added a paint guide for miniature painting.

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 * [Guides](guides/README.md)
 * [Tools, Supplies and Introduction](sets/README.md)
+* [Paints for Miniatures](sets/paints.md)
 
 ## Sets
 

sets/paints.md

@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+# Miniature Painting Paint Selection
+
+This essay is intended to cover paints for miniature painting.  I do not cover the use of craft paints for this purpose, but I will add a section in the future to cover why it is best to stay away from craft paints for this application.  I personally use a ton of craft paint, mostly for painting 3d printed terrain, so it's not a distain for craft paints, they are a useful tool in the crafter's arsenel, but they also have specific applications where they are better, and applications where they are suboptimal.  For painting miniatures, craft paints have significant drawbacks.
+
+## Prices
+
+Here's your prices (All taken from miniature market's "Retail Price" except warcolours since they are only sold through their website):
+
+* Warcolours: 15ml dropper for 1.95<EFBFBD> ~ $2.19 ($0.15/ml)
+* Army Painter Paint: 18ml dropper bottle for $2.99 ($0.17/ml)
+* Vallejo Paint: 17ml dropper bottle for $3.29 ($0.19/ml)
+* Reaper MSP: 1/2 oz (15 ml) for $3.29 ($0.22/ml)
+* P3: 18ml paint pot for $4.00 ($0.22/ml)
+* Scale 75 Paint: 17ml dropper bottle for $4.49 ($0.26/ml)
+* Citadel GW Paint: 12ml paint pot for $4.55 ($0.38/ml)
+
+Based purely on pigment density, Citadel should be selling much closer to 17 cents per ml, but instead it's the most expensive at 38 cents.  Warcolours on the other hand is the cheapest with one of the best pigment densities.
+
+# Paints
+(Note, all links and prices last updated on 2019/06/03)
+
+My initial advice is pick a paint set, and use that for the backbone of your collection.  Once you are well grounded in painting, you can start to explore other lines.  Every line has some colors that they excel at and some colors that just suck.  
+
+My bottom line recommendation:
+
+* If you want the best all in one paint set, my recommendation here is to go with a vallejo game color basic set.  I can also highly recommend the reaper master paints set 1.
+* If you are looking to get into painting on the cheap, you can't go wrong with army painter's sets.  As your skill grows, you can explore other sets, and add in some paint here or there.  Army painter will still be solid for you as a foundation.  You'll just need other paints when you want to explor glazing.
+* If you are more experienced, you probably don't need my advice, but as a second set of paints for more advanced techniques I can strongly recommend Warcolours' layer paint set.
+
+Finally, metallics are an exception to all of the review below.  Check the metallics section below the paint section for my metallics recommendation.
+
+## Warcolours
+
+* Pigment Density: High
+* Container: 15ml Dropper
+* Cost per ml: $0.15
+* Personal level of experience: High
+* Purchase starting place: Go with a [single color layer paint set](https://www.warcolours.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=65) (7 paints for 14.95<EFBFBD> ~= $16.79) to try them out, or get their [full layer paint set]() (92 paints for 164.95<EFBFBD> =~ $185.30)
+* Finish: Matte
+
+Warcolours are a cheaper alternative to Scale 75 and mostly functions the same way.  They come in 5 color sets from the darkest to the brightest for the color (say like red).  I love my warcolours, but like Scale 75, they are not a good place to start.  Warcolours have a gel medium, which makes them surpurb for wet blending.  They have a high pigment density, so they can be thinned easily to make glazes.  If you thin them a bit less, they can do very well as layer paints.  Unless you are wet blending, they *will* need to be thinned, which is what makes them less appropriate for beginner painters.
+
+
+## Army Painter
+
+* Pigment Density: Low
+* Container: 18ml Dropper
+* Cost per ml: $0.17
+* Personal level of experience: Medium
+* Purchase starting place: [Warpaints Starter Set](https://amzn.to/2QJdyA8) (9 paints, 1 wash, 1 brush for $24.20) to try them out.  You can also get the [Mega Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2Kljnm5) (46 paints, 2 washes, 1 brush for $98.54) to get a big range or the [Wargamers Complete Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2KmXrHe) (113 paints, 11 washes, 5 brushes for $229.98) to get their full range.
