Which paints do I use?

Games Workshop, Vallejo and Tamiya. Mainly for color variety and availability. I don't order paints over the Internet because I only buy what I need at the time I need it.

I definitely feel that Games Workshop did a great thing by changing their caps. Opening the old ones was a pain in the "hand". I like the quality of the paints and I am getting the hang of how liquid they should be.

I've only just started using the Vallejo paints. I'm not sure I like the dropper style cap. Mostly because I hate to waste paint. I usually just dip the brush onto the tip of the cap rather than squeeze paint onto a palette. So far I've not had any bad experiences with them.

Tamiya. This is a bit of a love/hate. The paints and colors are nice but I don't like the way that they dry. Once you put the paint on the model you have a very short amount of time where you can apply more paint before having to wait for them to dry completely. As the paint dries it appears to dry from the outside in. If you try to paint more when it is in this phase you will wreck the paint that is already there. It will peel and clump and generally make a mess. The only option is to remove the clumps and wait for the paint to dry before continuing.

The working time for each of the paint brand is very different so it is necessary to pay attention to which one I am using.

TIP: Paint palette. Go to any DIY store such as Home Depot or Lowes (in the US) and look in the ceramic tile section for the cheapest square of tile you can find. If I remember correctly a single tile is less than 50 cents. I prefer a white tile so I can get a good feel for the color if I am mixing paints. The tile is nice because it stays cool and it is very easy to clean. Run it under water or wait until the paint dries and scrape it off with an Exacto knife.

Mixing paints. If I am going to do a small project I will mix the paints directly on the ceramic tile. If I plan on doing a lot of painting I will get small paint pots from an arts and crafts store such as Michael's. Make sure you get ones with a good lid that seals well. When mixing up batches I like to write down the formula in case I need to make up some more.

TIP: If you have bits of metal lying around that have been trimmed from your models you can add them to your custom paint pots. They work great for mixing the paints while you are giving them a good shake - just like your spray paint cans. It will also help in letting you know that the paint is mixed. If you can't hear anything you need to shake more.

Regarding paints and drying out. About twice a year I open all my paints to see their current state. I will always add water at this time if they need it to ensure that they won't dry out. I store all my paints in a large plastic tub (Tupperware). I created a two level tray with a handle out of some MDF I had laying around so I can pull the entire set of paints out of the tub when I need to get at something on the bottom. The Tupperware does not prevent drying out it only slows the process so don't assume that you can ignore your paints for 3 years and expect to have something usable when you open them.