Are you just stepping into tabletop gaming and unsure how to begin without getting stressed? Unboxing your initial set of grey plastic figures can feel intimidating when faced with so many different acrylic paint pots. We aim to make your artistic process enjoyable, fulfilling, and seamless. Grasping the various paint formulas is the most crucial part of learning this hobby. This detailed Citadel Colour handbook explains each paint type created by Citadel and Games Workshop. You will soon see how easy it is to transform bare plastic into a breathtaking tabletop force.
The Vital First Step: Undercoating Your Models
Before you put any colored pigment on your figure, priming is a mandatory stage. Acrylics require a textured surface to stick properly; otherwise, the wet paint will pool or scrape off bare plastic. Using a specialized Citadel Spray Primer guarantees your colors adhere firmly while keeping all the intricate sculpted details intact. When deciding on your Warhammer undercoat, think about the ultimate vibe of your army: warm, bright, or cool primers will heavily influence the layers above them. For shadowy armor, metal constructs, or grim infantry, beginning with the iconic Citadel Chaos Black Spray gives you a fantastic dark foundation.
Establishing Solid Colors with Base Paints
Once the primer is completely cured, it is time to lay down the main colors of your armor or clothing. A Citadel Base Paint is highly opaque and packed with dense pigment to give you the best possible coverage over the primer. To achieve a perfectly smooth basecoat, we strongly suggest painting two thin, watered-down layers instead of one thick glob that could hide tiny details. Using a famous color like Citadel Macragge Blue quickly delivers a rich, solid hue over large areas. For a streak-free finish, apply it using a brush that has a sharp tip and good elasticity.
Creating Depth with Shade Paints
After applying your flat base colors, the model might appear a bit one-dimensional. That is exactly when a liquid Citadel Shade Paint is needed. This watery pigment flows effortlessly into the deepest recesses of the miniature, immediately forming realistic shadows. For the most accurate application, do recess shading by carefully guiding your brush right into panel lines, fabric creases, and armor gaps. Slapping on a versatile dark wash like Nuln Oil over silver metals, or the rich brown of Agrax Earthshade on gold and leather, adds incredible contrast with minimal work.
Brightening Details Using Layer Paints
Now that the shadows sit perfectly in the recesses, your next goal is to bring light back to the raised portions. A Citadel Layer Paint features a slightly thinner, more transparent recipe than base paints, which makes it ideal for seamless color blending. By painting these solid colors onto the elevated parts and delicately edge highlighting the sharpest rims, facial details, and armor borders, you simulate natural lighting and make every edge of your model visually pop.
Quick Texturing via Drybrushing
If meticulously edge highlighting a massive horde army sounds exhausting, drybrushing is an incredibly speedy substitute. Grabbing a stiff, flat brush, you wipe off almost all the pigment onto a paper towel, then gently sweep a thick Citadel Dry Paint across the highest textures of the miniature. The chalky, pigment-dense paint only adheres to the uppermost ridges, making it the perfect technique for quickly rendering weathered stone, rusty chainmail, animal fur, and scuffed metal armor.
Rapid Results with Contrast Paints
For painters who want the quickest route to a fully painted army while maintaining great visuals, the Contrast range is revolutionary. One thick coat of Citadel Contrast Paint provides a base color, a shadow, and a highlight all at once. To work properly, these specialized pigments absolutely need a smooth, bright foundation. By prepping the model with a dedicated Citadel Contrast Spray like Grey Seer or Wraithbone, the semi-transparent paint glides off the sharp edges and pools in the crevices, producing a beautifully shaded model in record time.
Elevating Bases with Technical Paints
Your miniature is not completely finished until the base matches the vibe. A Citadel Technical Paint lets you create stunning environmental textures effortlessly. To achieve realistic Warhammer basing effects, you can smear on chunky pastes like Stirland Mud to mimic a muddy battlefield, or use Astrogranite to create a harsh, rocky surface. These technical formulas also include fluid effects for the miniatures themselves: brushing on Blood For The Blood God leaves a shiny, wet residue that looks exactly like fresh gore, adding a cinematic narrative to your tabletop units.
Navigating Tabletop Painting Standards
As you paint more of your collection, knowing the standard Warhammer painting levels will help you manage your time. Striving for Battle Ready miniatures involves applying a neat basecoat, a simple wash, and finishing the base – ideal for fielding large armies quickly. On the other hand, if you are working on a centerpiece hero or a competition model, you can aim for Parade Ready miniatures. This elite standard requires careful layering, sharp edge highlights, smooth blending, and complex base work, all of which take considerably more time and precision.
Assembling Your Perfect Miniature Painting Kit
Gathering the correct tools from the very beginning will save you hours of frustration. If you are just starting, grabbing a Citadel Starter Set is the smartest way to get reliable synthetic brushes, essential tools, and fundamental acrylic paints all in one package. Whether you opt for a sci-fi themed Warhammer 40k paint set or a fantasy-driven Age of Sigmar paint set, these convenient bundles offer the absolute best foundation for any beginner eager to learn color mixing, thinning, and brush control.
Buy Citadel and Warhammer at Art Spices
Here at Art Spices, we take pride in being your ultimate EU shop for Warhammer paints. Whether you are building your army in Lithuania or anywhere else in Europe, we make securing premium hobby supplies easy. As a top Citadel Colour retailer in Lithuania, we stock the complete lineup of bases, shades, sprays, and unique technical paints. Check out our webstore to buy Citadel paints online, grab official Games Workshop products, and breathe life into your miniatures today.
Whenever you are prepared to gather your gear and paint your next unit, we encourage you to purchase your Warhammer and Citadel supplies straight from www.artspices.eu.