Free tool
Paint Kit Finder
Answer four quick questions and we will map them to a paint kit profile worth shopping for. We describe the kind of paints, brushes, primer approach, and key tool that fit your situation, so you can shop smarter without guessing. We do not name a single product here. The goal is to send you looking for the right kind of kit.
How it works
How this tool works
A paint kit is four decisions that depend on each other, so the finder asks about experience, what you paint, the finish you want and the budget. Experience sets how forgiving the paints should be: a beginner benefits from a slightly thicker, opaque range that covers in two coats, while an experienced painter can exploit thin glazes and contrast-style paints. What you paint sets the scale, and scale sets brush size, primer method and how much detail the paints need to hold.
The finish question separates tabletop-ready from display quality. A tabletop finish is fast and forgiving, using washes and drybrushing over a coloured primer; a display finish layers highlights and wants a smoother primer and finer brushes. Budget sets the size of the starting range and whether an airbrush or wet palette is in scope. The result describes types and ranges rather than brands.
Reading the result
How to read your result
Paint range and primer approach are the two lines that decide how your first models look; brushes decide how pleasant the process is. Buy the primer and the paint range first, then two good brushes in the sizes listed rather than a set of ten cheap ones.
The key supporting tool is the one thing outside paint and brushes that makes the biggest difference for your answers, most often a wet palette, a set of washes or a magnifier. It is listed because most kits skip it and most painters wish they had bought it earlier.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which paint range should a beginner start with?+
A starter set of ten to twenty colours from one major hobby range, including a black and a brown wash. Mixing ranges is fine later; starting with one keeps consistency and lets you learn the paint's behaviour.
Spray primer or brush-on primer?+
Spray for speed and smoothness if you have a ventilated space and temperatures above about 10 C. Brush-on or airbrush primer for apartments and cold weather. A coloured primer that matches your base tone saves a full coat.
What brush sizes do I actually need?+
A size 1 and a size 0 round with a good point handle almost everything at 28 to 32 mm. Add a larger flat or drybrush for bases and terrain. Detail brushes smaller than 00 are rarely needed and wear out fast.
Do I need an airbrush?+
Not for tabletop quality. It speeds up priming, base coating and vehicles once you paint a lot of models, which is why it appears only in the larger budget profiles.