The Complete Guide to Vallejo Paints

Vallejo produces one of the most versatile paint ranges available for miniature painters, historical modellers, Gunpla builders, terrain makers, airbrush users, and tabletop hobbyists.

The Vallejo catalogue includes traditional brush paints, airbrush-ready colours, single-coat paints, metallics, washes, inks, primers, varnishes, pigments, texture products, weathering effects, cleaners, thinners, and themed paint sets.

That variety makes Vallejo useful for almost any hobby project, but it can also make choosing the correct range confusing. Model Color, Game Color, Xpress Color, Model Air, Game Air, Mecha Color, Metal Color, and Panzer Aces are designed around different applications and painting styles.

This complete Vallejo paints guide explains the major ranges, how they compare, which paints are best for brush painting or airbrushing, how to choose primers and varnishes, and what a beginner should purchase first.

Browse brush paints, airbrush colours, primers, washes, metallics, weathering products, and other Vallejo paints at Tistaminis.

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Quick Summary

• Best General Brush-Paint Range: Vallejo Model Color
• Best for Fantasy and Wargaming Miniatures: Vallejo Game Color
• Best for Fast One-Coat Painting: Vallejo Xpress Color
• Best for Historical Airbrushing: Vallejo Model Air
• Best for Airbrushing Gaming Miniatures: Vallejo Game Air
• Best for Gunpla and Mecha: Vallejo Mecha Color
• Best Vallejo Metallic Range: Vallejo Metal Color
• Best for Historical Figures: Model Color and Panzer Aces
• Best Beginner Range: Game Color or Model Color
• Best Fast-Shading Product: Vallejo Washes
• Best Final Protection: Matt, satin, or gloss varnish
• Best Palette for Brush Painting: Wet palette
• Most Important Rule: Choose the range based on the project and application.

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Vallejo Paint Ranges Compared

Range	Primary Use	Best For	Application
Model Color	General model and figure painting	Historical models, miniatures, vehicles, skin, cloth, and terrain	Brush
Game Color	Fantasy and science-fiction miniatures	Warhammer, RPG miniatures, board games, and colourful armies	Brush
Xpress Color	Single-coat contrast painting	Fast army painting and textured miniatures	Brush over a light primer
Model Air	Airbrushing scale models	Aircraft, armour, military vehicles, ships, and historical subjects	Airbrush
Game Air	Airbrushing gaming miniatures	Fantasy armies, science-fiction models, monsters, and vehicles	Airbrush
Mecha Color	Durable mechanical-model finishes	Gunpla, robots, articulated models, and science-fiction vehicles	Primarily airbrush
Metal Color	Realistic metallic finishes	Weapons, armour, engines, aircraft, and machinery	Airbrush and brush
Panzer Aces	Historical uniforms and equipment	Tank crews, soldiers, camouflage, and military figures	Brush

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Vallejo Model Color

Vallejo Model Color is the company’s broad general-purpose acrylic range for brush painting miniatures, scale models, vehicles, terrain, and figures.

The range includes a large selection of natural, historical, military, fantasy, skin, fabric, leather, earth, and general-purpose colours. Most paints dry to a matt finish and provide strong pigmentation when applied in controlled thin layers.

Model Color Is Best For:

• Historical miniatures
• Military figures
• Fantasy and science-fiction models
• Vehicles and aircraft
• Terrain and scenery
• Dioramas
• Skin tones
• Uniforms
• Leather and cloth
• General brush painting

Advantages

• Very large colour selection
• Strong pigmentation
• Excellent matt finish
• Useful natural and historical tones
• Good for layering and highlighting
• Dropper bottles reduce waste
• Easy to mix with other acrylic colours
• Suitable for miniatures and scale models

Possible Drawbacks

• Most colours benefit from thinning.
• Some paints require extensive shaking.
• Airbrush use normally requires additional thinner.
• The large catalogue can overwhelm beginners.

