Pro Acryl BETTER than GW and Army Painter for painting Warhammer? | Comparing three brands of paint!

I’m trying out the new Pro Acryl paints from Monument Hobbies and putting them through their paces to see how they compare to Citadel and Army Painter for painting Warhammer miniatures. I painted three Warhammer 40k Space Marines using Games Workshop, Army Painter and Pro Acryl paints and give my opinion on which I find gives the best coverage and is easiest to paint with.
➡️ Colour Forge spray cans: elementgames.co.uk/search?q=C...
➡️ Pro Acryl paints: elementgames.co.uk/paints-hob...
➡️ Games workshop paints: elementgames.co.uk/paints-hob...
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[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks for watch, folks! Which of the three brands do you like most?!

[@akzdnz]

Totally in love with Pro Acryl, slowly replacing all my paints with their stuff. Some of their metallics (like Rich Gold) are amazing, others are just okay. The only real letdown is their transparent range, which is super disappointing... Citadel Contrast paints are still the champ for ready-to-go shades/glazes.

[@BenjisHobbies]

@@akzdnz now that’s really interesting! I can definitely see me adding more to my collection over the coming weeks/months. Disappointing to hear about the transparent paints 😞 I might give 1-2 a spin to see what they’re like but reluctant to get the whole set now!

[@beaubooker433]

Diggin the Pro stuff Benji!! Great Video Brother

[@beaubooker433]

Oh, and Vallejo is my real go to

[@silasvbenson]

Pro-Acryl, Kimera and Scale75 for me, with Warcolors in a close 4th

[@carlstanford7607]

Would have loved to see a vallejo paints comparison included otherwise great stuff

[@Emolokz]

AGREED. I think excluding Vallejo was a travesty.

[@terpdx]

I use Vallejo almost exclusively except for some Citadel metallics, as Citadel does those better (not including Vallejo Liquid Metal, which is in a class by itself). It's not that I have any problem with Citadel paint - I find it quite good, actually - but those pots are just annoying and the price/ml is approximately twice that of Vallejo. ETA: The price is a regional thing. Where I live, GW paints are ~$0.43 USD/ml while Vallejo runs ~$0.21 USD/ml.

[@tdetles1310]

@@Emolokz The Vallejo paints don't compare, ProAcryl is the best.

[@Sarkhamy]

If you're an AP painter and you want a less fuss with your painting set up, might I suggest Vallejo as an alternative. A lot of color matches, it's only a little bit more expensive the quality of the paint is in my option much much higher.. My advice is to ignore brand loyalty, and just pick the best paints from each brand. It's all just paint. Grab whatever paints you like and sling them on your model!

[@joshelguapo5563]

Exactly this. I use Valejo, GW, and even apple barrel for different colors and applications. I also only really have like 6 colors in my palate.

[@michaelspitz9151]

The only colors I know for each brand is leadbelcher and reds from GW, what colors are other brands known for?

[@juansnow5897]

@@michaelspitz9151 Vallejo metalic golds and silvers are very good, much better than GW's in my opinion, also they have some good base colors like vallejo gold brown, if you use a watered down metallic gold paint on it it can look really nice when you apply a wash and a light dry brush of silver around the edges

[@michaelspitz9151]

@@juansnow5897 mmmmm thanks

[@edwardcote2440]

I don't like most of the Army Painter products; they are just not good quality for the price. I find Vallejo too finicky, so AP paint must be even worse.

[@oskar6661]

In the U.S., ProAcryl are $4 vs. $4.50+ US for a normal GW paint. So...better bottle, almost double the paint, included mixing ball...for less money. Oh, and the paints are pretty awesome (I only own about 12 so far).

[@jalegria2190]

That’s the logic that made me buy vallejo paint

[@garland336]

I realize I'm a little late to the party here but having spent nearly a year and a half working exclusively with Army Painter products, I've found that the real problem isn't the paint itself. Yes, it needs vigorous shaking. It's the medium. The bottles come with excess medium in them, by design for ... some reason. I had to look at their 'free painting guide' to see what I was doing wrong. Apparently you have to give it a few shakes, squeeze out the excess medium, then shake it vigorously and spread. The paint *GENERALLY* will work the way it should after that. It sometimes does not though as apparently the level of medium is quite variable. For instance my oak brown has been a consistent nuisance. But for dragon red, in particular, this was easily fixed. I should also note that this problem was MORE pronounced on their 18oz pots vs their 'beginner' 12 oz pots. The 12oz pot set actually worked better out of the box and it took me far longer to figure out what I was doing wrong. This is likely due to them simply being smaller pots so less medium can be put into the bottle.

[@Shrilack]

Only paint i had issue with was my jungle green. Everything else is more than fine and i do love army painter browns and metallics. I am kinda stunned that he get that weird almost glossy render with dragon red.

