Let's talk about paint...

I use Vallejo & Posca, i have a Hobby lobby which is 5 blocks from me, i can walk there if i want. Citadel is kinda hard to find & apple barrel is kinda low quality, never used tamaya. I'm pretty good at matching paint, my last mod was adding a middle finger to Pacman and i had to make a 'Salmon/orange' color from his gloves, it came out perfect.

I actually think I'm going to risk it and take the plunge with a handful of colors from Mission Models.  Hopefully they are a perfect substitute/complement to the Model Masters line.  If not, then it's either Citadel or Vallejo

Just a small paint tip for getting perfect paint matches when you have to mix paints and have to paint parts at different times or fix a blemish. Use pipettes with measurement markings. They are really cheap (100 for around $8) and you can rinse them out if you want.

I have an update on mission model paints..
So, I bought 10 bottles of assorted colors and unfortunately, they fall far short of being a replacement for Model Masters.  On the positive side, the bottle caps have a tiny hole so it is very easy to dispense one drop or two drops at a time.  No need for pipettes @tfitz. Another cool thing is they include an internal shaker-mixer in each bottle similar to spray paint cans.  No need to stir with a toothpick; you can tell when the paint is well mixed by how well the shaker is moving.
Now, for the negative: The paint, while having nice colors/pigments, is very flat and chalky.  I actually prefer a flat for most uses but, this is beyond flat.  It's almost like you used a tempura or actual chalk.
The main problem is durability.  As with Model Masters, I let the paint dry for 24 hours and while Testors MM holds up damn well with "paint rub", this stuff actually easily removes with a mere scraping of one's thumbnail.  Critical Failure!
So I guess I'm back to the Citadel/Vallejo decision. *deep Sigh*

TESTORS! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!?!

This stuff is invisible concrete, imho:

https://www.michaels.com/product/decoart-americana-duraclear-ultra-matte-varnish-10329783

Assuming the joints have been filed to prevent scrape; some paints will indeed flake/scrape off regardless.  I've found adding a coat of the DuraClear as a 'primer' often gives the grip the paint alone doesn't have.  Then another coat on top of the paint and most times the paint only comes back off with a file.

Posted by: @adrienveidt

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This stuff is invisible concrete, imho:

https://www.michaels.com/product/decoart-americana-duraclear-ultra-matte-varnish-10329783

I know a bunch of mini painters LOVE Army Painter paints, and Robo has been singing their praises in some of his recent play days.

I have a couple I've bought, even a small set, but I am SLOW when it comes to customizing, so I haven't actually used any yet.

I swear by Tamiya. Something I use when I airbrush is acrylic paint retarder.  If the paint dries too quickly the retarder slows down the drying process.  If you like spray cans I’ve just started experimenting with Krylon and Duplicolor.  Fingers crossed!

Posted by: @red_ogre

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Posted by: @adrienveidt

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This stuff is invisible concrete, imho:

https://www.michaels.com/product/decoart-americana-duraclear-ultra-matte-varnish-10329783

Definitely trying this out.

Well, have you?  Thoughts?  I bought a new bottle yday from Michael's and I noticed a Clearance price tag on the bottle once I got home.  Now I'm worried.

@adrienveidt Not yet, but I needed the reminder. I have a figure that I just finished painting last night and he's ready for a topcoat. Michael's was out of the small bottle so I grabbed the 8 oz instead.

I've come to love 'scatter' brushing that DuraClear on, coming at it from all directions to eliminate direction brushmarks; and have come to see that doing this with several layers over flesh helps give realistic light-penetration depth to the flesh tones.  It's a very subtle effect that I don't think comes off in any of my pics but I like it a lot in-hand.  It's especially useful with factory-painted skin compared against cast-plastic skin.

I use Citadel or Army Painter for most of my customs (I don't do many, and I'm horrible about procrastinating). I've had good luck with both. 

If anyone is doing a horror based character, and wants some fresh "blood" on their figure or accessories, I highly recommend Citadel's "Blood for the Blood God" paint. I got some at my LCS to use on a wrasslin' figure I was making into a victim for Jason Voorhees...it turned out beautifully.