Finding the best acrylic paints for miniatures and models shouldn’t be challenging, but with so many brands and varieties available today, it often is. I am here to assist.
To help you create your army, we’ve discovered the top miniature paint kits and paintbrushes. We can help you whether you’re painting Warhammer or D&D miniatures.
Let’s get started! These paints will also work well for painting models.
1. Best D&D Miniature Paint Set: The Original
Because I’m such a big D&D fan, I simply had to evaluate this set first. The best paint for D&D miniatures is this one, especially if you’re just starting out.
This acrylic paint kit was created for the usage of D&D miniatures particularly in mind. Ten non-toxic, water-based battle paints are included. There are eight acrylic paints total, one primer, and one metallic color. Precision dropper bottles that carry 12 cc of paint are included with this kit.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a brush. One handcrafted, high-quality starting paintbrush for your miniatures is included in this bundle. Even one D&D miniature was included so you could practice painting before going on to your other models.
I put this kit in our list of suggested options since it is ideal for novice miniature painters. Even if you are an experienced D&D player and require colors that go with your setups, this set is still fantastic. You can find an in-depth suggestion for Acrylic Powder by simply clicking here.
What we enjoy
- excellent for new painters
- Amazingly cheap cost – just $25.19!
- Free handmade brush included Precision droppers
What bothers us
- This collection solely includes neutral hues.
- It takes a lot of mixing to produce usable colors.
- The miniature fans won’t be satisfied with the paint quality.
2. Vallejo Basic Paint Set
You can skip the free brush and miniatures like in the previous Dungeons and Dragons set if you’ve been painting miniatures for a long. Once you feel at ease with the fundamental colors, I strongly suggest moving up to this Vallejo paint kit.
In order to achieve the ideal color on your miniatures, these model colors have been particularly created using permanent pigments. This paint has an opaque appearance and is entirely permanent and lightfast. This is excellence at its best.
Vallejo is also unique in its constancy. The colors make it possible to create a paint coating that is completely consistent and without any signs of brushstrokes. You can give your models the polished appearance that many players desire.
This water-based recipe was created with the express purpose of creating a solid adhesion on challenging surfaces like metal and plastic, otherwise known as our game pieces!
Your main, secondary, and a few metallic hues are all included in this package. Flat Red, Purple, Lemon Yellow, Flat Flesh, Gold, Silver, White, Azure, Flat Blue, Yellow Ochre, Buff, Orange, Flat Green, Black, and Flat Brown are the real colors included in this set. In addition, you can check the recommendations for Acrylic Sealers.
For this specific set, you may frequently find discounts on Amazon – at the time of my last check, it was 14% off!
What we enjoy
- includes metallic, secondary, and primary hues.
- Premium acrylic paint kit with precise dropper bottles
What bothers us
- Costly for only colors and dropper bottles
3. The Army Painter Miniature Painting Kit
Our #1 choice on this list is the Army Painter miniature painting kit! This set is very HUGE!
50 Wargamer miniature paints and 1 detail paint brush are included in this whole package. What this amounts to is
- 39 acrylic paints that are harmless
- five metals
- Four quickshade washings
- two effect paints.
- 1 miniatures detail paintbrush with a triangle handle
Don’t worry if you’re new at painting miniatures or models. Stick to the main colors and gradually go up as you gain more painting experience.
This paint package includes six 0.6 oz/18 ml bottles. Each color has excellent consistency and color pigment. The paint is the right consistency—neither too thick nor too thin.
The droppers are precision droppers, just like in practically every set, so you can dispense the paint without creating a major mess or wasting paint.
One of the greatest miniature paint kits for bulk purchases is this one since you’ll save 20% compared to purchasing each color separately.
What we enjoy
- Paint of expert quality
- One of the biggest collections available. A wide range of colors, including metallic, secondary, and primary hues.
- includes a painting brush
- great for both newcomers and seasoned veterans
What bothers us
- hefty price tag
- Before use, the paint must be well shaken.