[@norby4832]

@@Shrilack ye, that glossy finish looks so weird, never seen it either

[@alexrobertson1472]

@@Shrilack Quite a few of my army painter paints do that, I just dont use those colours and got vallejo replacements for them.

[@necaacen]

do urself a favour mate and when u need new paint moving forward just buy vallejo or ak interactive 3rd gen, its not that army painter and gw cant work, but theyre just inferior in every aspect for a similar price.

[@jimsabo1189]

The pink reflections on your glasses give an 80’s music video feel. Or that time I found out Wednesday was drag night at a bar I visited...

[@BenjisHobbies]

I thought I recognised you! 😜

[@FercPolo]

Dude even on first coat, that Pro Acryl though. I am beyond in love with these paints, everything else feels like it's missing something, the pigment is so dense and yet they water down to a glaze so easily it's incredible. Have you tried the Transparent Paints yet? GAME CHANGER. Washes coming soon from Monument!

[@BenjisHobbies]

Tell me about it! Super solid coverage! 😍 Not tried the grandparents yet but I’m at my LFGS tomorrow for a tournament sooo….

[@Nat1videos]

Great video! Fairly new to mini painting and have only used Army painter so far except for some citadel washes which I love. Think I might give the Pro Acryl a shot when I get my next batch in. Thanks for the video !

[@BenjisHobbies]

I don’t think you’d regret it!

[@JamesCromwell2047]

I grabbed some Pro Acryl to test after seeing Ninjon using them several months ago and fell in love with how well they covered and how matte they dried.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Exactly this! Have you tried them through an airbrush yet?

[@MrDevilFlash]

@@BenjisHobbies They are perfect for airbrush too. I can put the primer without any dilution in the airbrush and never had any clog. The primer is a bit more fragile than a polyurethane primer from Vallejo though.

[@dirkgaffron5456]

I don´t know much different paints. Until now I only use Citadel and Armypainter and I am very happy with my Armypainter. I don´t know what I made diffrent to you, but they are so much better than my citadel.

[@jonathankahn3005]

I am a commission painter, so finding paints that cover well really helps me time-wise to get more miniatures out in a given month. I bought army painter when I started and some of the paints I love, but dragon red is 100% not one of them. Based on your video I bought 5 pro acrylic paints. White, black, dark red and dark brown + a yellow as these are typically the paints I suffer with from army painter. Will see how it turns out in 2 days time when I use them! Great video.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thank you! I’d be really interested to know how you get on with them. I find that I’m gravitating more and more towards them as time goes on.

[@mefagar]

Well three weeks later, what's the verdict ? =)

[@jonathankahn3005]

@@mefagar I am buying the full set next week. It is just that much better. I was redoing my desk area and decided to go full out as even with airspray they are amazing. Love to show you some of the models I painted recently with them, I was really happy with the vibrant result, especially for a chaos sorcerer I did recently. I have not tried their washes/transparent stuff, any thoughts on those? I use GW/army painter washes atm, and some gw contrasts.

[@jonathankahn3005]

@@BenjisHobbies I replied to someone below my thoughts on it, but TLDR - Switching over to it as my main brand. Not tried washes/transparent yet, are they worth the switch from GW/Army?

[@410adelson]

@@jonathankahn3005 Wow, you sold me on Pro Acryl, is it that much better then Citadels? I might grab some of the transparents/wash to test out also.

[@RPArchiveOfficial]

Solid little comparison video man :) Nice to see you having a views boom too!

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks man! Yes, it’s all ticking along nicely at the moment. Long may it continue!

[@gregmccormack5709]

When I first bought army painter I had the same issue but like you pointed out when thinned and then shaken with an agitator they work much better.

[@afoaa]

Doesn’t look like you emptied the first ML or 2 from the Army Painter Dragon Red. So you basically have a lot of gelatine and almost no pigment. A lot of people go wrong with AP because of this insulation layer at the top of their bottles. Below the layer almost all their colours have excellent pigmentation. Also the fact that their medium is not water makes them different to work with that most acrylic paints.

[@blw4089]

So what medium do they use?

[@afoaa]

@@blw4089 They use a gel. It can be mixed with water but it changes how the paint behaves. Unmixed it moves over surfaces and stretches out making it perfectly smooth removing your brush strokes. The more water you mix into it, the less you see of this smoothness effect. It also dries far slower than other acrylic paints, which means that if you for example begin to shade or highlight within an hour after putting a layer then that highlight will begin to blend with the layer beneath like oils. I usually wait at least 24 hours between base layering and shading with AP paints.

[@LakusPakus]

@@afoaa Is that why their Speedpaints are how they are? They seem to reactivate with water, but if their own paints dont rely so much on water as they do this gel, then that makes sense for them within their own range.

[@Syst3m04]

I hate AP with a passion.

[@VicodinElmo]

Ultimately, AP knew THEY were the problem because they addressed it with the Fanatic range.

