Best Airbrush Paints for Miniatures
Updated How we research
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer.
Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush Paint Set for Model & Hobby 71178, 0.57 Fl Oz (Pack of 16)
Vallejo Basic Colors 71178 set of 16 airbrush acrylics at 0.57 fl oz each, a broader Model Air palette for hobby spraying.
Not every acrylic sprays well. Regular hobby paints often need careful thinning before they will flow through a 0.3 mm nozzle, and getting the ratio wrong means either spidering or a clogged tip mid-session. Airbrush-ready ranges solve this with finer pigment grinds and pre-thinned formulas designed to atomize cleanly at hobby pressures. The differences between brands still matter: some cover in one coat, some shift color as they dry, and some dry so fast they build up on the needle. This guide compares the leading airbrush paint lines for miniature work, including primers-and-color hybrids, candy transparents, and metallics, so you can pick a range that matches your compressor pressure, nozzle size, and painting style.
The short version
We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.3 to 8.8 out of 10.
- Best overall:The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer. Highest overall score in this guide at 8.8/10.
- Also great value:Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush Paint Set for Model & Hobby 71178, 0.57 Fl Oz (Pack of 16). Value score of 9/10, overall 8.6/10.
- Solid build:The Army Painter Warpaints Air Complete Set - 126 Non-Toxic Water Based Airbrush Paints for Tabletop Roleplaying and Wargames Miniature Model Painting. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.5/10.
- Feature-rich:Vallejo Metallic Set Model Air Paint, 17ml, Multicolor (Pack of 16). Features score of 8/10, overall 8.4/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer8.8/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush Paint Set for Model & Hobby 71178, 0.57 Fl Oz (Pack of 16)8.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.The Army Painter Warpaints Air Complete Set - 126 Non-Toxic Water Based Airbrush Paints for Tabletop Roleplaying and Wargames Miniature Model Painting8.5/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.Vallejo Metallic Set Model Air Paint, 17ml, Multicolor (Pack of 16)8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.Vallejo - Model Air Basic Colors - Acrylic Paint Set, Pre-Thinned Airbrush-Ready Formula, 8 Basic Shades, Non-Toxic Water-Based Pigments8.3/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.Badger Air-Brush Company Minitaire 12-Color Paint Starter Set7.8/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.U.S. Art Supply Airbrush Paint Set, 12 Color Transparent, 1-oz Bottles7.3/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Includes 100 mL grey primer, so priming and painting use one system
- + 12 pre-thinned colors spray with no additional thinning
- + Metallic included for weapons and trim straight away
- - Grey primer is less suited to bright schemes than white
- - Pre-thinned paints are a poor fit for brush layering
#2Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush Paint Set for Model & Hobby 71178, 0.57 Fl Oz (Pack of 16)
Vallejo Basic Colors 71178 set of 16 airbrush acrylics at 0.57 fl oz each, a broader Model Air palette for hobby spraying.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + 16 airbrush colors give broad options for vehicles and armies
- + Airbrush-ready formula saves time measuring thinners
- + Consistent Model Air behavior makes results predictable
- - Bigger upfront cost than the smaller basic Model Air set
- - Some colors lean toward historical military tones
#3The Army Painter Warpaints Air Complete Set with 126 non-toxic water-based airbrush paints for wargames miniatures.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 10/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 126 paints cover every color need for full airbrush workflows
- + Non-toxic water-based formula is safe for home hobby spaces
- + Huge range saves repeated orders for dedicated airbrushers
- - Massive purchase that only suits committed airbrush painters
- - Storing so many bottles needs a dedicated rack or drawer
#4Vallejo Metallic Set Model Air paint pack of 16 in 17ml bottles, airbrush-ready metallics for vehicles and armor.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 16 metallic tones allow realistic mixes of steel, brass and copper
- + Airbrush-ready metallics give smooth, even metal finishes
- + Great for tanks, mechs and aircraft as well as minis
- - Metallic flakes can clog smaller airbrush nozzles
- - Delicate finish needs a varnish for gaming handling
#5Vallejo Model Air basic colors set with 8 basic shades in a pre-thinned, airbrush-ready water-based formula.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Pre-thinned paint sprays straight from the bottle with no mixing
- + 8 basic shades cover primers, bases and zenithal highlights
- + Non-toxic water-based pigments are safe for indoor airbrushing
- - Pre-thinned paints are too runny for most brush work
- - Basic colors only, so metallics and effects need other sets
#6Badger Minitaire 12-color paint starter set, acrylic airbrush paints formulated specifically for miniatures and gaming.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 12 colors aimed at tabletop and fantasy miniature schemes
- + Formulated to spray through fine airbrushes with little thinning
- + Badger makes both the paint and airbrushes, so pairing is easy
- - Minitaire line can be harder to find than Vallejo or Army Painter
- - Starter range will need expansion for specific armies
#7U.S. Art Supply Airbrush Paint Set holds 12 transparent water-based acrylic colors in 1 oz bottles, with airbrush cleaner and reducer included.
Fit for the job 7/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 7/10
- + Twelve transparent colors in 1 oz bottles, plus airbrush cleaner and reducer, give a full set for shading and glazing.
- + Listed as ready to spray with no thinning needed, which saves a mixing step at the airbrush.
- + Water-based acrylic that the listing says meets ASTM D-4236, and it names plastic models among its uses.
- - Transparent colors build up in thin layers, so covering a dark primer takes several passes.
- - The listing is aimed at general art use and not at miniatures, so color names are not hobby-specific.
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- Grey primer is less suited to bright schemes than white (The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set,...)
- Bigger upfront cost than the smaller basic Model Air set (Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush...)
- Massive purchase that only suits committed airbrush painters (The Army Painter Warpaints Air Complete Set -...)
- Metallic flakes can clog smaller airbrush nozzles (Vallejo Metallic Set Model Air Paint, 17ml,...)
- Pre-thinned paints are too runny for most brush work (Vallejo - Model Air Basic Colors - Acrylic...)
- Minitaire line can be harder to find than Vallejo or Army Painter (Badger Air-Brush Company Minitaire 12-Color...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among airbrush paints for miniatures?
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer is our top overall pick. The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set with 12 x 18 mL pre-thinned airbrush paints, a metallic and 100 mL grey primer. It earns our score of 8.8/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
Vallejo Basic Colors: Acrylic 16 Airbrush Paint Set for Model & Hobby 71178, 0.57 Fl Oz (Pack of 16) is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Vallejo Basic Colors 71178 set of 16 airbrush acrylics at 0.57 fl oz each, a broader Model Air palette for hobby spraying.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Mini Paint Lab independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
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