Editing WIP (section)

=== Paint Companies ===
Most major companies, sadly, do not choose to name their variety of paints and modeling supplies for what they are. Here's a quick guide and overview of the main ones - [[:Category:Tabletop Game Paint Manufacturers| check the category listing]] for more information.

====Citadel====

The [[Citadel_Miniatures#Paints| Citadel painting system]] can sound very confusing and convoluted outside of the 'Eavy Metal "Base, shade, apply at least 14 edge highlights or until all depth is sufficiently lost" method. While it can seem awful and disorganized, having some knowledge as to what makes certain paints clears it up for general use. Actually, its incredibly simple, especially with the mass of tutorials that Warhammer Community has created, but the naming system is pretty inane. Really expensive for what they're worth, it'll save you money not to mainly use Citadel.

=====Primers=====
Citadel only produces dedicated primers in rattle cans, which can be quite frustrating if you live in an exceptionally hot, cold, or humid environment. Luckily, many of their "Base" paints stick well to cleaned plastic models. Chaos Black is a really good primer, but avoid Corax White - if you must get a light Citadel Primer, get one of the two Contrast-ready Primers: Wraithbone for models that will feature skin tones (Orcs, barbarians, Elves), and Grey Seer for models that represent dudes clad in metal ([[Adeptus Astartes|Space Marines]], [[Necrons]], [[Tau]]) or vehicles.

=====Basecoats=====
The Citadel range is split between "Base," "Layer," and "Edge" paints. Base and Edge paints both contain more pigment, and so dry more opaque, but Edge paints have less medium and are harder to thin with water. Layer paints are the same as base paints, but have less pigments so require more coats to get an opaque finish. All can be used as a base, layer, or highlight, you just have to layer and thin appropriately.

=====Air=====
Pre-thinned base/layer paints that are generally thin enough to shoot through an airbrush without thinning, comes in their godawful pots so transfer them to dropper bottles or try your best not to spill when pouring into the airbrush.

=====Dry=====
Exactly as it says, a really thick, almost solid paint that's supposed to be used for drybrushing. Dip your brush in it, wipe away most of the paint on a tissue, then go drybrushing.

=====Shades=====
Citadel produces great washes, called Shades. There are also glossy versions of the common shades, which are useful for metallics. Nuln Oil is often jokingly called "liquid talent", as a simple wash can provide a lot of depth and make your minis look not bad.

=====Contrast=====
Their new Contrast paints are essentially just very high pigment washes - the paints darken in the recesses and leave a tinted highlight on the high points. Works great with a zenithal highlight, and can be used for various unintended effects.

=====Technical=====
Now including their texture pastes, Citadel's technical paints are used to create various cool effects. ''Highlights'' include Blood for the Blood God, which predictably is just realistic looking blood; Valhallan Snow... which makes snow; and Typhus Corrosion, a brown paint with some bits in them, creates a texture that can then be drybrushed orange to look like rust. The 4 clear paints: Lahmian and Contrast Medium, 'Ardcoat, and Stormshield can all be used as varnish or mixing mediums. Technical is perhaps the one line of paints that is worth dealing with [[Citadel Miniatures|The Beast]] for.

====Vallejo====

Probably the most used paint range: if you count scale modellers (in their "Model" range), [[Vallejo]] has a massive range of paint coming in dropper bottles, with especially good metallics. There are multiple ranges - to name a few: 
* "Model Color", for model kits that will be on display
* "Model Air", same but for airbrush use
* "Game Color", more resistant paints for models that will be touched a lot during gameplay, 
* "Game Air", same but for airbrush use
Cheaper than Citadel (per ml, as their pots are 17ml compared to Citadel's 12ml) and the same or better quality too, with the exception of some stinkers. They also make a variety of technical and basing paints, most of which come in large bottles and are quite cheap.

[[Vallejo| Check the article about them]]. Just so you know: your saturday mornings watching Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones were Vallejo-colored. 

=====Primers=====
Vallejo makes a variety of Primers in many colours, there are both brush-on/airbrush and rattle cans options. They're really good and durable, and also good value for money, especially compared to Citadel.

=====Basecoats=====
The standard Vallejo paints are the Game and Model Color ranges. Game Color is generally brighter and have more vibrant colours meant for wargaming, with colours that roughly correspond to Citadel ones. Model Color has a larger range, with a lot of different shades of colour which is great for transitions and layering. Very versatile and good value. 

=====Air=====
Simply the regular paints but thinned down (finer pigment) to fire through an airbrush, the air metallics are pretty good, and their thinned down nature makes it easy to use with a brush too. Use these over Citadel Air, the dropper bottles are simply so much more convenient.

=====Metal Color=====
The ''Gold'' standard of metal paints, actually somewhat expensive, but come in 32mL bottles. Mostly just shades of steel/grey metal, but they are the best acrylic metal paints on the market, thin, easy to use, and airbrush ready.

====Reaper====

Eh, pretty much like Vallejo and Citadel. Has a large range, good cost, and some rather interesting colours. Might be easier to find than Vallejo if you live in the US.

====Army Painter====

Cheap paints, really. Basically a cheaper, more diluted version of Citadel and Vallejo paint dropper bottle format. Their Tone washes are great, pretty much the same as the Citadel Shades, but cheaper with less variety. They also make these Quickshade dip cans, where you dip a basecoated miniature in there, then take it out and shake off the excess where it will be all shaded and stuff; quite messy, but good for speed painting. Their metallics are really weak and their primers vary in quality and consistency.  Basically: buy if you're on a budget, otherwise, look at Vallejo or Reaper. Recently switched to a gel medium that makes mixing and thinning a bitch. 

[[The_Army_Painter| Check the article for more information]].

====Scale 75====

Most famous for being matte, really, these paints all have a matte finish, good for those display painters who want to paint their own highlights and have fine control over how the paint looks. They also make inks in their Inktensity line, and extremely bright and intense paint in the FX Flour line.

====MiG and AK Interactive====

Supposedly the same paints, as MiG was founded by a former AK Interactive employee. They're mostly famous in the scale modelling world, but their colours work fine, and they have a good naming scheme - ie: Dark Rust, Shadow Rust, Medium Rust, etc. Both have a lot of different ranges, like Ammo by MiG, and Meng Color by AK. Standout is AK Interactive's newer "3rd gen" range, which have "new" formulas and are really good, worth trying out. They both make Enamel paints, mostly used for either technical effects like chipping, or for recess shading, which enamel paints are great at. They're about the same price as Vallejo.

==== Turbo Dork ====
Specializes in metallics and color-shifting paints, with lots of out-there neon colors. Their Turboshift line is a standard-ish dichroic paint like Vallejo Shifters, but their Zenishift changes color significantly based on whether it's layered on a black or a white basecoat, making it perfect for special effects if you're already doing zenithal priming. Also sells unusual goodies like silicone palettes (just buy an ice cube tray from the dollar store) and mixing sticks .

====Daler-Rowney and Liquitex====

Actual artist paints, but in this list because they make exceptional inks. Perfect for airbrushing, shading, and glazing. They also make mediums that are very concentrated and come in big bottles, make sure to thin them. 

====Prince August and Italeri====
[[Vallejo#Prince_August_and_Italeri_paint_ranges|Rebranded Vallejo - check '''here''' for more information.]]