Use of Foundation Paints and others?

[Shannow]

Having recently been paid, I want to purchase some paints as well as some models. I've heard a lot about foundation paints and using them with washes, but I'm not sure whether foundation paints are a replacement for normal paints or just useful as a basing layer?

I don't have a vast amount of free money and I am starting from zero paints and wanting to keep a very dark theme in my models, so any recommendation for combinations of what paints or paint sets to buy would be fantastic as well as any direct idea of the best way to apply if not normal paints would be great

Sorry to be a bit ignorant, but I haven't painted miniatures since I was 12 and just did skeletons with skull white and a black ink wash

Rob

[Kaled]

If you haven't painted in a while, a set of Fountation Paints and some washes as well as a few standard colours (like black & white) would be a good buy and give you enough to get started.  To begin with, I'd simply try for neatness with your base colours, then use the washes for shading and add a bit of white to the base colour for highlights.  That should be enough to get your models looking good.  Once you're got a good grip over the basics you can then move on to more advanced techniques later when you're feeling more confident.

[DapperAnarchist]

I've found Iyaden Darksun to be one of the best purchases I've made - smooth, sticks well, and covers anything. I've used it as a base for yellow, Caucasian skin, gold, red, brown, and I think white, after a black base coat. Myself, I've tended to buy only those paints I intend to use. However, buying a set is, after some thought, something I would recommend - you may thing you have no use for Liche Purple, but you never know what you might want for shading.

[Shannow]

Thanks for the comments guys, at the moment I have 6 models (3 scratch sculpts and 3 converted halo models), and I've ordered the stalker model (gas mask and sawn-off), and I am contemplating ordering a few others.

Once they arrive I think I'll organise them into 'warbands' and decide what I want them to look like and then buy paints accordingly to achieve unity in each 'warband', though having said that I suspect I will splash out for a foundation set anyway.

Thanks for the help anyway, hopefully in time I will turn out something like your work kaled!....though this seems optimistic

Rob

[DapperAnarchist]

Stalker model? Which Stalker model is that? I'm supposed to be working on three scratchbuilds based on S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and am curious about this one. I know of one with a gas mask and AK-74 (yes, 74), but not with a sawn off.

[Shannow]

Firstly I eagerly await some pictures of your scratchbuilds and secondly the model I bought was this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170499980614&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_928

I know of the one that you mention but I much, much, much preferred this one, the other looked too much like a 'hoody' thug with a gun to me

Rob

PS, please correct me if that is not a sawn-off!

[kierkegaard]

Paints that I find incredibly useful are:

Chaos Black
Skull White
Boltgun Metal
Tallarn Flesh
Ogryn Flesh Wash
Devlan Mud Wash
Merchrite Red
Iyanden Darksun
Necron Abyss
Calthan Brown
Knarloc Green

I hope that this is helpful. I look forward to seeing your painted models.

[Shannow]

Apologies for the late reply first of all, abd secondly thank you for all your help so far. Thirdly, as I have mentioned a few times I do not have a large amount of money to plug into this is as a hobby sadly, so anywhere I can cut cost without a decrease in quality is always a big yes from me.

Having said that, as I was looking for cheap GW paint sets and single pots last night, I came across vallejo washes and vallejo opaque paints:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330445979861&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220627203596&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Which (I think) do the sem job as foundations and washes from GW but combined are cheaper than a single foundation paint set!

I was wondering if anyone had knowledge of them in use or as a respectbale brand?

Many thanks in advance fellow inquisitors

Rob

EDIT: Ignore this now, turns out a local supplier of GW paints is a friend of my best friend so I got a great deal on the foundation paint and devlan mud, badab black, and burnished gold thown in free! Hehehehehe