+* Finish: Satin
+
+Army Painter is a good alternative to citadel.  They are very similar paints with a similar composition, but are WAY cheaper.  They are be good for layering, but like citadel will be hard to glaze with.
+
+## Vallejo
+
+* Pigment Density: Medium
+* Container: 17ml Dropper
+* Cost per ml: $0.19
+* Personal level of experience: Medium
+* Purchase starting place: [Game Color Intro Set](https://amzn.to/2IgMPH9) (16 paints for $39.40) or the [Game Color Basic Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2Wmcbxg) (72 paints, 3 brushes for $216.88)
+* Finish: Satin
+
+Vallejo is probably the most expansive line.  They have tons of great colors, and their paints have a good amount of pigment, so you can still get into the advanced techniques with them.  Vallejo sells multiple lines designed for different audiences, such as model color and mecha color.  There's no material difference in the game color, model color and mecha color lines as far as the paint formulation, so you can use them interchangeably.  Game color gives a broad range of colors, both saturated and unsaturated.  It is probably the most flexible of the lines. Model color focuses more on a huge panel desaturated of browns, greens and greys that fit in for say WWII vehicles.  Mecha color is focused on highly saturated primary colors to fit with the anime mecha asthetic.  Vallejo paints are fantastic layer paints.  They can be thined a great deal, so can be used as glazes and will also work well for wet blending.  Vallejo paints are basically a workhorse that make a great backbone of your paint collection.
+
+Finally, as a personal point of irritation, I hear the name of these paints regularly abused.  Vallejo is a spanish company, so the proper pronunciation is not *"Va-Leh-ho"*, it is *"Vah-YEH-ho"*.  This is similar to how tortilla is pronounced. 
+
+## Reaper Master Series
+
+* Pigment Density: Medium
+* Container: 15ml Dropper
+* Cost per ml: $0.22
+* Personal level of experience: High
+* Purchase starting place: [Learn To Paint Kit: Core Skills](https://amzn.to/2IeODAu) or [Learn To Paint Kit: Layer Up](https://amzn.to/2Ie86RP) (11 paints, 2 brushes, 3 miniatures) to get a sample of how they work, [Master Series Paint Bones Colors Full Set](https://amzn.to/2KoEBiX) (54 paints for $126.54) to get a larger range, or [Reaper Master Series Paint Set 1](https://amzn.to/2IeEZxR) (108 paints for $264.95) to get a significant range.
+* Finish: Matte/Satin
+
+Reaper is one of my favorites specifically for layering.  The master series sells paints in triads, which is a shadow, midtone and highlight intended for some purpose.  They sell skin triads, wood triads, verdigris triads, etc.  Reaper has a pigment count similar to vallejo.  Reaper comes pre thinned.  It's formulation has a fair amount of flow improver in it, so they are superb for layering, and thin well for glazing, but can be harder to use for wet blending.  That being said, they generally still work just fine for wet blending.  The amount of flow improver in them also makes them fairly well suited to airbrushes (though you should still add more flow improver).
+
+I personally think Reaper paints are the most comparable to Vallejo.  Like Vallejo they are a good backbone for your paint collection.  The triad concept is super useful for newer painters, but I still use the triads almost every time I paint because they help make some decisions just easier.
+
+## P3
+
+* Pigment Density: ?
+* Container: 18ml Paint Pot
+* Cost per ml: $0.22
+* Personal level of experience: None
+* Purchase starting place: P3 has numerous sets, but the sets are all designed around factions from the Warmachine/Hordes miniatures wargame.  No single set is good for a beginner painter, but if you play the game, they can give you much of what you need to paint a faction.
+* Finish: Satin
+
+I don't actually have experience with P3.  It is well considered by many other painters.  They tout that they use liquid pigment, which makes it harder for their paint to break, but I have no idea how effective this is.  P3 does come in paint pots, which I personally do not like.  I would probably be more inclined to try them if they came in dropper bottles.
