Vallejo Model Color vs Game Color Inks... Differences?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
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Hello all,

Well, finally got my Vallejo Model Color and Game Color Inks in the mail today. Set No 9 (Allied WWII Colors) and Set No 14 (German WWII Camouflage) and a set of 10 Vallejo Game Inks with thinner and metallic medium thrown in as well.

I’ve read the post in this topic on Vallejo ad nauseum and it’s got great web references to the Model Color line (and the supplied Vallejo insert is REALLY slick) but the inks I have some questions about. Are they the same when it comes to thinning, or are they already thinned down enough. One of the inks is a “Skin Wash” ink, which I would assume is useful in shading figures, of which I have an old Verlinden 120mm resin figure as my test subject for these. The Game Ink thinner - is that the standard “Model Color” thinner. I just put a single drop on my hand, and it has the look and consistency of very thinned Elmer’s or regular white glue (the stuff most of us ate in grade school). Are all Vallejo thinners like that? Additionally it has an odor that is probably the least invasive of any paint I’ve used in the past.

Thank you in advance. I have a 'Nam Ranger just calling for some COLOR!

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From what I understand, the differrence between the game color and the model color lines boils down to the intended audiences for each and the implications that holds. The model color is aimed primarily and doing model armor and, as such, has an absolutely enormous range of colors. They are mostly for static display models and I have bene told that the model color line is more focused on the quality of the colors.

The game color, on the other hand, is amied at tabletop gamers who paint models to be played with and handled. As such the fmualtion had a stronger binder and the colors havea more fantasy feel. If you were not already aware, the game color line is meant to parallel Citadel’s paints almsot exactly. Unfortunately my local shop does not stock game color inks, but I would assume that they are also made to be more friendly to being handled.

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nd to be used as washes and tend to be semi translucent when dry, I used to use them in miniature figure painting.

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Ahhhhhh, more questions that I love. As I’ve said about airbrushes, there is so little information that is really useful for modelers out there about tools and mediums that we could use, it’s silly.

regarding your questions, here’s what I know: the gain color inks are similar to games workshop inks, or any other inks in that they are meant to tint the underlying base color when used in this fashion. Inks our water stand, and have a high density of pigment in them. Now, the Vallejo people don’t say this, but I think they likely put some matte medium in their inks, because they draw a much more matte in other inks which dry shiny. You want to use water to cut it, to get rid of the density of pigment. You can mix it with their medium,but I found that the inclusion of some water is usually helpful to allow these things to flow well. If you are using other inks, you would use more of this type of medium and less water.

Vallejo model colors are great, but could stand a some thinning if you are to layer them very well. their paints are pigment in medium. A thin with water, various types of media, etc. They don’t fit well with alcohol – unless it is very dilute.

Vallejo game color line was actually developed (so legend tells) in order to make a bid to provide paint for games workshop. This is why their colors match the games workshop colors so much. They do have some great colors on their palette, but for very specific colors without having to do any mixing, model color works better.

Vallejo thinners= various kinds of media repackaged. Likely water + matte medium + flow enhancer + extender in some kind of recipe. I use airbrush thinners from Golden/liquitex, and they do about the same thing for much less money. You can also make your own – use a matte medium for matte colors, gloss medium for gloss/metallics if you want them to shine.

Keep in mind Vallejo is an art company, just like Golden or liquitex. they are simply repackaging custom colors in smaller bottles in charging people a lot of money. There’s nothing that special about their colors, onlythe method it that they are delivering them and how they are preparing them.

Hope this helps

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