Warhammer 40K Painting Guide for Beginners
This Warhammer painting guide is written for complete beginners — people who've just cracked open their first box and are staring at a pile of grey plastic wondering where on earth to start. Don't worry. Every veteran painter started exactly where you are now, and painting Warhammer 40K miniatures is far more accessible than it looks. With the right approach, the right paints, and a few core techniques, you'll be fielding a painted army in no time. Let's go.
Why Paint Your Miniatures?
In competitive play, most events require painted miniatures. But beyond the rules — painting is genuinely one of the most satisfying parts of the hobby. A painted army on the table looks incredible, it personalises your force, and the process of painting is meditative and creative in a way that pure gaming often isn't. Many players who start painting reluctantly end up enjoying it as much as playing.
Essential Supplies for Painting Warhammer 40K
Paints
Games Workshop's own Citadel paint range is the standard recommendation for beginners — and for good reason. Every Citadel paint is formulated specifically for miniature painting, the colour range is vast, and the official painting guides (Warhammer Community's painting guides and Citadel's YouTube channel) are written around Citadel colours. The range is divided into:
- Base paints — thick, high-pigment paints designed for first coats. They cover grey plastic brilliantly in one or two coats.
- Layer paints — thinner, for building up colour and highlights.
- Shade paints — washes that flow into recesses and add instant depth and shadow. Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade are used by virtually every 40K painter.
- Dry paints — thick paints specifically formulated for dry brushing.
- Technical paints — special effects: texture, blood, rust, snow.
- Contrast paints — one-coat paints that shade and highlight simultaneously. Excellent for beginners who want results quickly.
Browse our full Citadel paints range for everything you need.
Brushes
You don't need expensive brushes to start. A size 1 and size 0 brush from a reputable brand (Games Workshop's own brushes are fine; Winsor & Newton Series 7 are the gold standard) will handle 90% of what you need. Invest in:
- A medium base brush (size 1 or 2) for base coating
- A detail brush (size 0 or 00) for faces, eyes, and fine work
- A dry brush (stiff, flat) for dry brushing effects
Take care of your brushes — never let paint dry in the ferrule, and use a brush soap like The Masters to clean and condition them. A good brush maintained well will last years.
Primer
Priming is non-negotiable. Paint applied directly to bare plastic will chip and peel. Citadel spray primers are easy to use and produce a perfect surface for painting. Choose:
- Chaos Black — the classic dark undercoat. Shadows are already there; you just need to paint the light.
- Corax White — for lighter colour schemes. Harder to paint over but essential for yellow, white, or bright colour schemes.
- Grey Seer — an excellent all-rounder, works brilliantly as a base for Contrast paints.
- Wraithbone — warm off-white, ideal for Contrast paints on Primaris marines, Tau, and Chaos.
Find primers and sprays in our Citadel spray range.
Other Essentials
- A palette (wet palette recommended — keeps paint workable for much longer)
- A pot of clean water (change it frequently)
- Kitchen paper or paper towels
- A pair of clippers for removing models from sprues
- A hobby knife for cleaning mould lines
- PVA glue and sand or texture paint for bases
Find clippers, knives and hobby tools in our wargames tools collection.
Core Painting Techniques
Basecoating
The basecoat is your foundation layer. After priming, apply your main armour colour (or skin/cloth colour) evenly across the model. Base paints are thick enough to cover primer in two thin coats. Always thin your paints slightly with water — they should be about the consistency of full-fat milk. Too thick and you'll obscure detail; too thin and you'll get poor coverage.
Work area by area — armour first, then metallics, then cloth, then skin. This keeps things organised and reduces the chance of accidentally painting over a finished area.
Shading (Washing)
This is the technique that has the most dramatic effect for the least effort. After your base colours are dry, apply a shade paint into all the recesses. For dark armour, Nuln Oil is king. For brown/leather, Agrax Earthshade. For gold, Reikland Fleshshade. The shade flows into all the joints, recesses, and detail, instantly creating the illusion of depth.
Apply shade generously but avoid pooling too much on flat surfaces — it can leave tide marks as it dries. A quick brush stroke to spread any excess while wet will prevent this.
Dry Brushing
Dry brushing highlights raised surfaces by depositing a small amount of paint on edges and textures. Load a stiff dry brush with paint, wipe almost all of it onto a paper towel, then drag lightly across the model. Highlights appear on every raised edge. Citadel's Dry paints (like Necron Compound or Stormhost Silver) are specifically formulated for this technique.
For Space Marines, a light dry brush of a highlight colour over the armour after shading dramatically improves the 3D appearance.
Layering (Edge Highlighting)
Layering builds up colour from shadow to light. Apply progressively lighter shades of a colour on progressively smaller areas. Edge highlighting — painting a thin line of highlight colour on armour edges — gives that sharp, crisp look you see on well-painted display miniatures. It takes practice, but even a rough edge highlight looks far better than no highlight at all.
