Just been adding to a thread in the AoS section regarding painting.

And some of the discussion got me thinking. In order to expand ones painting skills, one need merely practice.

Right tools for the right job is a good start, and hunting down clear and competent online videos is a second boon to the would be Picassos of 28mm.

Except....as we progress with our painting at our entirely individual rates, we need to try out new fangled and often very tricky techniques. And let's be fair - nobody in their right mind is going to practice on the very centrepiece the new technique is being developed for.

Which brings me to the point of this thread....what kits are best for painting practice? See, the obvious answer of 'the cheaperest!' may in fact be the wrong answer, depending on just what it is you're looking to learn.

For instance - Object Source Lighting. For that, you're really wanting a model with something that be painted glowy, where the glowy will 'light up' other areas of the model. So a simple Guardsman mini probably isn't going to offer those parameters.

Non-Metallic Metals.... These I've typically seen applied to the likes of Tanks and Maureens - nice, smooth plating, ready for that incredibly impressive tromp d'loeil or whatever - so a random model dug out your bitz box that has lots of cloth or capes and that may not be the best.

Seems to me that for the budding maestro, you may want a kit with a real variety of pieces, but one that doesn't break the bank (or at the very least has bits you can add to your army anyway).

So, scene set, let's speak our brainz on this subject...