Verdict: Vallejo Model Color is the best all-purpose Vallejo range for traditional brush painting.

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Vallejo Game Color

Vallejo Game Color is designed primarily for fantasy, science-fiction, role-playing, board-game, and tabletop miniatures.

The range emphasizes brighter colours, strong handling resistance, smooth brush application, coordinated shadows and highlights, and effects suited to gaming models.

Game Color Is Best For:

• Warhammer miniatures
• Fantasy armies
• Science-fiction forces
• Role-playing miniatures
• Board-game miniatures
• Monsters and creatures
• Magical effects
• Bright armour and clothing

Game Color Categories

• Standard acrylic colours
• Metallic colours
• Washes
• Inks
• Fluorescent colours
• Special FX
• Mediums and additives

Shadow, Base, and Light Colours

Many Game Color paints are arranged into coordinated colour families:

• Shadow: Darkest tone
• Base: Main midtone
• Light: Highlight tone

This makes it easier to build a complete miniature colour scheme without mixing every highlight manually.

Advantages

• Designed for gaming miniatures
• Bright and saturated colour selection
• Strong durability
• Useful coordinated colour families
• Compatible washes and effects
• Good beginner paint sets
• Dropper-bottle packaging

Verdict: Vallejo Game Color is the best range for fantasy armies, science-fiction miniatures, and role-playing models.

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Model Color vs Game Color

Feature	Model Color	Game Color
Main Audience	Scale modellers and figure painters	Fantasy and tabletop gamers
Colour Selection	Historical, military, natural, and realistic tones	Bright fantasy and science-fiction tones
Finish	Primarily matt	Primarily matt
Best Uses	Uniforms, skin, vehicles, terrain, and historical models	Armies, monsters, magical effects, and gaming pieces

The two ranges are fully compatible. Many painters use Game Color for bright faction colours and Model Color for skin, cloth, leather, bone, and natural tones.

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Vallejo Xpress Color

Vallejo Xpress Color is a transparent single-coat paint system designed to produce a base colour, darker recess shading, and lighter raised areas in one application.

Xpress Color works best over a smooth white, ivory, or light-grey primer. It flows across the surface and collects more heavily in recessed areas.

Best Uses

• Fast army painting
• Cloth
• Fur
• Leather
• Skin
• Scales
• Wood
• Organic textures
• Board-game miniatures
• Highly detailed models

How to Use Xpress Color

1. Prime the miniature white, ivory, or light grey.
2. Add an optional zenithal highlight.
3. Apply one controlled coat of Xpress Color.
4. Move excess paint away from flat surfaces.
5. Allow it to dry fully.
6. Add conventional highlights where needed.

Advantages

• Fast painting process
• Creates immediate shading
• Useful for batch painting
• Matt finish
• Works well with detailed textures
• Can also be used for glazing and tinting
• Compatible with Game Color and Model Color

Possible Drawbacks

• Can pool on large flat surfaces.
• Requires a smooth light primer.
• Partially dried paint should not be overworked.
• Premium results may still require highlights.
• Vehicles and armour panels can be harder to paint evenly.

Verdict: Xpress Color is Vallejo’s best range for fast single-coat miniature painting.

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Vallejo Model Air

Vallejo Model Air is formulated for airbrushing scale models, military vehicles, aircraft, ships, and historical subjects.

The paints are thinner than traditional brush acrylics and use finely ground pigment for smoother airbrush application.

Model Air Is Best For:

• Aircraft
• Tanks
• Military vehicles
• Ships
• Historical camouflage
• Scale-model interiors
• Airbrush basecoats
• Colour modulation

Advantages

• Designed for airbrush use
• Large military colour selection
• Fine pigment
• Consistent spraying
• Can be brushed onto small details
• Works with Vallejo airbrush additives

Does Model Air Need Thinner?

Some colours may spray directly, while others benefit from a small amount of Airbrush Thinner or Flow Improver. The correct mixture depends on the needle size, pressure, colour, and desired coverage.

