Apple Barrel Paint For Miniatures - Review

Can you use Apple Barrel Paint by Plaid to paint miniatures?

[@Gakusangi]

I would always recommend some kind of sealer at the end, even for more durable model paints, I'd even seal right away after a metal paint layer just to keep it all locked in. I've been experimenting with a lot of craft paints lately and I have to say that Apple Barrel, Ceramcoat and Folkart are all making some pretty good impressions, however it is still a matter of which paint it is too. Reds can be difficult and when you get a good one, you'll wanna stick with it, same if you can find a Yellow that covers well in like two to three coats and keeps its intensity (that's almost mythical). I also recently discovered Target has its own paint line called Mondo Llama. The colors are all Satin finish, which I don't really care for, but they have a line of interesting metallics that are fun to play with. Cheep! is another paint brand that sometimes goes on sale for like $2 a tube when school is starting back up and I can fully endorse the Silver and Gold they offer, they're great metal colors!

[@GridironMasters]

Yes the mythical yellow paint that doesn't cover without half the bottle 😅 If you don't handle the figures a lot you might not need to seal it much.

[@Gakusangi]

@@GridironMasters I just like the layer of protection, m'self, but yeah, it is a matter of storage and regular use too. There's just some arguments about craft paints and their durability and I think lot of them are plenty hardy enough, but a sealer does help. I hard that Army Painter has a "Daemon Yellow" in their Fanatic line, have you had any experience with that? Supposedly he goes on really well. If not, then some other yellow, but I think it's the Daemon people talk about.

[@razbloodalpha4982]

The difference between craft paint and model paint is pigment size and density and the quality of medium used, model paints are made with finer pigments at a higher density than craft paints. The medium in craft paints is also slightly weaker/diluted in comparison as most model paints will contain a more satin medium which is tougher than plain matte hence the "scratch test" result you had with the citadel paint. All of this means that while you can use craft paints to paint miniatures just fine, model paints will thin down further before the pigment splits from the medium and will generally have better coverage requiring less layers at a thinner dilution.

[@GridironMasters]

I've seen people do paint jobs with Apple Barrel and I can't really tell the difference. They certainly need a few more coats sometimes but unless someone is a pro painter it's almost worth it to just use apple barrel to save money. I'm not a fan of mixing paint if I don't have to though so buying some flesh tones would be important.

[@Dinoramascuplts-Tyrex]

This was a wonderfully informative video, cheers chap

[@GridironMasters]

I'm glad you found some value in it!

[@enochdarkk7871]

I use these paints. Its all about knowledge of color theory and thinning paints efficiently. Other paints luke citadel, etc. Are easier to deal with but way more expensive. More for comission / speed painters. But as a beginner apple barrel is great.

[@kristophermelin7160]

The paints I use run the gamut, from the highest end to the $.44 Hobby Lobby special. Using them with matte mediums, mixing with inks, combining with other brands, etc. and they make an EXCELLENT addition. I've always said that craft-style paints got a bad rap. Just like high end ones, the skill of the painter has much greater impact on the end result than the medium they use. A Force Recon scout sniper with a bb-gun could probably outshoot an average Joe with a match grade pistol.

[@GridironMasters]

This is true. The biggest difference I saw was GW and probably other expensive paint may have some kind of enamel but sealing the cheap paint well solves that.

[@rebeltaz123]

I use "craft" paints almost extensively in painting my models and I get excellent results. I am by no means a professional painter, and I am sure that it takes more time to get equivalent results to what others get with the "correct" paints, but I have more time than I have money. I get a lot of guff online when for my paint choice. If I don't mention what I used to paint the models, I get rave reviews. The minute I say I painted them with "craft" paints... I start getting all the negative that the internet has to offer. Have you tried the Folk Art brand paints? They work great, too, and come in a large range of colors Apple Barrel doesn't have.

[@GridironMasters]

Folk Art and Apple Barrel are both made by plaid. I just realized how much better the multi surface variety sticks to plastic miniatures. Both apple barrel and folk art have multi surface. I just got some from Walmart and they behave and dry just like I'd expect model paint to. I'm sad because now I have some 60 bottles of paint I probably won't use. If you're not a master painter it's totally fine to use craft paint as long as it sticks well to the model.

[@rebeltaz123]

@@GridironMasters I actually started with the multi surface because of how well it adhered, but I found that I like the texture of the regular paints better for most models. Over a layer of either Vallejo primer through an air brush or Krylon primer and a clear coat over the finished model does wonders.

[@GridironMasters]

@@rebeltaz123 I can't stand it when I go to grab a model and the paint comes off. I need that adhesion. I have tried using acrylic spray sealer for apple barrel matte and it seems to work fine but I seem to be able to scratch it off still without trying too hard.

[@jayboo1447]

Gridiron Masters, i need help thinning the paint because i have trouble with thinning

[@GridironMasters]

Usually a little touch of water on the brush works just fine. You can also use a dropper in case you want to be more consistent.

[@jayboo1447]

@@GridironMasters okay thanks for the recommendation

[@jeremiahembs5343]

Apple barrel is fine for scenery. I use it all the time. I also use apple barrel Licorice a lot. It's a good brush on black for base coloring. It's very flat and has just the right amount of tooth to take another layer. Try it out. It's actually better for that purpose than something like vallejo which is too shiny.

