Thursday Theory
| Two Paints Enter... |
WHO RULES BARTER TOWN??! WHO RULES???!!!
That's right... MASTA BLASTA!!!!
wait... oops. sorry, got caught up in the moment.
Anyways, Welcome to the Thunderdome! Today I want to discuss the pro's and con's of a pair of major paint distributors paint lines: Games Workshop's seminal paint line, Citadel Paints and Privateer Press's P3 paint line.
So gather round Boils and Ghouls, it's time now for THUNDERDOME!
Be Aware: This is going to be a long post....
In the Red Corner, wearing Red and Yellow we have the Reigning Champeeeeeen (by sheer age):
Citadel Paints
And in the Blue corner, Wearing the black trunks, we have the Challengaaaaaah....
P3 Paints!!!
Now that we've got the intro's out of the way, let's begin.
First thing is first: The Bottle:
ROUND 1... FIGHT!
GW:
The GW bottle is, in concept a wonderful idea. 1/4 oz. of paint, rounded pop cap pylon style bottle, corrugated to keep it closed (and so you will know if someone had opened the bottle before you buy it), with a stopper to hold the cap open for those who paint straight from the bottle. In theory this is a wonderful idea.
- Pros: The bottle generally will not tip over on your unless you give it a good whack. The lid stays open once you've tipped it all the way back thanks to the stopper allowing full access to the cap lip. Different colored caps make for quicker sorting and choosing of paint types.
- Cons: The cap lip (the little piece that lives inside of the cap) tends to collect paint on it's rear and allow it to seep over the threading of the lip, causing loos of paint/wash/glaze. 1/4 of an ounce isn't as much paint as I'd like. If the connector tab on the lib goes, the paint bottle is in trouble (they can come off rather easily at times). The paint also likes to collect in the threading for the bottle making it rather messy to close, should I decide I DO want to paint from the cap (this happens when I'm using washes and glazes.)
P3:
The P3 bottle, on the other hand, is actually almost exactly the same as the original GW paint pot from ages ago. 1/2oz., flat-topped pop cap tube style, zipper closer to keep it closed in store. The zipper closer can be a little tricky for new people, but after it's off, you need never worry about it again. A Classic design.
- Pros: The bottle is sturdy, the cap will last forever and, even if the tab connector breaks, the lip is still very usable and manageable. 1/2 oz. of paint is wonderbar.
- Cons: The bottle caps are the same color across the board and makes the paints hard to identify. The flat-top cap does tend to collect paint so that when they are opened you will end up with paint on your opening thumb/digit. Caps do not stay open for the lid painter (though they are easily removed).
The verdict:
Both bottles are, in the end, very alike, it's the caps that differ. Being a palette painted and not a cap painter, I prefer the P3 style pots as the P3 bottle has more paint!
WINNER: P3
The PAINT:
ROUND 2... FIGHT!
GW:
Games workshop has recently changed the game with their new line of paints. Not only do they now offer the standard line of paints (now known as layer paints), they offer multiple other types:
- Base paints, that contain a higher pigment count and are advertised to go on smoothly in one coat. Glaze paints, that are a high viscosity translucent shade that applies tints the lower paint layer towards the color you are applying in thin layers that build upon each other over successive levels.
- Shade paints, that are high viscosity high tint washes that seep into the cracks and crannies of a model to "shade" and darken in a variety of colors.
- Texture paints that have various levels of grit/sand/poop (seriously, what is in there?) to create an all in one basing solution for applying different textures to a model or base.
- Drybrush paints that have high pigment but low moisture so that, conceivably, a painter may drybrush straight out of the paint pot without wiping off their brush of the excess paint.
In effect Games Workshop has created an all inclusive system (that also includes a technical line of products such as liquid green stuff and other things) to deal with everything a hobbyist should need without having to learn how to do each technique. This is a good thing as, which dry brushing is easy to get down, it's
hard to master, and the same can be said for many techniques such as
blending, lining etc. Really, this "revolutionary" new paint system is just a lazy enabling system that
changes nothing for me or any experienced painter. This is a crutch
system and, as such, I, personally am not a fan.
The Glazes are intriguing to me and I shall have to do more research.
The drybrush compounds I have no experience with so I can't make a call on those. Same with the Texture Paints.
- Pros:Washes (now known as Shades) are AMAZING. They have made every painters life easier, and due to this, other companies are imitating the concept. This is proof that the washes are great. The GW line of metallics is, bar none, the best I have used. They have wonderful coverage, go on smoothly and are a joy to paint with. Coverage for the standard paints can be spotty, but for the most part, is fine once watered down to a usable consistency.The Base paints no longer cover as well as their predecessors, the foundation paint line, did. This is a shame, but the paints are still pretty decent.
- Cons:The Base paints no longer cover as well as their predecessors, the foundation paint line, did. This is a shame, but the paints are still pretty decent (yes i know i put this as a Pro as well, but it really is both..). Many paints don't break down very well with the addition of water to thin the paint, causing the pigment to separate and collect (bead). This can be a pain in the ass as I personally hate painting straight from the bottle.
P3:
Privateer Press does not have a fancy series of different paint product types in place for their paints. They have created army paint schemes and have released a paint kit box for each army based off of the studio paint schemes.
This idea was pilfered from Games Workshop circa 1980's-early 1990's. It is a wonderful system.
The entire P3 paint line is, almost point for point, a recreation of GW's paint line from the 80's & 90's. The same type of bottles, the same consistency of paint and the same marketing strategy (army paint scheme boxed sets).
Pros: The paints have a good pigment count, go on smoothly and break down well when mixed with water. The pigment doesn't separate greatly with the addition of water and maintains a high coverage (though I've found Thamar black can tend to bead up on my wet palette.. so I use less water. A simple fix).
Cons: the Metallics have heavier(?) pigment particles and don't cover as well as the GW ones. The paint is slightly more elastic and can, under the right circumstances, peel off easier than GW paints. Note: This will happen VERY rarely.
The Verdict:
When it comes to sheer usefulness, GW wins hands down. Superior Metallics and the addition of the Washes/Shades and Glazes makes them the winner...... UNLESS you compare just the base paints.
Paint for paint, P3 wins in the standard line of paints. No bells, no whistles.
But then P3 paints are almost the same paints as my ancient (and still very usable!) 90's era GW paints.
WINNER: TIE
| REAL MONEY! |
ROUND 3... FIGHT!
GW:
GW paints cost $4.50 CAD (Canadian Dollars) a bottle at my not so local friendly gaming store.
'Nuff Said.
P3:
P3 paints cost $3.95 CAD (Canadian Dollars) a bottle at my not so local friendly gaming store.
again... 'Nuff Said.
WINNER: P3
So there you have it folks, P3 has won with a score of 2/1/0.
| The king is dead, LONG LIVE THE KING! |
So that's this edition of the Hobbyside Thunderdome. Tune in Next time when I compare something else!!!
any suggestions?
Until next time,
may all you're paints go on smooth.
Bean out~
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