Verdict: Model Air is Vallejo’s best range for historical models, vehicles, aircraft, and realistic airbrush work.

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Vallejo Game Air

Vallejo Game Air is the airbrush-focused counterpart to Game Color. It provides fantasy and science-fiction colours in a consistency designed for spraying.

Game Air Is Best For:

• Fantasy armies
• Science-fiction miniatures
• Warhammer vehicles
• Large monsters
• Zenithal highlights
• Army basecoating
• Glow effects
• Object-source lighting

Game Air vs Model Air

Game Air focuses on bright gaming colours, while Model Air emphasizes historical, military, and realistic tones.

The two ranges can be used together on the same project.

Verdict: Game Air is the best Vallejo airbrush range for tabletop armies and fantasy models.

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Vallejo Mecha Color

Vallejo Mecha Color is designed for Gunpla, robots, mecha, articulated kits, and science-fiction models.

The range emphasizes smooth airbrush application, strong adhesion, and improved resistance to handling when used with suitable primers and varnishes.

Mecha Color Is Best For:

• Gunpla
• Gundam models
• 30 Minutes Missions
• Robot kits
• Transforming models
• Science-fiction vehicles
• Articulated display models

Available Product Types

• Standard colours
• Primers
• Metallics
• Fluorescent colours
• Matt varnish
• Satin varnish
• Gloss varnish

Why Use Mecha Color?

• Designed for mechanical models
• Strong colour selection
• Suitable for masking and panel separation
• Compatible primers and varnishes
• More durable finish than ordinary display paints

Verdict: Mecha Color is Vallejo’s best range for Gunpla and articulated mechanical kits.

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Vallejo Metal Color

Vallejo Metal Color is designed for smooth, realistic metallic finishes. It is especially popular for armour, aircraft, engines, machinery, weapons, and science-fiction models.

Best Uses

• Aircraft panels
• Weapons
• Armour
• Engines
• Robots
• Vehicle components
• True metallic metal techniques
• Large metallic surfaces

Advantages

• Fine metallic pigment
• Smooth airbrush finish
• Strong coverage
• Can be brush applied carefully
• Realistic metal tones
• Excellent for layering several metallic shades

Using Gloss Black Primer

A smooth gloss-black primer can increase the depth and reflectivity of selected metallic finishes, particularly polished or high-contrast metal effects.

Verdict: Metal Color is Vallejo’s best range for realistic metallic effects.

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Vallejo Panzer Aces

Vallejo Panzer Aces focuses on historical military uniforms, tank crews, equipment, leather, camouflage, and figure painting.

Best Uses

• World War II figures
• Tank crews
• Military uniforms
• Leather equipment
• Camouflage details
• Historical dioramas

Panzer Aces works particularly well alongside Model Color, Model Air, pigments, and weathering products.

Verdict: A useful specialist range for military and historical figure painters.

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Vallejo Surface Primer

Vallejo Surface Primer is a water-based acrylic-polyurethane primer designed to improve paint adhesion.

Suitable Surfaces May Include:

• Plastic
• Resin
• Metal
• PVC
• Brass
• Wood

Choosing a Primer Colour

Black Primer

Best for dark armour, metallic schemes, strong shadows, and models where deep recesses should remain dark.

White Primer

Best for bright colours, fluorescent paint, yellow, clean fantasy schemes, and Xpress Color.

Grey Primer

A neutral general-purpose option suitable for most projects.

Coloured Primer

Useful when the primer closely matches the main armour, vehicle, uniform, or terrain colour.

Gloss Black Primer

Useful beneath polished metallic paints and reflective mechanical finishes.

Brush or Airbrush?

Vallejo Surface Primer can be applied by airbrush or brush. Several thin coats are safer than one heavy coat that fills miniature detail.

Clean primer from the airbrush immediately after spraying.

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Vallejo Washes

Vallejo washes are transparent paints designed to flow into recesses and create shadows.

