Paint recommendations?

[Terrace]

So, I finally purchased my first Battletech mini, an Avatar. The paint scheme I want is a Steiner Blue torso with desert tan limbs (cockpit will be green). I'll probably go to Hobby Lobby for the paints, so lemme know which paint colors you guys think I should look out for!

[Charbok]

I don't know if hobby lobby carries them, but I'm a big fan of Privateer Press' P3 line of paints.  They have good coverage, take dilution well, and if you want to wet-blend or other fancy stuff they do that nicely as well.  Vallejo Game and Model color are nice also, and I use all of them quite a bit.  I know most gamers think Games Workshop are the Devil, and they're not entirely wrong, but his dark majesty did gift us with GW washes, and they're basically talent in a bottle.  I'd reccommend those to any painter of any skill level and let them see how simply and easily they can take an average paint job to the next level.

As to your color scheme, P3's Cygnar paint set wouldn't be a bad buy- you get 3 shades of blue, from dark to light, a nice tan, a dark gray and a yellow.  It's considerably cheaper than buying all of them seperately.  P3 Pig Iron is a nice dark silver metallic color, good for picking out gun barrels or other details.  You can't go wrong with a good black paint, and I've always liked Testors Model Master acrylic Flat Black.  It's super thin right out of the bottle, but still covers well.

Since I just professed my love for them, I'd also suggest getting GW's Nuln Oil Wash (black), Drakenhof Nightshade (blue) and Agrax Earthshade (brown).  Even if you don't get anything else I've listed, I'd strongly encourage you to pick these up and try them out.  They're really that good.  If I had a time machine, I'd deliver a case of GW washes to my 14 year old self with a note that says "Don't sell all those BTech minis in '93, you're really going to regret it" and it would suddenly become the best timeline. ;)

As to the cockpit, if I were to do one in green, I'd probably go with Vallejo Game Color Dark Green, VGC Sick Green, and VGC Goblin Green.  But, that's just me.

Good luck, and remember the number one rule of painting: If you're happy with it, then it's a good paintjob. :D

[Elbows]

Personal recommendation is Vallejo paints, available at many retailers online for about $2.50 a bottle.  Dropped bottles, so just grab a palette (I use bathroom tiles) and go nuts.  They have a rather expansive range, including numerous boxed sets.

[Komodo-1970]

I second Elbows suggestions and would further recommend Vallejo's line of Surface Primers. I don't spray prime any longer because of these. They're perfect for revised plastics, too.

[dirty harry]

And if Vallejo's surface primers are already recommend, then i recommend its line of paint on varnishes as well, especially if you life in an area with high humidity most of the year, cold winters or hot summers. Paint on varnishes don't seem to be affected by climate conditions as spray on varnishes. (It can be affected, but not so much.) It is also the best way to get varnish on your minis if you don't have the free space to spray (e.g. lifing in an apartment without balcony).

[scatcat]

As other have said, Vallejo makes great stuff. I use their primers, paints, a few washes, and varnishes. All rock.

I recently tried Badger airbrush primer. Can't speak for long term results, but my initial impressions are favorable. Somewhat cheaper than vallejo primer and available in large bottles. Airbrush priming is the way to go.

Specific colors? Anything'll look good. Reaper makes ready made triads, but you can always pick a base color, slightly darker color, and a slightly lighter color from any range striking your fancy.

[Slappy]

I use Armory primer, Testors matte seal and Games Workshop paints.  The GW paints aren't fantastic, but they have a huge range, are easily available at a number of outlets in my area, and thinned out a bit work pretty well.

[Andy Mitchell]

Vallejo model colour I'll agree with being good.

There acrylic polyurethane primer is a mixed bag. Its nice to have one undercoat you can spray on with your airbursh, or brush on. This is handy when you find a little corner doesn't quite get sprayed or when you just have one figure to undercoat. The bad thing is you can't easily sand/file it down. It tends to just tear off in chunks leaving a visible edge. We all occasionally think we have cleaned up a model perfectly, add one coat of undercoat, and find some obvious bit of mold line/flash/defect that needs a bit more filling down.




 

[Terrace]

Any suggestions on applying primer without an airbrush? Those things look expensive, and there's a good chance this'll be the only miniature I buy, so getting an airbrush sounds like a waste of money...