+
+## Scale 75
+
+* Pigment Density: High
+* Container: 17ml Dropper
+* Cost per ml: $0.26
+* Personal level of experience: Low
+* Purchase starting place: Scale 75 has many sets that cover a color range such as the [Blue Sky Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2Wjc2ug), [Green Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2Kl348I) or the [Blood and Fire Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2WaFWft).  (8 paints for ~ $30) Any of these would be a good place to try them out.  For a larger set, they offer the [Fantasy & Games Collection](https://amzn.to/2WeRe25) (48 paints for $195) or the [Scalecolor Collection](https://amzn.to/2MrkV0g) (63 paints for $235)
+* Finish: Ultra matte
+
+Scale 75 is great paint, but it's one of the hardest to use, due to using a different medium formulation than most paints.  Scale 75 is designed for more for advanced techniques.  They excel at wet blending, two brush blending and glazing.  Like Warcolours, you can also thin them to layer paint.  Scale 75 paints are ultra matte, so they also excel at tasks suited towards competition painters.  Competition painters generally do not varnish, but as most paints have a satin finish, they need to be hit with a matte varnish to knock down the shine.  Scale 75 does not suffer this.  Starting out, you are probably better focusing on layer paints, as layering is generally the first skill to pick up in painting.
+
+## Citadel
+
+* Pigment Density: Low
+* Container: 12ml Paint Pot
+* Cost per ml: $0.38
+* Personal level of experience: Low
+* Purchase starting place: [Citadel Base Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2IkBaqD) (11 paints, 1 brush for $40.08) to try them out. For a few more paints, you can get the [Citadel Layer Paint Set](https://amzn.to/2KpxNBB) (20 paints, 1 brush for $66.56)
+* Finish: Satin
+
+Citadel has significant drawbacks. First it comes in paint pots, which means you will waste or ruin more paint from drying out than brands that come in dropper bottles. Second, per ounce it's one of the most expensive paints on the market. Third, citadel has one of the lowest pigment counts of any of the major miniature paint brands.  This means when you thin it, it will break faster than other paints.  It also means that it is more likely to go on gloppy.
+
+## Other paint lines
+
+There are a number of other paint lines.  As I learn about them, I'll add them here, and when I can get a chance to play with them, I can add an expanded review above.
+
+* Minitaire
+* Coat d<>Arms
+* Secret Weapon Miniatures
+* Green Stuff World
+
+# Metallics
+
+Unfortunatly, nearly all acrylic metal paints are garbage.  The pigments can't be ground as fine, so they tend to be really gloppy and are hard to get good results with.  There is one exception to this: Vallejo Metal Color (VMC) (not to be confused with metal paints in the game or model color lines, and not to be confused with vallejo metallics).  These metal paints are a joy to work with.  they start of already very thin, and have fantastic coverage.  Don't bother with anything else.
+
+The only real downside in them is that they only have two non 'silver' based colors, gold and copper. that being said, you can make a great bronze by mixing those two.
+For a starter of vallejo metal color, I would recommend:
+
+* Gold
+* Copper
+* Pale Burnt Metal (which can be used as a highlight for either Gold or Copper)
+* Silver (Highlight)
+* Steel (Midtone)
+* Magnesium (Shadow)
+
+Those 6 are probably all the metal colors you'll ever need. They are more expensive per pot than most paints at $8.40, but are also much larger at 32 oz (so $0.26/ml).
+
+A secondary recommendation is to look at the badger [metalsmith](https://usaairbrushsupply.com/t/badger-metalsmith) line (They are unfortunatly a little hard to find).  I wouldn't focus on the whole system, but the ores they offer (Gold Ore, Bronze Copper Ore, Carbon Iron Ore, Blue Ore, Red Ore) can be mixed into VMC to tint them.  The same can be said for nearly any line of inks, along with the [Badger Minitare Ghost Tints](https://amzn.to/2W6Pp7u).  Using either mixed in tints like this, or glazing over the top of VMC, you can achieve any of the colored metallics.  Be sure to first learn how to do this over the silvery VMC colors before you try at all over gold or copper.
+
+# To Be Added
+
+* Washes
+* Inks
+* Glazes
+* Dropper Bottles vs Paint Pots
+* Pigment Density
+* Finish
+* Techniques
+* Layering
+* Wet Blending / Two Brush Blending
+* Glazing
+* Zenithal Priming + Glazing