Common Uses

• Shading armour
• Defining cloth folds
• Darkening panel lines
• Adding grime
• Weathering vehicles
• Shading skin and leather
• Creating filters and glazes

Game Color Wash

Game Color Washes are suited to fantasy, role-playing, science-fiction, and tabletop miniatures.

Model Wash

Model Washes include colours suited to military vehicles, aircraft, armour, terrain, and realistic weathering.

How to Reduce Pooling

• Work on one area at a time.
• Remove excess wash from flat surfaces.
• Use a clean brush to absorb pooling.
• Allow the layer to dry fully.
• Use controlled recess shading on large armour panels.

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Vallejo Inks

Vallejo inks are transparent colours with strong saturation.

Best Uses

• Deep shadows
• Glazing
• Tinting metallics
• Increasing colour saturation
• Magical effects
• Object-source lighting
• Unifying colour transitions

Inks are more transparent and intense than conventional acrylic paint. Apply them in controlled layers.

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Vallejo Special FX

Vallejo Special FX paints reproduce organic, magical, corrosive, and environmental effects.

Common Effects

• Blood
• Rust
• Verdigris
• Corrosion
• Slime
• Bile
• Organic fluids
• Weathered surfaces

Best Uses

• Fantasy monsters
• Undead
• Damaged armour
• Horror miniatures
• Science-fiction bases
• Terrain

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Vallejo Diorama FX and Texture Products

Vallejo produces texture and diorama products for miniature bases, vehicles, scenery, display plinths, and gaming tables.

Available Effects Include:

• Mud
• Earth
• Sand
• Snow
• Water
• Asphalt
• Concrete
• Industrial texture
• Natural ground

Application Tips

• Use an old brush, sculpting tool, or spatula.
• Apply in controlled layers.
• Add stones, cork, or debris while wet.
• Allow thick layers to dry fully.
• Drybrush raised texture after curing.
• Seal loose materials where necessary.

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Vallejo Pigments

Vallejo pigments are fine powders used to reproduce dust, dirt, soot, rust, and earth.

Best Uses

• Tank tracks
• Vehicle wheels
• Dusty boots
• Ruined terrain
• Exhaust soot
• Desert bases
• Rust deposits

Application Methods

• Dry application
• Mixed with pigment binder
• Mixed with acrylic medium
• Combined with texture products
• Fixed with pigment fixer

Avoid creating airborne pigment dust and follow the product safety instructions.

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Vallejo Varnishes

Varnish protects the finished paint and determines the final surface sheen.

Matt Varnish

Reduces shine and works well for gaming miniatures, cloth, skin, military models, and weathered surfaces.

Satin Varnish

Creates a moderate sheen suitable for armour, vehicles, leather, and general-purpose models.

Gloss Varnish

Creates a shiny finish and is useful for:

• Wet effects
• Gemstones
• Visors
• Polished armour
• Preparing surfaces for decals
• Preparing surfaces for some weathering techniques

Layered Varnish Method

1. Apply gloss varnish before decals or selected weathering.
2. Complete decals and washes.
3. Apply matt or satin varnish as the main finish.
4. Restore gloss selectively to wet, polished, or reflective details.

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Vallejo Mediums and Auxiliary Products

Airbrush Thinner

Reduces paint viscosity for airbrush application while maintaining more predictable paint behaviour than water alone.

Flow Improver

Helps reduce tip dry and improves paint flow. Excessive amounts may slow drying and increase runs.

Glaze Medium

Increases transparency and working time for controlled glazing.

Matt Medium

Extends paint while maintaining a matt finish.

Gloss Medium

Adds transparency and shine.

Retarder Medium

Slows drying for blending and extended working time.

Airbrush Cleaner

Removes acrylic paint residue during colour changes and after painting sessions.

Chipping Medium

Creates worn paint and chipped-armour effects between colour layers.

Decal Fix and Decal Softener

Help decals adhere and conform to curved or textured surfaces.

