What do you use for black and white?


I've often wondered what is the preferred paint choice when it comes to the two basic colors, black and white. Being the mercenary painter that I am, I'll use any brand that works and I have no loyalty to any one particular paint.

What I started out with
When I first started painting, I used craft paints. The cheap stuff. I had no issues with them either. It wasn't until I had a chance to try some other brands that I realized what I was using was not the "best" stuff out there.


I eventually picked up some Skull White and found that to be much better than the previous craft paint I was using. I still have not bought the official GW black paint. To be honest, I don't even know what it's called in the new paint range.

What I use these days
I haven't changed my paints (at least black and white) for the longest time. It wasn't until recently that I had the opportunity to pick up both a black and white from Army Painter. Even though I'm not a big fan of the dropper bottles, I wanted to see what else was out there.


Compared to the black craft paint I've been using for years which has worked perfectly for me to date, I really like the Army Painter black. Despite the fact that is has an almost satin look to it sometimes, it's got wonderful coverage and the paint is super smooth. When I add a tiny bit of water, I can paint super-fine details and black line things without worry. It's made working with black a real pleasure now. I mean it wasn't bad before, but this is such an improvement. And even though it looks satin under some light, it still blends perfectly with my black spray primer.

When it comes to the white, I like the Army Painter white a little better than the GW version. Again it's for the smoothness. It seems to cover slightly better as well and not break up as bad when I thin it with water.

And so I'm left wondering, what are the "best" black and white out there? I was happy with my craft paints for the longest time. Then I moved up to GW Skull White and found it to be an improvement. Now I have the pair of paints from Army Painter and I love them. I'm looking for a paint that is super smooth, covers well and holds together when thinned with water. The Army Painter colors do that very well, but I'm not against trying something else.

Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
Some of my techniques for painting black and white
Thoughts on the new GW paint line
How I replaced Devlan Mud and Badab Black


Ron, From the WarpIf you've got any questions about something in this post, shoot me a comment and I'll be glad to answer. Make sure to share your hobby tips and thoughts in the comments below!