relate to the final thoughts, all paints have strengths and weaknesses, they have some very surprising strengths that I feel balance out their weaknesses.
They make great filters and glazes, and work as well as miniature paints through the airbrush.
I'm glad you gave them another shot! I was having a hell of a time getting my army paints to do what I wanted when glazing. I finally broke down a couple weeks ago and ghetto engineered a paint shaker out of an old jig saw and some random left over 3D printed parts from another project. It's hokey as hell, but it works, and I'm super happy with how my AP paints have been behaving since.
I only started the hobby back in January and started with some old Citadel paints a friend gave me and the mega paint set from Army Painter because the price was so reasonable. I love both paints, there are a couple of of my ap paints that i did buy in other brands because the coverage i wasnt happy with but overall i really like them!
All hail the RUclips algorithm gods...I appreciate your insights on this paint, as I have a set and have had some struggles. Your tips however will help me to sort that out!
I've never used their paints, but I love their wet palette! I find their hobby products to be rather good quality in the end--except the black primer is a bit too glossy for my taste. So maybe I ought to try some of their paints and see what I think. I'm all about my Vallejo paints, because I find them excellent all around, but I still find use for my P3 and Citadel paints here and there also, mostly for a specific color or two. Tried Pro Acryl, and I can't put my finger on why, but I don't much care for those paints--their airbrush primer is excellent, though! Good video, and good on AP for reaching out and not being too proud to solicit input from you.
That model was amazing.
I have several friends who are happy with Army painter. I personally lean toward Monument Hobbies and GW Contrast, but glad to see AP get a positiveish review. They seem a company to be out to help the hobbyist
We certainly try!
@Ninjon I painted my latest mini with Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments Adventurers Paint Set. It came out quite well and really forced me to color mix on my wet pallet and I am pretty proud of it. I am nowhere near your level, but quite proud of my accomplishment. I love painting minis for the pure zen feeling of it. Keep up the awesome work!
I've had some paints in their range I can't stand but Army Painter got me into miniature painting, speed paint is great, and I still have many paints I buy whenever I run out.
I started with Army Painter, thought they were decent enough. But after switching to Reaper I realized the drawbacks and don’t fight as much for what I want to get I put of my paint. I still love their tones and new airbrush paints though.
I have found a few Army Painter paints that are a must have for my paint rack. My favorite is their Rough Iron metallic, I have yet to find anything equivalent to this color and it's coverage it one of the best out of any metallic I have used.
John I gotta say I appreciate the way each of your videos have a pointed theme for each of them. A lot of the thought processes that you emphasize really help me to get a grip on what I might be missing in my own hobbying. Thanks a lot for the vids my man.
I appreciate the kind words!
I bought Army Painter paints and tools before I saw your vid on Miniac's channel and I thought "Oh no". But since, I've been using what I had and I like them very much. I've bought more Army Painter paints since then. That figure you just painted looks incredible!
The very first paints I bought were a Mega Set of Army Painter paint and I am still using them alongside a bunch of Vallejo, Scale 75, & Turbo Dork paints I've picked up along the way. As long as they're well shaken, they work fine and get the job done. Also if you're like me and your main goal for getting into the hobby was to just make your board game minis more presentable, it's not like you need the most high quality paint on the market to get decent results.
I've been incredibly impressed with their metallics. just recently picked some up and they are really good. the platemail metal is especially surprising as its really smooth with no visible flakes and the speedpaints over top of it let you tint the metal into a rougher coloured metal.
I've never had a problem with Army Painter paints. They've always worked great for me. You really do gotta shake the shyte out of them, though. Vortex mixers obviously help a lot.
Great company. I love their speed paints and quick shade washes - ill use these for ANYTHING. Their paint is...ok. Like, i wouldn't use it to brush paint anything, because i simply have better choices that are more effective, but i have done quite a bit of airbrushing with their paints. And...they don't coat as well as i'd like. But i'll tell ya what: They're ALOT cheaper and just as effective as any GW paint, if not better in most cases.
I struggled a very long time with my Scale 75 colors. But as I didn't want to buy a new paint set. I painted with them until I got a feel for them. Now I love them. I never buy any new paints until I have the feeling I totally understand my current paints.
I ordered them,what can you tell me Red?
@@steveisaak4320 Preshading and glazing are your friends. The colors tend to be transparent. So layering takes time. But due to the very matt medium they tend to get also chalky very fast. Further thinning with glaze medium or water or the scale 75 thinner helps very much. I usally do some heavy preshading with thick layers and then work into the midtones and shadows with glazes. As the glazes don' help with the chalkyness I paint stark highlights and smooth them out with the glazes.
Don't store them upright. I always have some gel medium in the tip of the nozzle. Even using a vortex mixer. If some unmixed gel medium gets with the paint on the palette the paint will not cover at all. And if you loose too much of the medium over time the paints get chunky. I store them upside down, that helps. But on the side would work too IMO.