[@gkspain1]

Really enjoyed this comparison, all the best, Garry

[@PheonixKnght]

I keep watching your pink eyeshadow. I have some Acryl paint and i love it so far.

[@BKFootbags]

Great job! Really well made video. Earned yourself a sub. Thanks for the review.

[@HeraldWitte]

25 or so years ago I started with Revel and Humbrol later Citadel arrived with acrylic, wash, glaze and a s%# load of colors. I liked those effects that took a lot of paint time off to get me satisfied. I just started again. And bought Citadel and Vallejo. And a Glaze medium. I dislike the Citadel pots, they won't stay open if I don't wedge a brush under the lid. But are inconsistent in behavior to each color. Vallejo paint are incredible, pigment saturated smooth single layer cover. And behaves best when thinning even to extreme with glaze medium. I would love a complete Vallejo, but it isn't cheap 😕

[@antongunther3977]

I honestly like to use army painter paints. I've gotten used to the way their paints mix and flow at this point. But I think I'll try out some other brands when I run out of some of my current colors

[@BroadswordWargaming]

Red for all! Got to try out that new fangled paint. Looks good. 😀

[@BenjisHobbies]

Give Pro Acryl a go! You’ll love them! And use my affiliate code 😜😅

[@AtreiusLux]

Thank you for the review, the only experience I've had with Army Painter was one of their yellow spray paints and I wasn't impressed, poor pressure and on first use kept 'spitting'. I've also been buying more Vallejo paints which are consistently as good as Citadel.

[@crowsandbones]

I have so many brands and I want to try more. Pro acryl is on the list of brands to try, in my opinion I love that so many paint companies exist. Reaper makes the bulk of my collection, but I have to say citadel has left me wanting, if only for the price.

[@Dragonfire-tn2jg]

The important thing is to use what you like, for me because i like matt paints it's Pro Acryl and scale 75. Don't like Citadel or army painter.

[@jafftiti1476]

That was realy interesting, I personally new to painting, but didn't start on a warhammer dedicated shop, so I got the choice between Citadel, Vallejo and Army painter, Mostly all of the vallejo pait were sold off, I chose Army Painter for start, mostly charmed by the bottle format over the cap one (now I think it was a weird reason to be frank). I get my hand on the Army Painter 50 color pack them and so far, well I must admit not all colors work the same.... as mentioned here, black and white are really good, but a lot of collor that I use a lot (daemonic yellow, dragon red, crystal blue, greenskin....) have very poor covering, like without dilluting, just using a wet pallet will require you to apply up to 5 layers. And other.... well just do the job well, which is actually do a good job. I honestly think I'll go trough the paints here then slowly try other brands such as Vallejo I had really good returns on.

[@1nePercentJuice]

Just bought up the Pro Acryl line of paints and am very excited to get them on some minis!

[@BenjisHobbies]

Awesome! Have you tried them out yet? What do you think?

[@13Robzilla]

If you haven't tried their primers yet....I'm sorry for you, that's where the magic is. Had a friend let me try some as I was about to give up on airbrush priming. Back in full swing but now need to buy more.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I’ve heard really good things about it so it’s on the shopping list!

[@NerdsIAB]

I really wonder how there primers compare to stynelrez

[@13Robzilla]

@@NerdsIAB Better at least for me.

[@JohnSmith-rt5yq]

@@13Robzilla which primers? Pro acryls? Or you mean one of the other brands?

[@13Robzilla]

@@JohnSmith-rt5yq ProAcryl/Monument yes!

[@jeffl6394]

I started with Army Painter, because it was cheap for how many colors I got. No matter how much I shook them, they didn't mix well though. I ended up taking toothpicks to every single bottle to scrape the pigment off the walls, then put them on the vortex mixer. After that, they were amazing to paint with. That being said, the amount of effort it took to make them good paints isn't worth it. I've since switched to primarily Vallejo.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Exactly this - they take so much work to get working properly that I just can’t see myself ever reaching for them over other brands like Pro Acryl.

[@savagex466-qt1io]

Citadel and Vellejo paints I love.

[@VidJunkie63]

Thank you for the side-by-side comparison. As I returned to the hobby, my decades old Testors enamels that I used for my 2nd edition miniature painting was still viable, but the pricing on them these days is crazy high in the US, so, I thought it was time to learn how to use acrylics and eventually decided that I would venture into learning with Pro Acryl. My experience so far supports your experience with the paint. I have never used Army Painter or Citadel paints; can cannot offer a comparison-based opinion ... just that the actual use of the Pro Acryl paints is smooth and creamy.

[@djtrunksta]

I have a plethora of paints and thats why I love videos like this! Helps save money... It seems the different ranges do different things extremely well. I LOVE my turbodork metallics, my gw + ProAc basecoats or premixed second and tertiary colors, vallejo primaries, gw washes. Just to name a few. Just a heads up to what I use for larger pots like ProAc for storage are nail polish holders from amazon. Several layers, snaps together easy, durable, light. Might want to check them out. Great vid, ty.

