Which brand of paint is the best?

If you ask forty accomplished modellers which brand of model paint is best, you will get forty different answers. So where do you start if you are a modelling newbie?

The truth is, if you are new to modelling, paint will pretty much be paint. And that is how the thousands of shades, colours and types available today humbly began when Humbrol first introduced a small range of paints in tiny tins for use on models. As time has gone by, different companies started producing model paints with more exacting purposes in mind such as Railmatch's range of paints specifically designed to match the colours of British locomotives. Phoenix Precision Paints took the concept just a little bit further by manufacturing paints for specific prototypes but in different shades to account for varying circumstances or conditions and the likes of Revell and Tamiya started paint production by introducing colours specific to their own model range for the convenience of their customers.

Other companies have made a name for themselves by adding a higher concentration of pigment to their paints. Vallejo is one brand that stands out in this area and their paint is likely to require fewer coats to achieve decent coverage.