[Elbows]

I hesitate to suggest this because some people will gawk at the price, but I haven't found a better primer than Army Painter.  Cheap it isn't, but of the dozen or so cans I've gone through, I think one was a bit off.

The Army Painter stuff goes on well (every surface I've tried).  The advantage is it dries extremely fast.  I mean, handle within 2 minutes fast.  Coverage is excellent.  If you're doing a particular theme they also sell the same stuff in numerous colours.  It's fantastic if you're going with a heavy theme of one colour.  It is more expensive though.  I get dozens of miniatures per can.  I've sworn off every other type of primer.

Every time I order from Warstore I pretty much toss in a can of black primer.  I use a lot of their brown sprays for buildings and terrain basing as well.  Remember the trick to priming is to apply carefully in short sweeping sprays.  I know I've primed over 40 mechs with just one half of a can of the Army Painter stuff.  Mind the usual stuff (super humid days - don't, it can clog the spray as it comes out).

[dirty harry]

If you think about just one mini, i would suggest to hand the mini over to a painting friend or even a professional painter and getting it painted for you. The initial costs for everything and anything would surmount the pay your friend or maybe even the professional will call up.
Just a rough summary on the prices over here:
Brushes (me thinks at least two or three are needed), based on material quality and will to pay: between 1,50€ and 5€ each.
Primer (even a little bottle of paint on primer): 2,50€
A set of paints (you already mentioned at least 3 different colors, and i would say, it will take a few more than just these...): 2,50€ each
Varnish (at least one bottle needed): another 2,50€.
Summarising you will have a starter set for about 20 - 25€ for a single mini ... with the paints and everthing else going to waste after that single mini?!?

I have about 50 color bottles here, 3 different varnishes, several washes, primers and other mediums, a nice little collection of brushes and - not to forget - tools for cleaning the mini, assembly and base material. This is a considerable investment, but i did a whole bunch of minis (over 300 over the years and still painting). I wouldn't even think about painting them, if it was all for only a single little mini.

I would suggest you ask someone you might trust, what he would charge on you for that single mech and run your own calculation to find out what would make more sense: doing it alone or let it be done?

[Elbows]

I agree...if he's not planning on getting any more.  Sounds like he's just getting started.  I think most of us have several hundreds of dollars (if not more) eventually spent on paints, files, brushes, cleaner, cutting mat, bases, texture materials, flock, sand, hobby clippers, tools, a good lamp, towels, palettes, etc.  It ain't a cheap hobby.

[Mech42ace]

I agree...if he's not planning on getting any more.  Sounds like he's just getting started.  I think most of us have several hundreds of dollars (if not more) eventually spent on paints, files, brushes, cleaner, cutting mat, bases, texture materials, flock, sand, hobby clippers, tools, a good lamp, towels, palettes, etc.  It ain't a cheap hobby.

And it certainly isn't like a drug dealer. You know... First hit is always free? :D
I agree, if you just are looking to get one mini painted up, a commision would be a better investment costwise. :)

[Charbok]

I prime with automotive primer, Duplicolor Sandable Black Primer, and it's about $6 a can from Auto Zone.  It's a bit fiddly when it gets too humid or cold, but otherwise is pretty solid.

That said, if you're only going to buy one mini to paint ever, buying a bunch of stuff to paint it up is a mug's game.  Find someone and commision it.  For a higher end commision artist, you'll balk at the price, but it's still going to work out cheaper than buying a bunch of paint and brushes, then throwing it all away when you're done.  Also, you'll have an amazing mini, as opposed to the very first mini someone's ever painted.

Another thought would be to find a game shop with a painting station, or someone willing to let you use their stuff to paint it, if you really want to do it yourself.

[Terrace]

Ok, I've decided on aerosol can primer, and plan to use it to replace one of the two main colors (probably the desert tan).

Questions for you guys. How well does blue paint work with a tan primer?

Since I'm gonna paint the torso blue, should I paint that separately from the arms/legs before I superglue them together, or just superglue everything together first, then paint the torso?

Or should I forgo the primer/paint replacement plan entirely and just do a gray primer?

Edit: Hmm. Thinking it over more, perhaps a desert tan with blue trim in the style of this Camospecs example would work?