[@haxan6663]

I use a variety of paints, including Army Painter, which I haven't had an issue with. I have a set of Pro-acryl transparents, which I tend to use rather than Citadels contrast paints. My paint of choice for the last 6 months or so has been Scale75, which I rate above all the others. Prices in the UK vary quite a lot though i.e. don't go straight to a famous online store that sells practically everything as smaller retailers are more than £10 per set cheaper! Lovely paints to use, with great results.

[@relic222]

Interesting findings. I've stuck mostly to Citadel paints so far, and in general have been fairly happy. I don't mind the pots, but I do get a bit frustrated when you get dried paint in the lid and they don't shut properly (until you scoop it out). Like you, the pro acryl bottles won't fit in my rack, so I'll probably stick to GW for now. As for the models, from the video the citadel and Pro acryl looked pretty similar (aka good), but the AP one looked really glossy. Could just be the lighting, but I definitely preferred the matte finish. P.s. Can confirm the mug is good quality, it's currently my go-to mug for my teas.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I’m glad that the mug is serving you well! 😁

[@stevexl7747]

I love the GW pots. Dipping straight into the shades is superb. They don't clog. And you have less waste.

[@toomuchdevlan7387]

Eh? Have you seen how much dries in the cap?

[@stevexl7747]

@@toomuchdevlan7387 yeah none. I never have any paint dryng in the cap. I put the lid on properly when finished.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I’m in agreement - I don’t have anywhere near as much trouble with GW pots as other people seem to!

[@CrazyTom34]

nicely done. I really like Pro Acryl, got the full range over the winter and ended up getting rid of a good deal of my citadel paints, but I find citadel does have some great colors but I don't need every shade because with Pro Acryl I can make a quick blend right on palette. Good stuff!

[@100thmonkey]

I'm very interested in that Pro Acryl White now... Thanks!

[@BenjisHobbies]

You won’t regret it! It also airbrushes like a dream 😊

[@ironbanjo3339]

I started with the army painter D&D line and struggled so hard. Then i got some citadel paints, painting got easier. Finally got some pro acryl and i absolutely love them. since then ive played with golden paints and heavy body paint. Its pretty much all about what works with your painting style. I still go back to my AP line now that i know how they behave in comparison.

[@quincy_md]

Having had issues with gw paints drying with a glossy finish, I moved into using scale 75. These offered a gorgeous Matt finish but I find them really hard to work with at times. I tried pro acryl, and honestly won't buy another range again. They offer the matt final of scale color, but the ease of use of citadel.

[@Hepabytes]

Gel medium is a bit different and ultra matte hides zero crimes compared to the satin of GW.

[@mattcurr9931]

i'm pretty much the same, i feel like ive found the holy grail. for base coats i dont touch anything else

[@terrycresswell8598]

Tried several and it'll be Vallejo every time for overall performance vs cost vs final product. The only downfall would be the adjatater

[@BenjisHobbies]

Agitators should be easy enough to add to Vallejo bottles. I got that big bag of glass beads for super cheap off eBay 😊

[@tammybock9312]

Wish I had seen your video yesterday. I ordered the Army Painter Mega Set. It's due to arrive today. Wish me luck.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Best of luck with it! I know some people swear by them and they might work for you and I really hope they do! Let me know how you get on 😊

[@SigurdBraathen]

Nice video! @2:28 - Which brand is which blob of red? ... Also, on the painted figures (6:30ish) the GW red seems dull. The AP seems brightest but a bit uneven and the pro acryl seems rich though not as bright. Does your eyes agree with this?

[@LinkiePup]

I have a bit of pride for ProAcyrl. They’re manufactured here in my home state of Arizona, and not only that, they’re some of the best paints I’ve used.

[@ubermoose5694]

Great video! As someone who was out of the hobby for a long time and got back in a few years ago I also immediately bought Citadel paints. I've seen a ton of videos from painters who's opinions I respect talking about Pro Acryl paints and have looked into it. I'm pretty much at the same place as you. I'll probably get them to replace paints as I need but can't really see myself picking up an entirely new paint range. I do want to suggest you check out Vallejo metal color paints. Especially aluminum and gunmetal as they are amazing. Nearly perfect coverage with a single coat and super thin out of the pot. A tiny bit goes a really long way. I've honestly never used a metal paint I've liked as well as these.

[@gavinmacnicol8502]

I didn’t read somewhere that older army painter paints had extra medium at the top to help with storage, any chance this might of been the reason for the thin consistency? Anyway, pro acryl is the one I found is the best overall!

[@BenjisHobbies]

I tried removing any excess that had settled on the top as well but it just didn’t seem to have much of an effect unfortunately.

[@Hepabytes]

Luke from Geek gaming had a video on it back in the APS days. You gotta pop the top of and stir them up. Just shaking won't do it.