[@GridironMasters]

Apple Barrel has three kinds of finish, matte, satin and gloss. They dont have as many colors in satin and gloss but matte is just fine. Vallejo is probably satin by default.

[@jeremiahembs5343]

@@GridironMasters Yeah I always get the matte apple barrel unless I'm doing Christmas ornaments; then I get the gloss or finish with gloss varnish. The vallejo black is satin or I'd say semigloss, but most other colors they have are semi-matte, but any of their darker colors than contain black also are satin. I avoid their black like communists, but I like most of their other colors. My favorite brand is coat d'arms, but for scenery they are too expensive. Craft paint is really quite good for that and I feel base coloring with craft paint is quite acceptable. Craft paint has more medium than pigment which can make it more glossy than it should be, but like you said matte paint is available so it's not really a problem.

[@GridironMasters]

@@jeremiahembs5343 I've never used vallejo black actually. first vallejos colors I got were from the flames of war US set. Avoiding commies is a must.

[@sorrowseal]

Thanks for the video, found these along FolkArt paint at my local Walmart and was wondering if they are any good for miniature painting. Have you tried FolkArt paint?

[@GridironMasters]

Folk Art and Apple Barrel are both by the same company, Plaid. Folk Art is probably slightly better since they cost more but not by much. I think they have less colors too.

[@Caleb-zs8is]

Do any of your miniatures that use the apple barrel paint seem to chip or crack as time goes by? And how hard would you say you would have to scratch to make the paint come off if you didn't use a finish? I want to start miniature painting but I don't want to pay for all of this expensive paints like citadel and I saw that apple barrel is pretty good for miniature painting, but I'm worried that it might chip or scratch easily. And I'm not entirely sure if I want to use a finish or shade and just keep them brightly colored but I'm not sure if it will affect the durability of the apple barrel paint.

[@GridironMasters]

It depends on the plastic. Some plastic takes paint better than others. Apple Barrel and Folk Art have multi-surface paint. It's only slightly more expensive than matte but sticks to plastic much better. With the cheapest matte paint you will want to seal it somehow if you are going to be touching it a lot when you are done.

[@Caleb-zs8is]

@@GridironMasters thanks man I appreciate it. Sorry to ask another question but do you know how well the multi surface paint does on games workshop minis?

[@GridironMasters]

@@Caleb-zs8isIt should be fine. The multi surface stuff has worked well with everything I have put it on so far. Get some black and primer a model then you'll see if its what you want. It seems solid to me.

[@Caleb-zs8is]

@@GridironMasters Ok thank you so much.

[@owenlaprath4135]

I was going to ask how these paints stand up, when you handle your figures in daily gaming, but your early comments about a protection layer answered that

[@GridironMasters]

some people prefer the more delicate coats that the matte paint provides. The multi surface line of paint will stick much better to plastic though.

[@themodelhobbyist]

I gave you a sub just because and mainly because I use craft paints as well and there is nothing wrong with them and you can get up to 10 craft paints for the same amount as 1 of the others especially when they were $0.50 now they are a bit more LOL thanks for the video. 🙂Thomas over at The Model Hobbyist

[@GridironMasters]

Well thanks 👍 I do Iike that $ 0.50 price!

[@GridironMasters]

Well thanks 👍 I do Iike that $ 0.50 price!

[@GABRIELfloreslopez-pu1ww]

I wan to know how you use that black as a primer

[@GridironMasters]

It's not the greatest if you don't know how to handle paint that comes off easily

[@Dinoramascuplts-Tyrex]

@@GridironMastersmight I ask how to do that?

[@GridironMasters]

@@Dinoramascuplts-Tyrex Its mostly having the discipline and steady hand to not touch the surface of the model until its dry and if it is dry, dont scratch it. Having something to hold and stick the model to will be a huge help that way you dont have to touch it at all during painting. I will say that you CAN touch the painted model. It's not going to break or anything but its the nail scratches and hard smears that will rip the matte paint. You can tap it lightly. Plaid (Apple Barrel,Folk Art) also has a variety called multi surface paint. It's only a little more expensive and will stick to paint and have a toughness more similar to model paint. They don't have as many colors but they have enough. This could be the better option if you are not as keen on having to finish the model with something.

[@Dinoramascuplts-Tyrex]

@@GridironMasters thank you for responding to me, I mostly paint figurines but I figured advice would be applicable. In my experience all surface paints usually don’t do great on plastic that’s textured, as I do dinosaurs with scales it muddies up my work. As for the gentle hand I will work on it, thank you for your help.

[@VulcanHeStan]

I like doing warhammer painting, but I can't necessarily afford pricer paints, and I grew up with Apple Barrel and Folk Art, thanks to my late mother's painting hobby. I've always liked them, and some of their more niche paint has some nice effect, like a glitter-glaze that dries clear and leaves a shiny layer with glitter in it, to blacklight-reactive and glow-in-the-dark paints. Only issue is they require several coats more than model paints, and feel a mite chalky when they dry, but I can make my models look halfway decent with them.

[@GridironMasters]

The Multi surface range is what you could try. It is meant to stick to plastic and other materials. It should dry more similar to model paint. The matte stuff isn't really meant for plastic but works fine with several coats and a finish.

[@VulcanHeStan]

@@GridironMasters Yeah, I have noticed that. Im working through my buggles slowly, but its going well.