I still don't like that the dark colors have also some white or ight pigment mixed in. They look dark in the pot but most of the colors don't do well as last shadow colors.
Black Leather is one of the best colors.
After about painting six years with these colors I now expanded my colors with single pigment heavy body acrylics.
I hope this helped. Happy painting!
@@redrooster7371 by pre shading do you mean priming it black then using either white ink or primer spraying from an angle above?
@@steveisaak4320 More than just zenithal priming. Not a straight grisaille. But I do paint a lot of the highlights before I do the glazes.
Sometimes a deliberate drybrush too. But most of the times I enforce the light situation of the zenithal. Something like 'thick, near white brushstrokes', sometimes just white (great for painting red), on the places where I want the dominant highlights.
@@steveisaak4320 Let Vincy V light you the way: ruclips.net/video/N88NtHNmz1Q/видео.html
This was eye opening for me and after this tutorial I understood how the Scale 75 colors work for me.
I've painted with Army Painter for a few years now, as I could get their set for half the price of other brands. They work fine and that price point makes them something I still recommend to friends who are starting. I've also started buying Vallejo because I like that they don't go chalky when I try to do a thin blend. Interesting to see that was the same issue he ran into. Also curious to try the airbrush line given the stated difference.
I like their stuff. I'm fairly a noob painter but I lean toward them for the value and ease of acquiring them. But all in all there just good paints.
When i got back into model painting after a long Hiatius, had to pick up new paints (as all my old citadel stuff from my warhammer days were mojave dry). Picked an army painter starter set at random (mostly as It had the paints for 2 seperate color schemes I wanted to do in one box). I've since bought a bunch more army painter stuff and used it to paint 2 and a half divisions of battlemechs and been very happy with the results (i'm mostly in it for the wargaming and the painting is more set dressing for that... for me at least. So the fact that its a little less useful than the top shelf stuff means very little if in exchange its cheap, it works, and gets my mechs all kitted up with the Heraldry I wanted and presentable enough for the big fight)
Your painting skill has so much improved along the way, beautiful!
This was an awesome video! I’ve been using Army Painter for a while and have wondered how it would compare since it isn’t as “renowned” but this helps a lot to show its potential if a painter uses their resources wisely.
Ninjon. I can't believe how much you've leveled up your paint jobs.. Unreal man keep it up.
Army Painter got me back into the hobby after 20 years. I painted a few minis when I was 15 and loved it and started again at 35. Army Painter is a solid workhorse product and it’s affordable and available. After I bought their Mega Paint Set I had change to invest in mediums and inks which allowed me to customise the Army Painter paints so much more. Yes, they take more shaking than other paints and a little more work to understand their strong and weak points. Is that a problem? No way! To me it’s so satisfying experimenting with the paints, new techniques, adding mediums and other products to build glazes and washes etc. that I can’t get enough. I’ve learned how to achieve so much from a “basic” paint range that I really don’t need to worry about what other brands are up to because I can adapt the Army Painter paints to meet the challenge. The final thing I have to say about the Army Painter brand is that it’s built on a foundation of customer support, fun, innovation and a genuine desire to continually improve. There’s no brand bias or snobbery, it’s about enjoying the hobby and having fun with the painting process.
Rock on Army Painter and kudos Ninjon!
I really appreciate your attitude of always wanting to learn more and encouraging others to paint regardless of skill level or type of equipment. We need more people like you!
I mostly use Golden acrylics but I do really love Army Painter washes, I think they’re quite good.
I really like the look of the flames. That yellow into green color looks really nice.
Thank you , Jon .
(BTW , I am still waiting to see the "Deep Harvister" , painted , any idea when that will be released ?? )
🐺
This!
Yes please
That's fun bc your guest apparence on Miniac's channel was what led me to *your* channel and you are actually on of my fav YT creators ever and 100% my favourite miniature painter ✌🏻
No stress with the focus. I honestly can’t think of a video that you’ve done so far that hasn’t expanded my knowledge on the hobby.
I have found good and bad paints in every line that I've tried. I only paint DnD minis mostly to tabletop standards and if I have a pile of mooks to paint I will often grab craft paints. A couple of craft paint colors are my go to for those colors. Like Jon says "Just paint!"
I found the army painter set that does come with mixing balls on amazon and their speed paint range also comes with mixing balls. Overall I'm a huge fan of army painter and it makes me feel like a bad painter whenever my paint idols say it's bad paint. It honestly almost made me quit cause they're the paints I like working with but they're bad so... I have never had issues working with army painter, yeah it doesn't have the best covererage buuuuut it taught me how to properly glaze and use thin layers to achieve better details.