[@BenjisHobbies]

@@Hepabytes I know. But for any consumer product you shouldn’t have to do that, especially when it’s not required from other brands. I already went over and above with the shaking both shaking by hand and using a vortex mixer several times. If it’s not mixed after that then there’s something wrong with the product.

[@PhoenixFyre13]

@@Hepabytes I did all of these steps with all my army painter paints before first use. It was a lot of work and my paints STILL have the problems described in this video sadly.

[@andrewsammons9643]

Yep I've been just opening them up and dropping in a small, washed stone. Then shake and enjoy! Really should come with a mixing bead, I agree

[@ianwhitehouse3064]

Nice vid Benji lad. I recently got hold of the Pro M translucent range. They are superb, i just need to get better at painting!

[@BenjisHobbies]

They’re on the shopping list to try next!

[@dances4980]

I love pro acryl paints, they are spectacular. I have some citadel contrast paint which is nice for speed painting, but so expensive

[@SliverCreations]

I agree with you here, the pots a great for washes.

[@jacobstacey6911]

Pro Acrylic behave exactly how I want them to, for my painting style. I think that’s the operative term though. Depending on how you like to paint and what your expectations for a final result are, you’ll appreciate one line over another.

[@Paumonsu]

You excluded the GOAT of paints, Vallejo

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend 👏 👍

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks Mark!

[@shitstormbringer]

May i ask what brand of eye shadow you're using on this video, this is a lovely pink!

[@jamesdunn581]

I really like the Liquitex line. They are maybe a little thick, but with a little water, they are great. I legit did two WarCry warbands using their "School" 12 color pack. Mixed great and went on great. The whole pack of 12 colors was less than 20 bucks.

[@dreamphoenix]

Great and informative video! I'll check out ProAcryl based on your info. One thought: as other people have likely said, Army Painter paints shine when used to highlight and mix and anything else where a thinner paint is useful. Thank you!

[@carlstanford7607]

Also very nice paint job on the models. They look great

[@jmg7842]

The pro acryl did you thinned it or use out of the bottle And is it normal that the paint has a rough texture

[@mikesketch4141]

I personally love the army painter 50 paint set for beginners. I got it 5 years ago to start the hobby and still use them daily. I add other brand paints as I go but to start with I think it is well worth it.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Everyone’s experience is different! I’m just sharing mine 😊 If you like the paints then that’s awesome!

[@tuffn00gies]

Guess I've been living under a rock. This is the first I've heard of Pro Acryl. They sound promising. I'm surprised AP didn't have a better showing. I'd also like to add my voice to the chorus wishing you'd included Vallejo. Very informative video. Thanks!

[@stevexl7747]

What about the colours available in the ranges? Does ProAcryl have a comparable selection to GW? Are there more vivid colours or more drabs? Is the selection of blues better on one range or the other?

[@kaz9357]

The more I read about pro acrylic, the more I realize I need to get them. Army painter has consistently felt like they don't work as well as anything else I have, and while I have defended them, I think I need to move on to this better stuff. I am not good enough of a painter to use subpar paint. Thank you for this review!

[@cory7328]

I have 5 paints all together and I haven’t committed to buy any sets yet. I am glad I waited and now have seen this video. I think I will buy the pro acryl starter set. I wish P3 sold a complete set too, but it is paired down by factions.

[@BenjisHobbies]

It’s definitely worth trying out a few brands, and even when you find one you like so brands just have certain colours that are really nice!

[@MrMaltavius]

I prefer the black and the white from AP, the white is actually white compared to corax white.

[@snarehit2230]

To be honest we all have our favourite paints but it's mainly about the painter rather than the paint

[@BenjisHobbies]

Very true - Army Painter just clearly aren’t for me!

[@MaskedRiderChris]

I learned to paint with Privateer Press' Formula P3 line and still love those paints rather a lot, with my current favorite being Vallejo Model Color and Game Color paints. I also have a pile of Citadel paints on hand that I really need to bust out more often since they have some cool, distinct colors of their own. Currently my favorites are, ranked in order, Vallejo, P3, Citadel, but I did just order a bunch of Pro Acryl primary colors on a couple of people's recommendation, and I'm looking forward to trying them! I find that Vallejo and P3 work best on a wet palette, though Citadel can do just fine on there as well with a tidge more thinning and effort. Good video, and don't bash yourself too hard, man--you're a perfectly good, clean painter, and as i'm not too much better than you, I can afford to say so. :)

[@PretentiousPainters]

good video, nice music too.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks!

[@rogthepirate4593]

My first mini paints were that big 70something ArmyPainter set. My friend gifted it to me, barely having used it because he found out mini painting wasn't his cup of tea. I got some mileage out of them, especially initially, but eventually I tried out some Vallejo and the difference was like night and day. Started my first 40k army soon after and got some Citadel paints too, which I do generally enjoy after filling them into some proper dropper bottles (no, the pots are hideous garbage, really - I had UNOPENED pots with dried and/or separated paint in some painting sets. UNOPENED, I want to stress this). I basically haven't touched my AP paints after this, except for some rare instances where I needed a specific color. Ordered meself the Pro Acryl base set yesterday (it was out of stock in the only online store in my country that has them for all of december). I am VERY excited to see how they perform. If they are as good as everyone says, I might upgrade to the full range and replace the AP bottles in my rack.

