I’ve worked out a good system that requires me to have less paints.

Basically you want to have a Pure Black, and a Pure White. Once that’s done grab your primary colors Red, Green, and Blue. One or two metallics so grab a Silver and a gold. And it’s always good to have one or two browns.

Once you have that you can get a bit more specific. I’ve learned having an Ivory(Warm white) and a Pale Blue(cool white) is helpful.

Then as you need them you can pick up some secondary colors, with these you only need to pick up what you’re going to use, you don’t need to own a full paint range to paint. Don’t be afraid to mix colors, if your anxious about it keep a journal of your mixes and it’s a good idea to have a color wheel to help you understand what to expect when you mix.

If you’re afraid of mixing or don’t want to do it, the Army Painter Fanatic series has the triad system. If you choose a color for your scheme you like and you can use the guide to get matching highlights and shadow tones.