Jon you're a legend! I appreciate the honesty and transparency with this video, plus the mini looks bad ass!! Keep on keepin on bro!
Since my old paints have been drying up in their oh so amazing Citadel pots over the past 3 years I was considering just going for Armypainter next time, since as you said: They are available in most stores.
We work very hard to ensure our paints and products are well stocked.
Man I would buy just a few and see how you like them. The coverage is just absolutely brutal on some colors despite shaking them forever.
@@Grunkaa1 planning in testing some this weekend
I’ve found Mr. Color Leveling Thinner can reconstitute almost any brand of paint. I had a 15 year old bottle of Testors Model Master that was a bottle of gelatinous goo and mixed it with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner and brought it back to a working consistency.
I've started transitioning out of GW paint in favor for AP. As someone who likes using an airbrush, the new AP airpaints work wonders.
I also am a fan of the DnD AP lines. You get some cool unique paints, and I actually did a minotaur model yesterday using mostly all AP paints. (I don't have an AP wood color yet, so I'm gonna be testing some mixes for that color.)
This was a great video, and I appreciate where you got to by the end. Take care and have a good week
Maybe I missed this in the video, or maybe I heard wrong, but my understanding about AP is that you’re supposed to squeeze first to dump out the glob of excess medium they use to “seal” the paints to prevent drying out on the shelves before you actually shake them and then use them.
Is that not the case?
That's correct. There's two separate issues that were kind of conflated here: when you first open the paint, you're supposed to dispense a couple mL of medium, then shake thoroughly. But also if left to sit for awhile the medium can separate so you have to thoroughly mix before use. (Which is true of any paint - always mix well before using for best results.)
I've been painting about two years using mainly Army painter paints. My main issue with them is inconsistent quality. Some of their paints are great like Greedy gold but their other gold Bright gold has very poor coverage.
Props for nailing the mini and persevering despite paints not being the best. You have proven that it's skill and determination which matter most, even if it takes you a bit longer. For the sake of convenience and sanity though, other brands cover better and i think Army Painter knows that.
This was a great video to watch Jon. Learning the strengths of each line of paint we work with can be a big learning curve, but the rewards are a more effecient and enjoyable painting experience. The chaos marine looke fantastic and while it might have been a paint to paint, the NMM gold looks ace!
Watching the video, I can't help but come to the conclusion that everything you said about Army Painter paints the first time is still true. They're still diluting their paints with extra medium, you had to fight the paint to make it behave, you had to add other products to thin them, and they can end up looking nice--- IF you're willing to lay down a dozen layers. But when a company uses the name "Army Painter," it seems to me that that's what their paint should be good at. Not at endless layers, expert skills needed, and a secret menu to rival In 'n' Out. That's for display models. Painting an Army should take less stress and grief, in my not all that humble opinion. I appreciated the effort you went to here; I just can't figure out why.
I’ve seen amazing paintjobs with almost all the brands available in the market, however a good paint is a game changer. I personally use Scale 75, Vallejo Model Color and some AK Gen 3
Great work. I appreciate your candor and humor and your down to earth look on painting minis. I have gotten a lot of tips/techniques from you. Thanks again.
Good video! I also noted that your channel really took off since you were "just the friend of Miniac" in the beginning. You have a great voice on your own and unique style.
Speaking of golden demon: maybe 2023 will be the year where you put so much effort in a bunch of pieces that you'll compete for a trophy. This will bring you to a whole nother level.
Honestly, this kinda makes me want to give them another shot at some point. It seems like they're aware of the issues many people have with their paints and try to improve upon them, all while being transparent and honest about it. I can definitely respect that.
I've started out with that same mega paint set (got it from a buddy of mine who tried mini painting and found it wasn't his cup of tea, so unfortunately I have no idea if the excess medium from the bottle was drained initially ... ) but moved on to paint mostly with vallejo and pro acryl by now, but one can never have too many paints, right? (Well, depending on who you ask I already have WAY too many, but I won't let that stop me haha)
I've never had a real problem with Army Painter paints, I always make sure I have a ceramic mixing bead in every bottle or pot and shake it like crazy, cats find this entertaining.
Army painter have a good overall colour range. as long as you follow their instruction of re moving the liquid at the top of the bottle and stir will you have NP with them. Agree with buy what your store sells. i can buy Army Painter, Vallejo and GW paints. this is the full range, including Air for Army Painter, Vallejo and GW paints
I've struggled with Army Painter's Warpaints line, and most of the ones I've bought have been replaced by other brands. But their washes have always been pretty good, their Speed Paints are pretty great, and I've heard that their Air paint line is actually pretty decent.
Unfortunately new painters looking to start out often buy a big set of War Paints because they are so affordable and have a good range of colours. If you know someone in that situation, nudge them towards buying the Air Paint or Speed Paint line instead.