[@harazhangf5782]

I don't seem to have as much problem with Army Painters paints as other people ^^. And it may be because I am not as good but I don't really feel a difference between GW and AP paints. But to be honest I think the best thing one can do is mix the brands if he wants to get the absolute best paint possible for each color. That being said I'll stick to GW (as long as I have some) and AP for now.

[@NerdLegionInc]

I've been slowly buying all of the proacryl range. I'm probably about half way done and I absolutely love these paints, they give me pretty much 0 issue every time I use them which I can't say for CItadel nor Vallejo which are my other paints. Although I will continue using specific colors and especially washes from those brands till Proacryl broadens their stuff more. But if it's available by them i'm using it.

[@keithburden7191]

This is a great comparison video. I've been using Army Painter, Citadel and Vallejo paints for a few years now and realized a while ago that they all have a place in my miniature painting world. Yes AP paint covers very poorly (especially warmer colours), however they work beautifully as glazes and filters. GW paint is exceptional for solid base cover, but is very unforgiving when layering, glazing or wet blending. Citadel metallics are also very granular with huge metallic flakes. Vallejo Metal Colour are simply the very best for metallics and VJ make the best mediums. So what I'm trying to say is that one brand isn't always the best answer for our hobby. Each brand has something to offer. 👍 Keep up the great work. Hitting that subscribe button as I type 😉👌

[@USALibertarian]

Have to STIR the Army Painter and add mixing balls. Not wanting to do that is fine, but that is a different critique.

[@Dash277]

I have favorites in almost every range. Mostly Vallejo, Citadel and Pro Acryl, but a few others here and there. I'll also throw out that for airbrush, Tamiya is worth a long look. They're great.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks for the tip! I might try some out 😊

[@samb2052]

Tamiya are brilliant in my airbrush. Top up with thinner as soon as you open the pot and you’re golden.

[@MiniatureMasterClass]

Army Painter - low end, you get what you pay far P3 - great mid-range paints GW - Awesome but way overpriced Pro Acryl - fantastic and live up to the hype Model Colour - The best range Scale 75 - Also amazing paints but hard to find in some areas Kimera - heard great things, but never tried them AK Interactive/Mig - for weathering and enamels Abteilung 502 - best oil paints for minis Oh... and never put metallic paints on a wet palette

[@michaelspitz9151]

Ak interactive has good pigments, also their acrylics are pretty good from what I hear. Abteilung is Great for anything I use it on my scale models all the time as washes.

[@Jabbawock1972]

Abteilung 502: that only midrange oilpaints...if someone wants to start with oils there are artist paints that are MUCH better..Windsor&Newton..Schmincke...New Amsterdam...

[@FercPolo]

I put metallic paints on a wet palette all the time.

[@Bigelsiet]

Save money on pigments buy cheap pastels and crush ‘em up

[@SerenadeURA]

The only Citadel white paint I have is Ceramite white and the stuff dries like chalk. I was impressed watching the Pro Acryl go on, but it's very hard to tell in a video how it dries - would you say it ends up like most other acrylic paint (sort of rubbery/like plastic) or does it succumb to chalkiness as well? Also very nice paint shelf. I am in need of one, is it custom made?

[@bobtheyob]

I've only used one pot of army painter paint. I've been experimenting with different shades of blue with a load of Vallejo bottles and they give noticeably better coverage, whether it's from model or game colour ranges. I found similar to you that it acted more like a wash. I don't think I would buy anymore if this is what they are just like, their washes seem alright though. I like the look of the pro acrylic paints and the agitator is handy because vortex mixers still don't thoroughly mix paint without one.

[@El_capitanazo]

I always use vallejo paints , I like how they look all the range of color they have.

[@morgaineheintz8888]

When highlighting red, try using a caucasian flesh tone mixed in (cadian fleshtone, or{ bugman's for a very subtle highlight}, and from pro acryl, i think it's basic flesh, or light flesh) , instead of white. :-) start 3:1 red to flesh tone. I think you'll be really happy with the more subdued color, and it won't push your model towards reading pink. I've also found doing metallics after varnishing will get you maximum metallic shine and impact.