4. The Grinning Gargoyle Paint Starter Set
Although the Grinning Gargoyle starting set is relatively fresh as of the time this article was written, the customer reviews are accurate. The newest and most well-liked brand of paint for your miniatures is this one. Since this is a starting kit, everything you’ll need, including a paintbrush, is included in the package.
There are many different colors—20 to be precise. There are two washes and two metallics out of the twenty. The user has been taken into consideration while choosing the colors. It has a respectable assortment for painting models of any scale, small or large.
The paint is packaged in dropper vials with a dropper cap system that are simple to squeeze. In essence, this is equivalent to claiming that they are precision droppers. This, in my opinion, is a requirement for today’s standard. This style of design keeps the paint from drying out and being wasted.
What we enjoy
- decent color variety
- includes a free paintbrush
- promoted to both experts and newcomers
- high-quality pigmentation
What bothers us
- Exorbitant pricing for just 20 hues
5. Best Paint Set For Miniatures With Accessories
Can I just mention how great the carrying and storage box is for this paint set? This item was only included since it is intended for novices learning how to paint miniatures and has a handy carrying box. Along with the attractive case, it also includes 3 paintable miniatures, 2 paintbrushes, and 11 paint bottles.
As the models do not arrive completely put together, be sure to have some sort of super or crafting knowledge. Assembling some of the limbs and weaponry will be required, so have that in mind when buying this kit. The figurines are scaled at 28 mm.
The hues are as follows: Dragon Blue, Candlelight Yellow, Mountain Stone, Harvest Brown, Pure Black, Blade Steel, Polished Silver, and Leather Brown.
Additionally, this kit includes an easy-to-follow instruction manual written by award-winning painter Rhonda Bender.
What we enjoy
- transport bag
- includes two paintbrushes
- includes three different painted miniatures.
- 1 instruction manual featuring a prize-winning painter
- decent price
What bothers us
- Paint is not of the best quality.
- promoted more for novices
What to Look for in Acrylic Paint for Miniatures
Before making a purchase, take into account the following key factors to locate the best acrylic paint for miniatures.
For your miniatures, use specialized acrylic-based paints.
Nowadays, acrylic-based paint is the most widely used type of tiny paint. Oil paints were once primarily used to decorate models and miniatures, but things have changed since then. Since then, acrylic paints have significantly improved and now perform similarly to oil-based paints.
The use of acrylic-based paints has one drawback. Find an acrylic-based paint that has been designed particularly to cling to the miniatures. Regular acrylic paint must be significantly diluted, and doing so runs the risk of deteriorating the paint.
Short drying periods, the ability to change the viscosity and flow of the paint without destroying it, and lightfastness are some of the key advantages of paint particularly made for models.
Additionally, there are several techniques to paint your miniatures using acrylic. Paint can be applied using a brush, a sprayer, or even with markers. The most typical and advised method uses skinny detail paintbrushes.
Try to be lightfast.
A feature known as a lightfast rating is frequently included in high-quality paints. This cryptic phrase really indicates that even after lengthy exposure to light, the paint will retain its brightness and vibrancy. This implies that models that have been painted using paint that has this quality will endure the test of time.
To benefit from a durable paint job, look for paints that are referred to as being lightfast.
What’s the difference between model/miniature paint and artist-grade paint?
The greatest quality and pigmentation are used in artist-grade paints to provide the best finish. The majority of the time, model or miniature paints are not all that unlike from artist grade paints. Drying periods, lightfastness, and viscosity are the key variations.
We may never completely understand the primary distinction between the two paints since manufacturers never disclose what ingredients are in their formulae. As a general rule, artist grade paints are typically far superior to other paints available on the market.
Before spending extra money on paint that you might not need, it would be a good idea to test out your extensive collection of artist-grade paints on your miniatures. It will be nitpicking if there is a visible distinction between the two paints at that moment.
