How to start painting Warhammer miniatures: complete beginner guide
Starting to paint Warhammer miniatures can feel overwhelming: hundreds of available paints, many techniques, very advanced videos. In reality, 5 to 7 pots and a simple method are enough to paint a first decent miniature.
This guide is for people who have never painted a miniature or who are getting back into it after a long break. The goal is not perfection but to understand the basic steps, choose the right tools, and finish a first miniature without frustration.
Minimum starter kit for miniature painting
To get started, you need: brushes (size 1 and 2, synthetic to begin with), a wet palette or disposable palette, a pot of water, paper towels, and a protected work surface. That is all.
For paints, start with: a black or grey spray primer (Citadel Chaos Black or Army Painter Matt Black), 2-3 base paints for your army's main colour, a black wash (Nuln Oil or Dark Tone), and a light colour for highlights.
Avoid buying a complete starter set upfront: the colours may not match your army. Choose 5 targeted paints for your first project.
The 5 essential paints to start with
Whatever brand you choose, you need 5 types of paints: an opaque base for the main colour, a black wash for recesses and details, a beige or light brown for skin and leather, a metallic for weapons and armour, and a very light grey or white for final highlights.
In Citadel / Warhammer Colour, a typical Space Marines selection: Macragge Blue (base), Nuln Oil (wash), Leadbelcher (metal), Abaddon Black (black details), Calgar Blue (highlight). These 5 paints are enough to finish a whole squad.
In Vallejo, the equivalent would be: Medium Blue (70.963) or Prussian Blue (70.965), Black Wash, Gunmetal (70.863), Black (70.950), Sky Blue (70.961). Search for these equivalents on ChromaStack to validate the Delta-E scores.
Citadel vs Vallejo vs Army Painter: which brand to start with?
Citadel / Warhammer Colour is the best choice if you paint Games Workshop armies and want to follow official recipes. The colours are designed to work together (Base, Shade, Layer) and official tutorials use them. Downside: pots are less practical than dropper bottles.
Vallejo is excellent for consistency and value. Dropper bottles prevent paints from drying out and make dosing easier. Vallejo Game Color is the range closest to Citadel tones.
Army Painter is a good beginner compromise: affordable price, large range, and Speedpaints let you paint a whole miniature in one coat for beginners in a hurry. Quality is slightly lower for classic base paints.
Painting your first Warhammer miniature: the 5 steps
Step 1 — Primer: apply a black or grey spray primer from 30 cm distance. Let dry for 30 minutes. The primer is the foundation of everything — do not skip it.
Step 2 — Base coat: apply the main colours in two thin coats rather than one thick one. Thin slightly with water.
Step 3 — Wash: apply a diluted black wash (Nuln Oil or Dark Tone) over the whole miniature. It flows into recesses and creates shadow naturally. This is the most transformative step.
Step 4 — Highlights: once the wash is dry, brighten the raised areas with a slightly lighter colour than your base coat. Fine brush or dry brush.
Step 5 — Details: metals, eyes, textured bases. Finish with a matt varnish to protect the miniature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, slightly. Add 1 drop of water to 2 drops of paint for bases and layers. Shades do not need thinning — they are already formulated to flow into recesses. Contrast paints can be slightly thinned with Contrast Medium for a more transparent effect.
It depends on your army: Macragge Blue for Ultramarines Space Marines, Mephiston Red for Blood Angels, Death Guard Green for Nurgle, Abaddon Black for dark armies. Pick your army's main colour and complete it with Nuln Oil (wash) and a light colour for highlights.
Technically yes, but the paint will hold much less well on bare plastic and will chip quickly, especially on handled areas. Primer (Chaos Black, Grey Seer, or Army Painter Matt Black spray) is genuinely essential — it is the least glamorous step but the most important one.
Allow 2 to 4 hours for a basic Space Marine including drying times, following the base-shade-highlight method with 5 paints. The first one always takes longer — you hesitate, restart. By the third or fourth, you will find your rhythm and get under 90 minutes for a standard Marine.
Two synthetic brushes are enough to start: a size 2 for large surfaces and a size 1 for details. Avoid cheap 20-brush kits — you will not need them for a long time and they lose their tip quickly. For a full starter budget breakdown, see the beginner equipment buying guide.
Find your paints on ChromaStack
Painting Warhammer miniatures is an accessible hobby when you start simple. Five paints, two brushes, a primer, and the base-shade-highlight method are enough for a first miniature you will be proud of. Use ChromaStack to find equivalents across brands and check Delta-E scores before buying a replacement.
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