[@rustyshackelford7084]

Having used citadel for years (without issue, but wanting dropper bottles) and bought a Vallejo “game air” paint set I’m not fully sold on either brand. Really wanting to try the pro acryl line.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I’ve started using them through the airbrush and they’re so good! They can be used straight out of the bottle or with a little thinner to give a more gradual buildup 😊

[@MatureFister]

you are using model air ones for painting with a regular brush? how does that work out for you? i only know that the model air ones are premixed with thinner so they can be used directly for airbrushes

[@BenjisHobbies]

@@MatureFister I’m not using model air…

[@thepiratepenguin4465]

For me, price & availability is an important factor especially in the late 2000s when I was still a student with a limited budget, which is why I went with Army painter. I have been happy with the results & yes they do need some thinner & a mixing ball to get the best consistency. As my skills improved & I got more interested in historlica models, I started adding in Ammo by Migs range of paints & weathering products. Looking back if I should maybe spend the extra money & have gotten the Vallejo range, but hindsight is always 20/20. In my option Citadel paints are overpriced & not be worth the investment if you are a non-wargamer. I all so prefer dropper bottles over pots.

[@mkminiaturesstudio6106]

Have you used Vallejo? I’m curious how it compares to the pro and gw.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I don’t have a huge amount of experience with Vallejo but I only ever hear good things 😊

[@AGxKHAOS]

my army painter paints never did that tbh, they just looked super glossy. I still use either vallejo or citadel paints.

[@mrskullduggery2247]

Lol I'm in the same situation, in alot of Facebook groups and citadel paints seem to rub people the wrong way

[@feistierthread294]

Personally I use pro acryl are my workhorse paints, but also use a fair amount of citadel, p3, and AK interactive for various jobs, particularly when I want consistency across a large number of models vs. trying to blend an exact color match. the Pro Acryl range is great in a lot of areas, but it's also got some holes in terms of available colours that I hope they fill in at some point.

[@thedr00]

video of yours I've seen. Enjoyed it. Good job. Subbed :-)

[@BenjisHobbies]

Awesom, I’m glad you enjoyed! Make sure you check out some of my other videos of you’ve liked what you’ve seen 😊

[@britabroadtw]

I've been trying Vallejo for a while now, besides from too many paint ranges. I feel they are ok, but I always come back to Citadel. Why... mainly all tutorials use them or give you the colour you need. It's nice we have more choice, but I get confused too easily with all the ranges.

[@greywhizard]

P3, Reaper and AK/MiG are awesome brands as well. I never use metallic paints on a wet pallet.

[@zeno6111753]

Interesting might give them a go. Using Vallejo and P3 now and are very happy with them. Still use some of GW's reds though, but are slowly moving away from them since they're overprices and the pots are designed to fail.

[@yansmac4796]

It’s unfortunate that you chose Dragon Red from the Army Painter range. It’s probably their worst red for coverage but great for glaze highlighting. Works more like a Citadel LAYER than a BASE paint. I would suggest than Vampire Red with Dragon Red highlights would have worked better. Bottle size is putting me off the Pro Acryl range but they do look good. And I somewhat agree with you. For shades and contrast paint, the GW pot is great. Not for “normal” paint though. And moving them to dropper bottles seems like far too much hassle.

[@ragegartl]

Very interesting video. I use Vallejo, Scale75, GW, AP, Reaper and AK. (And some more unknow brands for special colors) Each manufacturer has advantages and disadvantages, even the pure black of all manufacturers is so different, that I like to use it for different things. In the end certain manufacturers seem to have a better idea of e.g. metallic colours, here I find Scale75, AK and Vallejo Mecha the best, while for washes AP has really good ones. And a big plus are the base colours from GW and the Vallejo Primers. I think everyone should use what they like best and what you mentioned at the beginning of the video is totally out of line, no one should be judged by the colours they use. I personally get the best results and have the most fun, when I mix the manufacturers and especially the direct airbrush colours are very helpful.

[@ladysofinevaltine5862]

ive not used the other 2 brand shown in the vid but i have used Vallejo. i always go back to citadel paints though, while i see the concerns about the pots i also share the opinion that i do prefer them. i always feel i waste far more from dropper bottles (yes i have some of my citadel paints in dropper bottles too) as opposed to just taking directly from the pot.

[@CoryG1981]

I love army painter , an vallejo , AP is my brand of choice just gotta shake them very very well .

[@mouselim72]

I actually find Army Painter pretty good (but of course lags slightly behind AK and Vallejo). The trick is to add a metal ball bearing into the tube and also to squeeze out all the top liquid medium before shaking the paint (the medium is to prevent the paint from drying out). Thereafter, the coverage of the paint is just fine. Only problem I have is mixing Army Painter paints with other brands... it has problem in this area.

[@maxbrandt6]

I'm mainly a Vallejo guy with Andrea and Scale 75 paints in my collection but I also like the pricy Citadel Colours (occasionally), Reaper Paints are fine, now that they fixed the formula but I find the same issue with Army Painter, gloopy and poorly covering so I avoid.

[@marnusalberts4290]

Cool vid man. Can you maybe later do a comparison with Vallejo?

