 A Thrifty Guide to Paint Brush Mimicry
by bizniscorg
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If you’re anything like me, you find it difficult to turn away from a good bargain, especially when it can save you half or more of what you would have paid. Most Neopians will agree that one of the most expensive features on this site is painting your pets. Pets painted a more “desirable” color certainly get more attention, but they undeniably hurt your wallet more. And for some users, saving up millions to paint one or two pets without playing for 5 years just isn’t feasible. Maybe you’re just looking to avoid the stigma that comes with certain colors, or you don’t want to limit what you can do with your pet (for instance, making a Halloween Lupe stay in those shredded shorts). What if I told you having the beautiful Neopet of your dreams didn’t have to mean smashing your virtual piggy bank or spending all your time gaming? With this article, I’m going to show you how you can achieve lovely painted pets without sinking millions of your hard-earned Neopoints!Skritchy Sketchy Paint Brush - 65,000 NP Have an artsy Neopet? Are you artsy yourself? Well look no further! With the White Paint Brush being sold for nearly 2 million Neopoints, painting your pet Sketch is a far less costly option. Any Neopet with artistic leanings would love to look like a doodle, and the color is very flexible when it comes to customization. It’s not as if anyone can tell the difference from a distance anyways. Your only concern with this choice is someone coming at your pet with a big eraser. Snow Paint Brush - 25,000 NP If you don’t mind a few twigs sticking out of your Neopet and being unable to take them on Tiki Tours, Snow serves as another stand-in for White. There is one drawback, however. If you’re looking to pass your pet off as White, this may be trickier to pull off than Sketch, due to the debris and the melting. Investing in a handy parasol should knock out two Weewoos with one stone, shielding your pet from the sun and prying eyes checking the authenticity of your “White” pet. Christmas Paint Brush - 80,000 NP This paint brush could, depending on your pet’s species, make a fantastic replacement for either the White or Desert brush! The Christmas brush will turn your pet either brown, green, white, blue, yellow, or striped (not to be confused with the kind of Striped that comes from the paint brush, of course), and most come with warm fuzzy clothes to keep your pet adorable and comfortable all winter long. And just in case you weren’t already won over--this is one of the few colors offered for the brand new Vandagyre! Striped Paint Brush - 200,000 NP If you’re wanting a beautiful, soft look for your pet, this brush will do the trick. It’s my personal opinion that this brush is severely underrated. Granted, it does have a limited color palette for most of the available species, but it makes an otherwise perfect substitute for the much pricier Pastel Paint Brush, which is currently priced around a hefty 4.2 million Neopoints! The cotton candy color scheme this brush will give your pet is equally as charming, and arguably easier to customize, as most pets this color are predominately blue! This inexpensive brush could also turn your pet into an enchanting Faerie with the right set of wings, saving you the 1.5 mil that brush is running for these days. Fire, Fire, Your Pants on Fire Paint Brush - 500,000 NP This makes a great alternative to the Magma--er, well, there’s not actually a brush, yet--but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an expensive color! Two popular methods of obtaining a Magma pet are to wait for a Faerie Fountain Quest, or wait for the guard at the magma pool to be asleep. Both of these methods cost you varying amounts of time--and an FFQ will cost varying amounts of Neopoints, possibly even millions. Painting your pet fire saves both of these precious resources, as well as sparing your beloved pet a dip in a pool of boiling hot lava. Shadow Paint Brush - 970,000 NP Got your eye on that Stealth Paint Brush, currently worth around 4 mil? Consider a Shadow Paint Brush instead! This brush gives your pet a mysterious atmosphere without making off with your entire stock market budget. Sure, the main appeal of the Stealth brush is the clothing--but if we’re being honest, that clothing makes them more obvious than anything. Nobody expects a ninja in a Dr. Sloth Beanie or Torn Rainbow Gym Socks. Skunk Paint Brush - 585,000 NP If you’re looking for a little flair with your mystique, consider the Skunk Paint Brush. It has all the benefits of the Shadow Paint Brush, but with that extra something (hint: the something is the accentuating white stripes.) A black and white color scheme can make your pet look fancy or casual, sleek or tough, making it a great choice for a pet with rapidly changing tastes. Paint at your own risk, however, as other Neopets may make the mistake of thinking yours is smelly, when in reality they just reek of success and thoughtful spending. Speckled Paint Brush - 51,000 NP The recently released Polka Dot Paint Brush is priced at 1.5 mil. Yikes, right? Well this particular brush has two much older alternatives that will have you seeing spots AND more Neopoints in the bank! While some would argue that these brushes are less exciting than the Polka Dot, I would like to point out that there are currently only 3 species who can be painted this color, making it less versatile than its cheaper counterparts. Sure, you could wait around for this color to be released for your future polka pet, but why would you? Who doesn’t love the instant gratification that comes with a paint brush color already being available for your Cybunny? Spotted Paint Brush - 715,000 NP If Speckled just isn’t for you, Spotted may be the way to go. Where the Speckled look is more intense, you might find that your pet is better suited to a warm, neutral aesthetic. This brush isn’t as dull as some would have you believe. Spotted pets are more neutral toned, so they lend themselves easily to whatever colors are in your Closet. This color may be one of the most diverse among the cheaper options. If you think all Spotted pets look the same, think again! The Spotted Kau, Lupe, Tuskaninny, Gelert, Hissi, Koi, AND Uni all stand out from their peers! There you have it, a list of fashionable and affordable brushes to refresh your pet’s appearance without having to downgrade your bank account status. Now, I know some of you out there have your hearts set on a particular expensive color for your pet, myself included. I hope this article gave you something to consider for your other pets, or inspired you to get a little creative with your customizations. No matter what you decide, your pet is guaranteed to be lovely and stand out from the crowd. Happy painting!
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