I love how you got your head into the game and made it work really well. If I had the money to buy that model I would give you £200 or equivalent to the $.
PS RUclips being late with the update....again. Take care loving the video.
That is a refreshing idea - use a paint the way it works best. It sounds obvious but how often do we just try and follow a techniques or style without a thought for what the paint is best at. I like it.
I have some army painter paints that I bought when I started painting again in 2020. I definitely very quickly moved away from them because it's hars to work with because it looks so chalky compared to many other paint brands.
BUT, that's because that style of paint is just not what I want in my minis most of the time right now. I can definitely see myself wanting some more army painter paints for specific projects in the future.
The model looks great! Sometimes you just have to be patient when working on stuff. I had to relearn that recently, actually. I was painting something and I was getting frustrated with the process but I just told myself to be patient and it'll turn out. And I'm honestly really really proud of that model now!
I just love how once Army Painter starts throwing product and money around suddenly everyone on RUclips and Twitch start to change their mind. Great video!
They do try to copy Games Workshop, so maybe they'll pay to fly influencers to their headquarters to test out the new crop of Speedpaint?
Oh you mean like ALL THE PAINT COMPANIES?
"When you understand the creature, you know what it is capable of" - Blade
I think you missed the point of the video
Cool video. You just added 110 paints to what is already a massive paint collection. I think we need a video going over how many paints you actually have. Then we need to know how your paint horde compares to Vinny V.
That "emotional damage" bit LOL! Great video again the army painter; keep it up.
i just put a ball bering in each paint-bottle an shake them up good before use, never had any problems with my armypainter set.
I do not have very good access to army painter but I absolutely agree the paint brand does not really matter. I’ve been using some pretty cheap acrylic paint set from my local art store and it actually works really well i thinks it’s definitely improved my painting
I use almost strictly army painter atm, I think their air paints work better than the plain warpaints in my opinion
I have been painting for a few years. Army painter I fell are one of the best. I never had a problem mixing them without a vortex mixer. The Metallic are east the best I have used.
I started out with the Army Painter line, it's still serving me well. A few of the colors do take a lot of layers for even coverage (yellow, I'm looking at you..) I'm experimenting with the SpeedPaints for the single coat coverage.
Lol, that's Jungle Green for me. I actually really like the color and think it mixes really well with Citadel yellows when doing Green NMM (Did Green Swords on my Grey Knights) it just takes a while to get the coverage I want.
However, I find the yellows cover better if you basecoat in a Browner tan first.
@@Bonesawisready926 I too have learned this trick.
@@Bonesawisready926 oh my good yes! Jungle green kills me
The army painter mega set was the first set I got when I started painting minis, in terms of quality and value it's the best out there.
i have been painting now for just at little over 2 months.. and i started withe AP speedpaints, and since have got their entire catalog of paints. I am happy with it for the price to quality. I have no complaints.. the problems i do have i beleive are just me from being a newb. I run them through an airbrush as well. I guess i dont know any better but ive watched a million videos on paints and i think this is a happy spot for me..
Great Video. You show really that the Paint Brands doesn't matter. Only the Paintjob. Thank You and Greetings from Germany
Just a quick comment to thank you for including the blurred shots of your model. I am exploring the different ways to blend and the blur removes the details and allows me to focus on colours. Already seeing results and learned to purposely look past the details of the minis and focus only on the colours.
Working with what you got reminds me when I was a kid starting to paint figures. Being 10, I had no money to go out to buy new paints, let alone higher quality brands, so I started painting with my dad's old figuring painting bottles in the garage that he used for his Space Hulk figures. Mind you that he painted those in 1996, and it was now 2004. The black was goopy tar, yellow the worst transparency, the one ink bottle smelt like the dickens and yet... I didn't care, and sure as hell trudged on using what I had and made some pretty bad ass LOTR horses (through a 10 year old's eyes).
Today I've found a happy medium where I like to have small varieties of different brands of different qualities. Sometimes there's just things an expensive brand can't do, like a crusty 1996 paint can.
This is a really nice looking model, I'd like to see you take these paints to something like a Sylvaneth or even an orc. Something with a lot of bright and contrasting colours. A bit out of the comfort zone of chaos but painting something a bit unfamiliar with an unfamiliar paint range and the learning process would be useful for my own exploration within the hobby and how to break my own pre conceived notions of how to paint
I started with Army painter paints and I know they have a hard time thinning but I love their paint so much. I find it easier to use than citadel paints. But that’s just my opinion. I really appreciate the honest review you gave them this time. I know it’s hard to go back on what you said previously it takes a lot of guts to re review something again. Thanks for another great video!
Haven't painted a model since the 80s, but props to army painter for handing over their product and saying give it an honest go, tell us what you honestly think.
Came out great brother!