Painting Guide
It looks harder
than it is.
Miniature painting has a reputation for being intimidating. It isn't — at least not at the level you actually need to play the game. Three techniques do 90% of the work. This guide covers all of them.
What you actually need
Don't buy a full paint set. You'll end up with 30 colors you'll never use and missing the 3 you need constantly. Buy these specifically — the faction guides tell you which colors to add on top.
Tools (~$45 one-time)
Cut models off the sprue. Don't use scissors.
Trim mold lines off models before painting.
For basecoating large areas. Any brand.
A ruined brush works better than a new one.
For eyes, gems, and small details.
Multi-part plastic kits need this.
Universal paints (~$24)
Black wash. Works on metal, dark colors, details.
Brown wash. Works on almost everything.
Silver metallic. Every army needs this.
True black for weapons and dark areas.
Silver for drybrushing metal highlights.
One essential you might miss: spray primer
Every model needs primer before paint will stick properly. Your faction guide specifies which spray to get — it doubles as your base color so you're not doing extra work. Corax White, Wraithbone, Abaddon Black, Mephiston Red, and others all exist as spray primers. Get the right one for your faction and it saves you an entire step.
The three techniques that do 90% of the work
Learn these three things and you can paint any model to a good tabletop standard.
Washing
A wash is a thin, dark liquid that flows into recesses and dries there, creating instant shadow and depth. It's the single most powerful technique in miniature painting — one step transforms a flat base coat into something with genuine dimension.
How to do it: Load your brush with wash, apply it directly over the painted area. It self-levels into recesses. Don't brush it around — let it flow naturally.
When to use Nuln Oil: Metal surfaces, black armor, dark colors, anything mechanical.
When to use Agrax Earthshade: Skin, leather, brown/tan colors, fabric, bone — basically everything else.
The key rule: Let it dry completely before doing anything else. 15–20 minutes minimum.
Drybrushing
Drybrushing deposits paint only on raised surfaces — edges, ridges, and high points — while leaving recesses dark. It creates highlights and texture without needing any brush control. It's how you make a black model look like dark metal, or make green skin look muscular.
How to do it: Load your brush with paint. Wipe almost all of it off on a paper towel until the brush feels almost dry — you should barely see color when you brush your hand. Then brush lightly across the model's raised surfaces. Repeat until you see the highlight building up.
Common mistake: Too much paint on the brush. The brush should feel practically empty. If paint is going on in thick streaks, you have too much — wipe more off.
Use old brushes: Drybrushing destroys brush tips. Use a designated drybrush or an old one you don't care about.
Contrast Paints
Contrast paints are the single biggest improvement in beginner painting in the last decade. Applied over a light base coat (Wraithbone or Grey Seer spray), they flow into recesses like a wash while leaving raised areas bright — combining base coat and shade in one step. One coat of the right Contrast paint can finish an entire section of a model.
The catch: They only work over light primers (Wraithbone, Grey Seer, Corax White). Over dark primer, they look muddy and wrong.
How to apply: Load brush, apply generously. Don't overwork it — one pass and leave it. Let it flow where it wants to go.
Best uses: Skin, cloth, leather, fur, organic surfaces. Less effective on flat armor plates where you want an even color.
Every faction guide specifies which Contrast paints to use. They're not required, but they make life significantly easier.
Your first model — the process
Every model, every faction, every skill level follows the same sequence. This is the order. Don't skip steps.
Clean and assemble
Remove mold lines with your hobby knife — thin raised lines running across the model from the casting process. Then clip parts off the sprue and glue. Let glue cure before moving on.
Prime
Spray primer from about 30cm (12 inches) away in short, sweeping passes. Rotate the model to get all angles. Thin coats. The goal is full coverage without obscuring detail.
⚠ Don't prime in humid weather or rain — the paint will bubble.
Basecoat the main color
If your primer is already the right color (most are), this step is done. If you need a different color on parts of the model, apply it now with a base brush. Use thin coats — two thin coats cover better than one thick one.
Block in secondary colors
Apply your other colors — leather, skin, metal areas. Don't worry about being perfect. Small overlaps get fixed in later steps. Basecoating is about coverage, not precision.
