Okay. First of all I want to point out a few things. I am an affiliate, if you click my link, and purchase this product using my link I do get a commission. So I am paid to hawk this product.
That being said, I won’t put my name behind something if I haven’t used it, and if it isn’t worth using. I try to go out of my way to be as transparent as possible, and I also try to make sure my name and reputation actually mean something. So I figured I’d best let everyone know how I feel about speed paints.
I am speaking on these from the perspective of someone that isn’t especially artistic. I’m not an incredibly skilled painter. I am average at best, and occasionally I do some work that really looks nice, but generally my painting is “good enough for the table”. I love playing. I like hobbying, but I LOVE playing. The game is what has always drawn me in. The social aspect, the die rolling, the playing. That is what it has always been about for me.
First of all, I do appreciate the mixer ball that comes inside of the paint bottle. With paints as runny/wet as Speed Paints (and even other brands that perform the same or similar functions) I don’t know how necessary it is, but from the perspective of someone that doesn’t know much other than “Paint Goes on Brush… Derp Derp”, I like it. I don’t paint a lot/often, so I appreciate that there is an agitator already in the paint to help make mixing more effective.
My first test was with their white, known as Holy White. White Speed Paints (Contrast, Etc.) seem weird to me, as they are really just shades/washes in my opinion. A runny light gray that seems to be best for shading and layering. Maybe I’m wrong. I DO kind of suck at painting. But I’ve not really slapped a “speed paint” white onto a model and felt like it looked good/done. Not even for my incredibly low standards.
The white here kind of stays in that vein. I’m not saying its bad. And arguably I’m just not using it right, but I just feel like it is a great tool, but not a great finished product. The way I’ve historically used white speed paints is as follows:
- Prime in white
- Coat in speed paint
- layer/drybrush back up to white
A sample of what I do with White Speed Paints
First off, Sorry for the editing. I’m not great. This has Holy White, Corax White, and White Scar. This is where I’ve had the best success with Speed Paint White colors. I won’t pretend like it is amazing work, but I did it, and it isn’t the worst. I love the Speed Paint Holy white for this.
The second color I used for a test was the Grim Black. I love Speed Paint Black. Its fast. Its easy. It reduces the amount of time I HAVE to work on a model. The Grim Black is thin, much like all of the other speed paints, but it goes on almost translucent but seems to darken a bit as it dries. I’ve not gotten the black on near as much as the white, but the little bit I’ve done with it I’ve been very happy with. I’ll update everyone with pictures of that progress, as well as other colors, as I paint more with them.
When it comes to painting, Speed Paints for me are a primary tool in my toolbox. I use them for the things I that I loathe painting. Flesh tones. Power Armor eyes. Things like this. Again, I’m not great. I paint out of necessity most times. Occasionally I get a model or 2 that enjoy painting (Wartrikes, Treelords). And anything that can give me reasonable quality for less time means more time on the table.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back with more pictures once I’ve used my Grim Black a bit more!
Chris