Necromunda Help With Assembling A Starting Set of Vallejo Paints

[maxwellrpower]

G'day everyone,
I'm returning to this hobby after an absence of around 14 years. I've got my collection of modelling tools almost re-assembled now after a morning spent on ebay, but when it comes to buying paints I could use a little advice. I wanted to steer clear of the citadel stuff for the most part and pretty much everyone seems to recommend Vallejo, so that's what I'm going to go with. To begin with I'd like a basic set which I can blend to achieve the tones I want. So far I've come up with this list of 16 colours, which I think will probably give me a good starting point I can add to over time. Can anyone see any glaring omissions?
These are all from the Vallejo Game Color range.

Dead White 72.001
Sun Yellow 72.006
Orange Fire 72.008
Bloody Red 72.010
Ultramarine Blue 72.022
Goblin Green 72.030
Bonewhite 72.034
Leather Brown 72.040
Beasty Brown 72.043
Stonewall Grey 72.049
Black 72.051
Silver 72.052
Gunmetal 72.054
Polished Gold 72.055
Dwarf Skin 72.041
Cadmium Skin 72.099

I also plan to buy a big bottle of black primer (also from Vallejo) and a few washes from Citadel, as I have read a fair few people saying they are pretty hard to beat. Citadel washes would be Reikland Flesh Shade, Nuln Oil, Druchii Violet and Agrax Earthshade.

I should also mention that my first painting project will be a Pit Slaves gang, so lots of pale flesh and mechanical bits.

I know this is far from a comprehensive collection of paints but my thinking is that from this basic collection I should be able to mix up a really wide range of colours, just wanted to know if I'm way off track, as it's been a really long time!

Cheers for reading, look forward to hearing what you lot think.

 

[djmothra]

Looks fine as a start. Dont forget varnishes, get at least matt.

 

[Azzabat]

I think that's a good start. You can't really go wrong with the base colors. I agree with @djmothra that you should get some varnishes. I use a gloss varnish (70.510) for protection, then a second coat of Matt varnish (70.520) to finish as this takes off the shine of the gloss varnish

I love Charred Brown (72.045) and Tan (72.066). Vallejo also do a lovely Black Grey (70862) in their Model Color range which I use for highlighting black.

Apart from those I think you've got everything covered.

 

[Boltzmann]

sounds good.
I'd like a very dark blue and a very dark green in addition.
I allways find it difficult to mix those 2 colours.

 

[Tiny]

As I have a full rack of Game Colour paints not 2 feet from my desk and use/sell quite a lot of them, I should hopefully be able to help a little. Basically to start off you should ideally go for the purest mid-tone of any single colour. That way you can easily mix up and down between colours without making a muddy mess.

Ultramarine Blue 72.022

I would go for Magic Blue 72.021 as it is a more "pure" blue. Ultramarine blue is a bit of an odd shade of blue with a hint of purple.

Stonewall Grey 72.049

Cold Grey 72.050 is a better mid-grey. Can go lighter by adding white.

Sun Yellow 72.006

Moon Yellow 72.005 is a more "pure" yellow. Can easily make something darker by adding a small drop of Beasty Brown or Orange Fire.

As Azzabat says, Charred Brown 72.045 is a must. If you have to drop something, Leather brown or Dwarf Skin can be dropped pretty easily.

If you have any particular colour scheme in mind, you may want to pick up some extra colours in that range. e.g. as you say you're painting Pit Slaves so a few skin colours won't be a bad choice.

The GW washes are amazing and you'll want them all eventually. To start with I would go for Reikland Fleshtone, Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade. Next to add would be Athonian Camoshade as it makes a great deep shade for a lot of different colours, as does Druchii Violet. Finally get ones that compliment any specific colour you are painting.

I hope that helps you get started.

 

[maxwellrpower]

Cheers everyone for the responses, that really helps a lot! Especially Tiny, that was very comprehensive and enlightening. Thanks!

 

[Llewy]

I don't know if I just got unlucky with a batch but I was really disappointed with the vallejo game colour paints I got because they made my models super shiny. Therefore I switched over to the vallejo model colour range which I'm super happy with, saving the few game colour paints I have for scenery.
One draw back of the model colour range is they do need a good varnish as the models chip easily, but other than that I absolutely love the dropper bottles and the paint is really fluid which is great for mixing.
Totally agree with Tiny that the G dub washes are fantastic.