[@BenjisHobbies]

It’s something I’ll definitely look at doing at some point 😊

[@maj187]

Hey Benji, I'm pretty sure you're thinning your AP paints too much. I use loads of brands and AP is different. Don't thin as much for base coats. The gel like consistancy is self levelling and won't blocked details. I think your experience is very much like mine was at first. But overall I don't think it's fair on AP as the red comes across as totally unusable in you video but it isn't! I've done a whole evil sunz army to high TT standard with it! But I think you just didn't use it properly. Love the video though.

[@BenjisHobbies]

Thanks for the constructive response! Perhaps it just doesn’t fit my painting ‘style’ as such? I’ve not completely written them off but I’ve just never had results I’m happy with after using them. Pro Acryl need so little work to get them looking great straight out of the pot which is why they’re my go-to paints now 😊

[@alexmarsh968]

What are your thaughts on coat d'arms paints they are my first choice

[@BenjisHobbies]

I’ve never tried them I’m afraid!

[@acerba]

I don't mind the citadel flip tops for their wash line. Consistency is thin enough that the lip under the top is useful for removing excess from the brush, but this doesn't work so well with the main paint line. It wasn't bad enough for me to notice when I first started, but after having tasted proper dropper tops I can't go back.

[@BenjisHobbies]

I know what you mean - I’m certainly getting drawn more and more towards my Pro Acryl paint as time goes on. But I guess I’m ‘used’ to the pots so they don’t bother me that much 😊

[@RobCrawford23]

One of the things with pro acryl is you get none of the clotted cheese paint (hello almost any bone coloured Citadel paint.) You really don't put metallics on a wet pallette as you gain no benefit and they make a mess (and just about every brand separates on a wet pallette) All but two of the GW metallics look like glitter as the flakes are not fine enough (one of the things that Army Painter does get right) and the Monument guys do well. The Pro Acryl transparent colours are what got me to use about 3 years ago (they can be thinned and used as a wash, though Monument now have a wash medium.) 80% of my painting is with Pro Acryl as the paints are consistent in their behaviour (no cottage cheese paints like certain GW ones) it airbrushes nicely, glazes and blends well. The rest of my painting is often with certain favourite colours (or if a certain paint makes a task easier) from War Colours, AK, Scale 75, Vallejo, Badger or GW. It's all horses for courses (or what you can get your hands upon)

[@s.spikoski5120]

Army Painter can be pretty inconsistent. Off the top of my head, the Dragon Red, Alien Purple, and Jungle Green are abysmal and downright unusable. I don't know what it is, but they have a slimey/gloopy consistency that takes a long time to dry and has a semi-gloss appearance when finally dried. Many (most) of their other paints are perfectly usable, though maybe not the best. I have recently been switching over to Vallejo and have found them to be an absolute dream to work with. That said, the most important takeaway here is that some brands have better colors than others. No need to stick with one brand! Had this epiphany when I replaced my AP Dragon Red with Vallejo's Heavy Red and fell in love! Thanks for the video!

[@tiagodagostini]

That in fact is sign of a higher standard. Seriously.. As someone from fine arts can tell you, pigments have specific characteristics that change the drying time and consistency of paints. Pure pigments and medium are considered premium paints because you always know exactly what is there and when you mix it you do not have third part elements reacting in non predictable way with other pigments. GW and STUDENT GRADE paints usually add fillers and other chemicals to make everything behave more or less the same. But this is bad, because a substance X can have result Y with some pigment but when mixed with other can cause problems. GW consistency is a false bliss.

[@s.spikoski5120]

@@tiagodagostini You go ahead and try using those specific AP colors I mentioned and let me know if they're "higher standard" lol.

[@tiagodagostini]

@@s.spikoski5120 In miniature painting you usually do not have to face the issue of painting falling after 30 years. but that problem exist due to these extra filling.

[@Xarl-VIII]

Only weapon bronze and the gun metal paint is decent.only recommend army painter for the dark tone

[@Taphosthewarlock]

Vallejo are great too but also Molotow. Molotow are absolutely excellent and even better if you airbrush as they go through straight from the bottle.

[@JimmyCrawford]

I try to avoind putting metallics on my wet pallete, always seems to cause issues. Either splits, goes wattery, or on rare occasions, makes it through into the water (?). Pro Acryl is fine dropped into a wee silicone pot whilst you use it, great paints!

[@TheSpazzDragon]

Been using AP paints since I got an old color set from a friend ages ages back when getting into the mini painting hobby for D&D. Never had to much trouble with them personally. Don't like the pots from Citadel paints since I like to mix my own colors and that is annoying to do with pots. So at this point I just buy whatever paint I like. Its generally cheap enough that I can buy a couple here or there no matter what the brand is and expand the colors and collection of brands over time. So my current collection is a mix of brands. Turbo Dork is a fun one. I like their metallic paints, the color on the bottle is often not quite the finished color, but those really change with different color base coats. But they have some cool color effects.

[@manowar4046]

I do Picaso like painting on miniatures with Army Painter with no issue at all.