Use Layer paints thinned with a little water, a steady hand, and take your time. A 00 brush for edges, and rest your painting hand on your work surface for stability.
Painting Your First Space Marine — Step by Step
We'll paint a classic Ultramarines scheme — blue armour, gold trim, red bolter — since it's the scheme Games Workshop's guides are built around and it translates to virtually any chapter with colour swaps.
Step 1: Assembly and Priming
Clip your Space Marine from the sprue carefully. Use a hobby knife to remove any mould lines (the faint ridges where the two halves of the mould met). Assemble the model with plastic cement, but if you're new to painting, consider leaving the arms and backpack separate — they're easier to paint separately.
Spray with Macragge Blue spray primer (if available) or Chaos Black, allowing to fully dry before painting.
Step 2: Base Coats
- Armour: Macragge Blue (Base)
- Metals (bolter, trim, knee pad trim): Leadbelcher (Base)
- Gold trim (shoulder pad rims, chest eagle): Retributor Armour (Base)
- Eye lenses: Mephiston Red (Base)
- Seals, pouches, bolter casing: Abaddon Black or XV-88
Step 3: Shading
- Armour: Apply Nuln Oil or Drakenhof Nightshade into all the joints and recesses
- Metals: Nuln Oil over all silver areas
- Gold: Reikland Fleshshade over gold areas
Step 4: Layer and Highlight
- Armour: Layer Calgar Blue over armour panels, avoiding the deepest recesses
- Armour highlight: Fenrisian Grey on the very edges
- Gold: Layer with Auric Armour Gold
- Metals: Dry brush with Runefang Steel
Step 5: Details
- Eye lenses: Wild Rider Red highlight on lower half, tiny white dot at the top
- Purity seal: Screaming Skull with Seraphim Sepia shade
- Bolter details: highlight with Eshin Grey
Step 6: Basing
Apply Stirland Mud or Armageddon Dust texture paint to the base. Once dry, dry brush with a light sandy colour. Add static grass or tufts. Trim the base rim and paint it black or a dark brown.
Browse our full Warhammer 40K range and Warhammer starter sets.
Recommended Starter Paint Sets
Citadel Paints — Getting Started Sets
Games Workshop produces several Getting Started paint sets that contain a curated selection of Base, Layer, and Shade paints for specific factions. These are excellent value and take the decision-making out of selecting your first paints.
Citadel Contrast Paint Bundle
If you want results faster, a bundle of Contrast paints over a Grey Seer or Wraithbone undercoat produces surprisingly good results with minimal technique. Apply Contrast and the paint shades and highlights itself. Not as refined as traditional layering, but perfect for getting an army tabletop-ready quickly.
The Warhammer 40K Starter Set Paint Collection
Several official Warhammer starter sets (like the Leviathan box or Combat Patrol boxes) come with model-specific paint guides. These are ideal since the guide tells you exactly which paints to buy and in what order to apply them.
Common Beginner Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them
- Thick paint. The most common problem. Always thin your paints. Thick paint obscures detail and looks lumpy. When in doubt, add more water.
- Skipping primer. Paint on bare plastic will chip within weeks. Prime everything.
- One thick coat instead of two thin ones. Two thin coats give better coverage and look smoother than one thick coat.
- Overloading the brush. Load your brush with paint, then wipe a little off on the palette before applying to the model. Control is everything in miniature painting.
- Not cleaning brushes. Dried paint in the ferrule will splay your brush tips permanently. Clean brushes regularly during and after every painting session.
- Perfectionism paralysis. Your first miniature will not be perfect. Paint it anyway. Every model teaches you something, and you'll improve dramatically with each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paints do I need to start painting Warhammer 40K?
A starter selection would be: a Base paint in your main armour colour, Leadbelcher for metals, Retributor Armour for gold, Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade shades, and a highlight colour. Games Workshop's Getting Started paint sets include a good selection for specific factions.
Do I need an airbrush to paint Warhammer miniatures?
No. An airbrush speeds up base coating and allows smooth blending, but everything in this guide can be done with standard brushes. Many top painters work exclusively with brushes.
What is the easiest way to paint Space Marines quickly?
Prime with Grey Seer or Wraithbone, then apply a Contrast paint in your chosen chapter colour. The Contrast paint shades and highlights in one step. Add a metallic basecoat for weapons and trim, apply Nuln Oil, and dry brush with a highlight. Bases, and you're done. A complete Space Marine in under 20 minutes.
What's the best primer for Warhammer miniatures?
Citadel spray primers are the most convenient. Chaos Black is the classic choice for dark armour schemes. Grey Seer and Wraithbone are specifically designed to work with Contrast paints. Spray in a warm, dry environment for best results.
How long does it take to paint a Space Marine?
A tabletop-quality Space Marine using Contrast paints takes 20-30 minutes. A traditionally painted marine with layering and edge highlights takes 1-2 hours. Display-quality painting with blending and advanced techniques can take many hours per model.