Personal choice dominates everything. Hard-core miniature enthusiasts will vouch for Citadel paint as the best if you speak to them. A regular painter who enjoys painting miniatures and models on the side would respond that the best paint is of the artist quality. To everyone his or her own.
Best Miniature Acrylic Paint Brands
Playing Workshop
Without a doubt, Games Workshop is the biggest and most prosperous hobby miniatures manufacturer in the world. The Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 brands are the most well-known. Any miniatures enthusiast should visit Games Workshop.
The foundation of the hobby is collecting, modeling, painting, and playing tabletop games with enormous armies of these astonishing miniatures. All throughout the world, millions of people participate in these activities. When it comes to the craftsmanship and quality of both miniatures and models, Games Workshop has established a rather high bar.
Games Workshop started out in the UK but has now expanded to include direct sales operations in the US, Australia, China, and Japan.
Vallejo’s Acrylicos
In 1965, the Vallejo firm was set up in New Jersey, USA. This business has been established for a very long time and began its career in the field of animated movies. They were experts in producing colors for cartoons. In the early 1990s, they then began to grow.
They then targeted the model-painting and hobby markets with their paints. The first firm that specialized in acrylic colors for Model color paints was Vallejo. With a selection of 218 acrylic colors that are incredibly pigmented and were created with both models and miniatures in mind. All surfaces were designated with the model colors, which were also carefully designed to stick to polyester and plastics.
The Army Artist
Bo Penstoft and Jonas Faering, two seasoned painters, are the authors of The Army Painter. Over 30 fully painted miniature armors have been deployed by the founders overall, the product of countless hours of diligent labour.
About twenty individuals work for the firm, all of them are passionately committed to developing goods that will raise the bar for your miniatures.
FAQs about Model and Miniature Painting
What does high-quality paint’s lightfastness mean?
This grade tells us how susceptible a hue will be to fading from exposure to light. When a paint is referred to as being lightfast, it signifies that it is excellent and durable even when exposed to light.
Can miniatures be painted with acrylic paint?
Yes, but your outcomes won’t even come close to matching those of acrylic paints created especially for use on metal and plastic. Basic acrylic paint must be thinned carefully since too much thinning might cause it to lose strength.
Which miniature paints work best?
Acrylic paints designed to stick well to metal and plastic are the ideal paints for miniatures. Brands like Games Workshop, Vallejo, and The Army Painter provide some of the top acrylic paints.
Does Citadel have an acrylic base?
All Citadel paints are water-based acrylics made for Citadel miniatures, metal, and plastic.
Which paint works best for Warhammer?
Citadel Colour is the ideal paint brand for Warhammer. The Warhammer series is the focus of their whole paint collection.
Can Warhammer figurines be painted with acrylic paint?
Yes! The most common kind of paint used for miniatures and models is acrylic. Warhammer figurines are best painted using acrylics since they are non-toxic and water-based.
Do miniatures require special paint?
No, special tiny paint is not required. Any acrylic paint will work, however some colors from particular brands are sought after by enthusiasts.
Can miniatures be painted with enamel?
Enamel paint is often bad for miniatures since it requires specific procedures to thin it down to be useful. Most hobbyists typically favor acrylics.
Which is better for models: acrylic or enamel?
The same concept applies to models: enamel may potentially be used if you’re proficient, but acrylics are typically preferred because they’re simpler to work with.
Final Reflections
When it comes to giving your models life, the Army Painter Miniature Painting Kit excels. Finding the best acrylic paints for miniatures and models for your miniature won’t be difficult with such a wide range of over 40 different paints available.
Despite being one of the most expensive paint kits on the market, it genuinely delivers because to its high-quality paint, vibrant colours, and quick drying periods. This is why this kit is the ideal for both novices and experts.
We hope that this tutorial has been useful and that your upcoming painting session will be productive, regardless of the acrylic paint you decide to use for your miniatures. Gratitude for reading!