 

[maxwellrpower]

I don't know if I just got unlucky with a batch but I was really disappointed with the vallejo game colour paints I got because they made my models super shiny

As I understand it, the Game Color range is supposed to be made up of more vibrant colours designed for fantasy and sci fi characters to give that slightly more exaggerated and cartoonish look, as opposed to the Model Color range which is aimed more at historical military figures and is meant to look more realistic.

I feel like my band of cybernetically enhanced future slave warriors can probably stand to be slightly cartoony

I haven't actually used any Vallejo paints before though, I always used Citadel paints in the past. Those are perfectly good paints but from what I've been reading lately most people seem to consider the Vallejo range to be superior and as the Game Color paints are a direct copy of the Citadel colours, it seems like a good place to start as I'm already pretty familiar with how to work with that range. Hopefully an outer coat of matt varnish will take off a bit of shine anyway.

 

[Fold]

I wouldn't say the actual Vallejo paint is superior to Citadel anymore but the dropper bottles sure are. GW just can't (or won't) get the pots right - with the current range, you either clip off the little catch and have pots that won't stay open while painting, or you leave it on and your paint dries out super quickly.

Game colour was created to replicate GW's range at a time when many people were unhappy with the GW pots and/or change in range (I forget which) i.e it was a fairly opportunistic play. So yeah, the colours are more vibrant.

Not seen any issues with shinyness with either brand, except where the paint isn't mixed properly. So I would guess that @Llewy had a bad batch of model colour.

 

[Tiny]

As I understand it, the Game Color range is supposed to be made up of more vibrant colours designed for fantasy and sci fi characters to give that slightly more exaggerated and cartoonish look, as opposed to the Model Color range which is aimed more at historical military figures and is meant to look more realistic.

Exactly this. Also the Game Colour paints are indeed a little more glossy than the Model Colour range. No more so than the Army Painter and other game-oriented paints. The glossier finish means the paint is more hard wearing. I recommend Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Varnish over everything regardless of the paint you use.

I wouldn't say the actual Vallejo paint is superior to Citadel anymore but the dropper bottles sure are. GW just can't (or won't) get the pots right - with the current range, you either clip off the little catch and have pots that won't stay open while painting, or you leave it on and your paint dries out super quickly.

Agreed. The new GW paints are great, particularly the Base range and washes. GW pots are crap though, their only upside being the ability to paint straight from the pot, which you should apparently never do, although I do all the time...

If they won't stay open, I find jamming the little plastic cover from a paintbrush between the pot and the lip of the lid works nicely.

 

[maxwellrpower]

I recommend Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Varnish over everything regardless of the paint you use.

On the subject of varnish, we've got one vote here for Army Painter Anti-Shine Matt Varnish, also the Vallejo ones were mentioned earlier, anyone care to weigh in on which ones are the best?

Thanks again to everyone for the advice, it's super helpful!

 

[Fold]

Testors Dullcote, hands down!

 

[JimboDeany]

Do you notice the extra protection from gloss varnish? I only use Dull and often find it to be shit and not really protect much

 

[Tiny]

I always use gloss varnish followed by matt on metal minis. Plastic or resin I just use matt as they don't chip much..

 

[Fold]

Yes 100%. After a while the Dullcote wears away and the models starts getting glossy, but it never goes beyond that to normal paint finish. Plus they don't chip. So a good gloss varnish really does protect the paint.

 

[JimboDeany]

Ok, so i've stuck some of the dullcoat in my shopping basket, but what gloss varnish do you recommend. The GW stuff I've been using generally seems shite

 

[Fold]

GW ardcote

 

[King Redwart]

Don't paint...simples!!!

 

[djmothra]

Im using Mig Jimenez right now but Testors is good too.

 

[Punktaku]

wow. i must be behind the times. i still use GW paints, and have them in 3 different pot styles, some of which have to be at least 20 years old or older. And i still have Partha Paints that must be around the same age. The worst GW paints for drying were the twist-offs that kinda looked like a bolt gun shell. But the lids make for good scenery bits.

Primer and varnish? i skip the model-specific ones because they're too expensive. i find Rustoleum automobile primers (esp. black) work just fine, i also generally use their clearcote sealer. the matte one is very very matte. i really should do the double coat... gloss followed by matte or two coats of clear.