Army Painter · John Blanche Masterclass

The Darkness Army Painter warpaint fanatic paint card (#192128)

Army Painter Warpaint_fanatic #192128
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Equivalents by Brand
Brand Colour Delta E Match
AK Interactive NIGHT BLUE INK 3.23 Good
AK Interactive STRONG DARK BLUE 4.57 Good
Citadel (Games Workshop) Black Legion 5.15 Acceptable
AK Interactive COBALT BLUE 5.39 Acceptable
AK Interactive Schwarzgrau – Black Grey 5.39 Acceptable
AK Interactive ANTHRACITE GREY 5.58 Acceptable
Citadel (Games Workshop) Chaos Black 5.68 Acceptable
Scale75 SC-01 Scalecolor Black 5.80 Acceptable
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The Darkness paint guide

The Darkness Paint: Colour, Type & Equivalents

The Darkness is a key paint in the Citadel range, valued for its consistent finish and reliable coverage across Warhammer projects.
The closest The Darkness equivalent is NIGHT BLUE INK (AK Interactive) (ΔE 3.2).

The Darkness is a warpaint_fanatic from Army Painter, commonly used for armour plates, cloth, and trim work.

Quick Equivalents

  • Closest equivalent: NIGHT BLUE INK (AK Interactive) – ΔE 3.2
  • Vallejo equivalent: Black (70.950) (Vallejo Model Color) – ΔE 5.8
  • Army Painter equivalent: Ironclad Grey (Army Painter) – ΔE 6.2

How to Use The Darkness

This paint is typically used for:

  • Base Et Eclaircissement
  • Style Grimdark

Apply it over a suitable primer and build layers gradually. Coverage sits around reliable, so two thin coats usually give a more stable finish than one heavy pass, especially over a dark primer.

Paint Behavior and Tips

Consider the following when working with this paint:

  • Coverage: reliable — affects how many coats are needed over primer
  • Dilution: controlled thinning — keeping the right ratio maintains flow and prevents brushmarks
  • Interaction with washes and highlights: always run a highlight pass to verify the tone does not shift after drying

A good equivalent should remain stable after shading and highlighting. Test this alternative on the same primer and in the same recipe before switching a whole unit.

Miniature Painting Tips

For best results with The Darkness on Warhammer and other miniature projects:

  • Use the same primer across the project to keep tonal consistency
  • Test on a spare part before applying to a full unit
  • Compare after shading and highlights, not just the base coat

Even small differences can become visible on a finished miniature. This match may behave differently on textured surfaces like cloth, fur, and metal trim once the full recipe is applied.

Conclusion

Choosing the right The Darkness equivalent or substitute keeps your scheme consistent from the test model to the full army. Use this comparison to weigh the closest Vallejo, Army Painter, and other cross-brand options before repainting a whole squad.

A useful paint guide should connect colour accuracy, handling, and recipe context in one place.

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Direct answer
How should you use The Darkness on miniatures?

The Darkness is a near-black warpaint_fanatic paint from Army Painter's John Blanche Masterclass range. It is a staple for Chaos Space Marines and 2 other army schemes.

  • Army Painter · John Blanche Masterclass
  • Warpaint_fanatic · #192128

Method

This summary is built from the local usage notes, structured paint detail data, and the same Delta-E matching system used across ChromaStack.

Limits

Check finish and coverage on a test miniature if your workflow depends on a very specific texture or transparency.