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How to Thin Vallejo Paint for Brush Painting

There is no universal thinning ratio because individual colours vary in opacity, pigment, and consistency.

General Method

1. Place paint on a palette.
2. Add a small amount of water or medium.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Test the consistency.
5. Apply one or more controlled thin layers.

Paint Is Too Thick When:

• It leaves heavy brush marks.
• It obscures details.
• It creates a rough surface.
• It pulls or tears while drying.

Paint Is Too Thin When:

• It floods recesses.
• It separates on the model.
• Coverage becomes extremely weak.
• It creates tide marks.

Use a Wet Palette

A wet palette helps keep Model Color and Game Color usable during longer painting sessions and makes colour mixing easier.

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How to Thin Vallejo Paint for Airbrushing

Model Air and Game Air

Begin by testing the paint directly or with a small quantity of thinner. Adjust gradually.

Model Color and Game Color

These thicker ranges usually require more substantial thinning before airbrush use.

Important Variables

• Needle size
• Nozzle size
• Air pressure
• Working distance
• Paint colour
• Humidity
• Desired transparency

Paint May Be Too Thick When:

• It speckles.
• The spray becomes interrupted.
• The nozzle clogs frequently.
• Excessive pressure is required.

Paint May Be Too Thin When:

• It spiders across the surface.
• It runs into recesses.
• Control becomes difficult.
• Coverage is excessively transparent.

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How to Shake Vallejo Paint

Vallejo paints can separate during storage, particularly metallics, primers, effects, and highly pigmented colours.

Recommended Method

1. Confirm that the cap is secure.
2. Shake the bottle vigorously.
3. Roll it between your hands.
4. Dispense a small test amount.
5. Continue mixing if separation remains visible.

Mixing Balls

Paint-safe mixing balls can help with stubborn colours. Use only products intended for acrylic paint bottles.

Paint Shakers

A paint shaker can save time for large collections, but inspect caps and bottles before use.

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Which Vallejo Paints Should a Beginner Buy?

Basic Fantasy Miniature Palette

• Black
• White
• Red
• Blue
• Yellow
• Brown
• Skin tone
• Bone or ivory
• Silver
• Gold
• Black wash
• Brown wash

Basic Historical Palette

• Black
• White
• Main uniform colour
• Uniform highlight
• Leather brown
• Wood brown
• Skin tone
• Steel
• Earth colour
• Brown wash

Basic Airbrush Setup

• Black, grey, or white primer
• Main base colour
• Shadow colour
• Highlight colour
• Airbrush thinner
• Flow improver
• Airbrush cleaner
• Matt or satin varnish

Paint Set or Individual Bottles?

Choose a paint set when most of the included colours support one planned project. Purchase individual bottles when the set contains several colours you are unlikely to use.

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Best Vallejo Range by Hobby

Hobby	Recommended Range
Warhammer and fantasy miniatures	Game Color and Xpress Color
Historical miniatures	Model Color and Panzer Aces
Military vehicles	Model Air, Model Color, Model Wash, and pigments
Gunpla and mecha	Mecha Color and Metal Color
Fast army painting	Xpress Color
Airbrushed fantasy armies	Game Air
Aircraft and scale models	Model Air and Metal Color
Terrain and dioramas	Diorama FX, pigments, Model Color, and washes

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Recommended Vallejo Painting Workflows

Traditional Miniature Workflow

1. Apply Surface Primer.
2. Basecoat with Model Color or Game Color.
3. Shade with a Vallejo wash.
4. Restore the base colour.
5. Add highlights.
6. Paint metallics and details.
7. Complete the base.
8. Apply varnish.

Xpress Color Workflow

1. Prime white, ivory, or light grey.
2. Add an optional zenithal undercoat.
3. Apply Xpress Color.
4. Paint metallics with standard acrylics.
5. Correct mistakes.
6. Add selective highlights.
7. Complete the base.
8. Apply varnish.