Wash everything
Apply your wash over the whole model or specific sections. Agrax over organic areas, Nuln Oil over metal. Let it flow into recesses. Walk away and let it dry completely.
⚠ Patience here is everything. Applying anything over a wet wash ruins it.
Drybrush/highlight raised surfaces
Drybrush a lighter version of your main color over raised armor edges, muscles, fur, or texture. This brings the model back to life after the wash darkened everything.
Paint the details
Eyes, gems, lenses, teeth, weapon markings. Small details with your detail brush. These take the most time per square millimeter but have the biggest visual impact.
Base the model
Apply texture paint to the base (not the model's feet). Let it dry. Drybrush a lighter color over the texture. Add a tuft or two. Done.
Common mistakes — and how to avoid them
✗ Too much paint on the brush
Wipe the side of the brush on the pot rim before applying. The brush should be loaded but not dripping. Excess paint causes clumping and obscures detail.
✗ Paint too thick (gloopy, grainy texture)
Add a tiny drop of water to your paint and mix. The consistency should be like skimmed milk — thin enough to flow but not so thin it loses color. Thin coats over two passes beat one thick coat every time.
✗ Painting in bad light
Get a daylight lamp. The difference is massive — you'll see detail you couldn't see before, and your colors will look more accurate. A cheap desk lamp with a daylight bulb works.
✗ Skipping primer
Paint applied directly to plastic doesn't stick properly and chips at the slightest touch. Always prime. Always.
✗ Rushing between steps
Wet wash + wet layer paint = streaky disaster. If you're not sure if something is dry, wait another five minutes. You cannot rush drying.
✗ Starting on your best model
Practice on a Poxwalker, a Guardsman, or a Gretchin — cheap, small, forgiving. Save the hero model for when you know what you're doing.
✗ Thinking "tabletop standard" isn't good enough
At arm's length on a table, a basecoat + wash + drybrush model looks great. The goal is a painted army on the table, not a display cabinet piece. One well-painted squad beats a pile of grey plastic every time.
Batch painting — how to actually finish an army
Painting one model at a time from start to finish is inefficient and demoralizing — you'll burn out long before you have an army. The solution is batch painting: doing one step across all your models before moving to the next.
The method: line up 10 models (or 5 if they're complex). Do step 1 on all 10. By the time you've done the tenth, the first has dried and you can move to step 2. You're effectively painting in parallel. A squad that might take 3 hours painted individually takes 90 minutes in a batch of 10.
The batch size rule
Simple models (Poxwalkers, Gretchin, Guardsmen): Batch 10–20 at a time.
Medium models (Space Marines, Necron Warriors): Batch 5–10.
Complex models (characters, monsters): Batch 1–3. These get individual attention.
Vehicles: One at a time — too big to benefit from batching, too complex to rush.
When you want to go further
Once you're comfortable with the basics, these techniques are the next step up.
Edge highlighting
IntermediateA thin, precise line of lighter color along the sharpest armor edges. Requires a steady hand and a fine brush. The technique that makes Aeldari look spectacular.
Layering
IntermediateBuilding up multiple thin layers of progressively lighter color on raised surfaces — a smoother, more realistic highlight than drybrushing. Takes more time but looks cleaner.
Wet blending
AdvancedMixing two colors while they're still wet on the model to create a seamless gradient. Used for cloaks, skin, and dramatic color transitions.
OSL (Object Source Lighting)
AdvancedPainting the glow of a light source (a weapon, a gem, an eye) radiating outward onto the surrounding model. Creates dramatic, cinematic effects.
Sponge chipping
EasyTorn foam sponge dipped lightly in metallic paint, dabbed onto armor edges for instant battle damage. Easy, fast, and looks great on Chaos and Imperial models.
Technical paints
EasyTyphus Corrosion for chunky rust, Nurgle's Rot for slime, Blood for the Blood God for wet gore. Each creates a specific effect that would be very hard to fake otherwise.
The first model is the hardest.
After that, each one gets faster and better. Don't wait until you feel ready — you'll never feel ready. Start with one model, use the steps above, and see what you make.