Overwhelmed with Vallejo

[BlindJustice]

So I've been painting miniatures for a long time now (started when I was about 9 and now I'm 26), but I am entirely self taught. Recently I broke away from my Citadel crutch and started using vallejo paints for the Infinity project I started about a year ago. I love the line, but was able to use Angel Giraldez's facebook page to get an idea of the colors I wanted to use to get the effects I wanted. Where with citadel I was experienced with their comparatively limited line and knew what colors to use to get the results I wanted, I don't have the same experience with the much more extensive vallejo lines and am struggling to determine which colors I want to use. 

Has anyone else run into this? I assume trial and error is the only way to overcome being overwhelmed, just wanted to see how others have tackled using this line.

 

[Tawg]

I don't know how encompassing they are, but you can check the the two links (To follow) that have charts relating the paint lines.  This first one relates it to some of the older GW lines colors, as well as P3 (Privateer Press's paint line), Master Class (Reapers paint line) and some misc.  The color matches aren't exact mind you, but it's a jumping point for comparison to something you may be use to.  This second one is more of a focus on a personal list someone made of triads they use for highlight // shade using Vallejo's lines. This could be more helpful if you're looking to find which color pots might work best for a given color scale, since Vallejo doesn't lay their paint charts out the same as GW's which basically have Shade // Layer // Highlight as a staple of their product's layout.

I paint far less than I ought to (I love to, I just make time for it never), but I am in a similar boat to you.  Been at it since I was a wee lad, and now I continue with my favorite hobby.  Alls I do is read, read incessantly anything I can find on technique, style, tips, all of it (Watching YouTube Videos applies as well).  I have found that even without putting things into practice (See: Actually painting much), I find after longer bouts of self-tutoring when I end up going back to apply what I have found, I notice marked improvements.

My first foray into NMM was rather disappointing.  I ended up taking a break from it for a long while, and reading quite a lot, and by the time I came back and tried again I was much happier with the results.  I think my issue was simply in trying to tie colors that were not on the same scale of Warm // Cool greys, which made the "blending" between them look very disjointed.

But yeah, learning, or teaching yourself, to paint can be a bit of a process, but there is so much helpful information on the internet, if you really want to devote some time to looking whatever you're interested in, you can find and achieve it with time.

Hope that helps, and if you'd like any other links or such, I can try to provide you things that I find helpful (Too many to simply start spamming, but if you have something specific I can provide my favorites ).

[BlindJustice]

 

Hope that helps, and if you'd like any other links or such, I can try to provide you things that I find helpful (Too many to simply start spamming, but if you have something specific I can provide my favorites ).

Thanks for the reply Tawg. If you have anything on painting warm/cool grey that would extremely helpful. Also anything on painting leathers, black, and NMM would be great. 

Honestly the internet is the only reason I've improved in 10+ years, but if you have a handful of sources you have found especially helpful please share!

 

[Omenbringer]

Vallejo is definitely good stuff but I prefer Reaper Master Series. One of the main reasons you touch upon in your post, Reaper takes a lot of the guess work out of painting by selling Triads of colors (easily expandable by mixing the three shades in various quantities to create more in between gradations).

Biggest advice I would give you is to take a stroll over to the Cool Mini Or Not website and search their painting tutorials. A lot of those guys seem to use Vallejo and have written some great toots on how to paint the difficult colors (White, Black, Red, etc.), materials (leather, satin, sheer, etc), and NMM. Frequently they will even include the Vallejo paints they use.

[BlindJustice]

Vallejo is definitely good stuff but I prefer Reaper Master Series. One of the main reasons you touch upon in your post, Reaper takes a lot of the guess work out of painting by selling Triads of colors (easily expandable by mixing the three shades in various quantities to create more in between gradations).

Biggest advice I would give you is to take a stroll over to the Cool Mini Or Not website and search their painting tutorials. A lot of those guys seem to use Vallejo and have written some great toots on how to paint the difficult colors (White, Black, Red, etc.), materials (leather, satin, sheer, etc), and NMM. Frequently they will even include the Vallejo paints they use.

Any chance you could link to where I can find the painting tutorials on CMON? I looked at the site and couldn't find it. 

[Omenbringer]

Here you go;

Cool Mini Or Not Articles for Painting

Look at the drop downs on the left hand side of the screen. Lots of good stuff there. Try Techniques first, though the "models step by step" section also has a lot of good stuff.

[BlindJustice]

Here you go;

Cool Mini Or Not Articles for Painting

Look at the drop downs on the left hand side of the screen. Lots of good stuff there. Try Techniques first, though the "models step by step" section also has a lot of good stuff.

Thank you!