Airbrushed Army Workflow

1. Apply Surface Primer.
2. Airbrush the shadow colour.
3. Airbrush the main colour.
4. Add a directional highlight.
5. Brush-paint secondary details.
6. Apply controlled washes.
7. Add edge highlights.
8. Varnish the unit.

Gunpla Workflow

1. Clean and prepare the parts.
2. Apply suitable primer.
3. Airbrush Mecha Color layers.
4. Mask and paint secondary panels.
5. Add Metal Color details.
6. Apply gloss varnish.
7. Add decals and panel lining.
8. Apply the final varnish.
9. Reassemble the kit carefully.

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Common Vallejo Paint Mistakes

Not Shaking the Bottle Enough

Separated paint can produce weak colour, excess medium, or inconsistent coverage.

Applying Paint Too Thickly

Model Color and Game Color usually perform better in several controlled thin layers.

Using Only Water for Airbrushing

Water can reduce acrylic paint, but dedicated Airbrush Thinner usually provides more predictable performance.

Using Too Much Flow Improver

Excessive Flow Improver can slow drying and create runs.

Overworking Xpress Color

Repeated brushing after the paint starts drying can create streaks or lift the layer.

Using Xpress Color Over Dark Primer

Transparent single-coat paints need a light undercoat to produce highlights and shadows.

Allowing Primer to Dry in the Airbrush

Clean the airbrush immediately after spraying primer.

Applying Heavy Varnish Coats

Several light coats are safer than one heavy wet layer.

Buying Too Many Similar Colours

Start with one tested recipe before purchasing a full colour family.

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Vallejo Paint Buying Tips

• Choose Model Color for general brush-painting versatility.
• Choose Game Color for fantasy and science-fiction miniatures.
• Choose Xpress Color for fast army painting.
• Choose Model Air for vehicles, aircraft, and historical models.
• Choose Game Air for airbrushed tabletop armies.
• Choose Mecha Color for Gunpla and robots.
• Choose Metal Color for realistic metallic finishes.
• Choose Panzer Aces for military uniforms and tank crews.
• Use a light primer beneath Xpress Color.
• Use coloured primer to reduce painting stages.
• Purchase Airbrush Thinner and Cleaner with airbrush paints.
• Select washes according to the planned colour scheme.
• Choose varnish based on the desired finish.
• Buy themed sets only when most colours will be used.
• Shake every bottle thoroughly before evaluating coverage.

Browse Model Color, Game Color, Xpress Color, Model Air, Game Air, Mecha Color, Metal Color, primers, varnishes, washes, and other Vallejo paints at Tistaminis.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts

Vallejo offers a paint system for almost every area of miniature painting, scale modelling, terrain building, and airbrushing.

Model Color is the strongest all-purpose range for traditional brush painting. Its large selection of natural, historical, military, skin, cloth, terrain, and general colours makes it suitable for almost any project.

Game Color is the best starting point for fantasy and science-fiction miniatures. Its brighter palette, coordinated shadows and highlights, washes, metallics, inks, and effects make it particularly useful for Warhammer armies, role-playing models, and board-game miniatures.

Xpress Color provides Vallejo’s fastest painting system. Applied over a light primer, it creates colour and shading in one step and is particularly effective on textured surfaces.

Model Air and Game Air simplify airbrushing by providing thinner, finely pigmented colours for historical models or gaming miniatures. Mecha Color is designed for Gunpla and articulated kits, while Metal Color produces smooth and realistic metallic effects.

Vallejo Surface Primers, washes, inks, varnishes, pigments, texture products, cleaners, mediums, and weathering products allow painters to complete an entire project within one compatible product system.

New painters should begin with one planned project rather than purchasing an oversized collection. Choose a primer, main colour, shadow, highlight, metallic, wash, and suitable varnish. Additional products can be added as new techniques become necessary.

Browse the latest Vallejo paints and hobby products at Tistaminis and choose the range that best supports your miniatures, vehicles, terrain, Gunpla, and airbrush projects.

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