✦ ✧ ★ ✧ ✦

One coat, endless smiles, and only a tiny bit of paint on your sleeve.

How-To · Citadel Contrast

How to Paint with Citadel Contrast Paints: A Beginner's Guide

Your friendly, step-by-step guide to getting colour and shading in a single coat.

Jump to what you need

Ultramarines Blue, a brilliant first Contrast colour to try.

Contrast paints are one of the happiest discoveries in the hobby. You brush on a single coat, and like magic you get colour, shading and depth all at once. They are perfect if you want a good-looking army on the table without spending months at the painting desk, and they are a lovely confidence-booster if you are just starting out.

This guide walks you through the whole process in a relaxed, step-by-step way, including the mistakes everybody makes (yes, even the experts) and how to fix them.

What you will need

Not much! A Contrast paint or two, a light undercoat, a decent brush, a palette to hold a little paint, a pot of water for cleaning your brush, and a bit of Contrast Medium for thinning. Browse our Citadel Contrast collection for colours and our tools for brushes.

Step by step

How to avoid pooling

Pooling is when the paint gathers in a puddle in a hollow and dries into a dark, blotchy patch. It is the number one thing new painters run into with Contrast, and it is easy to manage once you know the tricks.

• Use less paint than you think you need, and wipe the excess on the edge of your palette.
• Tilt the model so any extra paint runs toward an area you can easily reach.
• Use a clean, slightly damp brush to draw puddles away from flat areas before they dry.
• Keep a steady hand and work small sections. Smaller areas mean less time for puddles to form.
• Add a touch of medium if a colour feels thick or sticky.

Fixing mistakes

Everyone slips, and Contrast is surprisingly forgiving. If you catch a mistake while the paint is still wet, dab it up with a clean, damp brush and blend it out. If it has dried, you can paint over the area with a Base or Layer colour to neutralise it, then reapply your Contrast colour. Nothing is ruined, and a spot of patience is all you need.

Combining Contrast with Shades and Layers

Contrast is wonderful on its own, but it plays nicely with the rest of the range too. Once your Contrast coat is dry, you can add a Layer paint along the edges to sharpen the highlights and give the model a more polished look. A Shade in the deepest recesses can add extra darkness if you want more drama. Finish with a Dry paint on metal or fur, and a Technical paint for rust or grime. It is a brilliant way to build up from tabletop-ready to show-ready, one small step at a time.

A few favourite pots to start with

Here is a handful of paints and helpers that work beautifully with the Contrast technique. Tap any card to see the full page.

Bad Moon Yellow (Contrast) Yellow is a famously fussy colour, and Contrast makes it a friendly one-coat job. View this paint	Black Legion (Contrast) A Contrast paint that delivers a rich dark finish in a single coat over a light undercoat. View this paint
Contrast Medium (Technical) The medium for thinning Contrast paints so they flow more gently and stay smooth. View this paint	Nuln Oil (Shade) The classic dark Shade that settles into recesses and gives metal and black real depth. View this paint
Wazdakka Red (Layer) A warm Layer red, handy for tidying up edges after a Contrast coat. View this paint	Contrast Spray Grey Seer A pale grey spray undercoat made to sit under Contrast paints. View this paint
Contrast Undercoat Wraith Bone Spray A warm bone-coloured undercoat spray that gives Contrast paints a friendly glow. View this paint	Stormhost Silver (Layer) A bright metallic Layer paint for edge highlights over a darker metal base. View this paint

Quick answers (FAQ)

Do I need a white undercoat for Contrast paints?

A light undercoat is best, and white is the most common, but pale grey and bone-coloured undercoats work well too. The lighter surface lets the paint settle into recesses and look bright on raised areas.

Can I thin Contrast paint with water?

It is better not to. Water can make the colour behave unpredictably, so use Contrast Medium to thin these paints instead.

How many coats of Contrast paint should I use?

Usually just one. Contrast is designed to give colour and shading in a single coat, so extra passes while it is wet can cause streaks.

Why is my Contrast paint pooling?

Too much paint is gathering in a hollow. Load less onto your brush, tilt the model to move the paint and draw puddles away with a clean, damp brush.

Can I use Shades and Layers over Contrast paint?

Yes. Once the Contrast coat is dry you can add Layer paints to sharpen edges, Shades to deepen recesses and Dry or Technical paints for extra effects.

Is Contrast good for beginners?

Yes, it is one of the friendliest ways to start. You get a great-looking result quickly, and it is easy to build on as your skills grow.

✦ ✧ ★ ✧ ✦

Ready to try Contrast?

Pick a colour, grab a light undercoat and see how quickly a model comes to life.