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PAINTING·WHITE DWARF 421

Painting Masterclass: The Theory of Colour

August 2017·pp. 116–121

THE SHORT VERSION

Max Faleij, Aidan Daly, Steve Bowerman and Tom Moore explain how colour relationships, value, temperature and saturation guide miniature painting. An annotated Citadel colour wheel leads to complementary, analogous, triadic and monochromatic schemes, stressing that balance depends on dominance and intensity as well as the colours’ positions. Metallic washes, warm and cold whites and neutral colours demonstrate how these choices support a model’s story. House Terryn’s revised palette supplies a practical case study, and finished models show the same principles operating beneath very different painting styles.

AT THE PAINTING DESK

Paints in this article

Every named colour below is searchable across the archive.

Lugganath OrangeFire Dragon BrightTroll Slayer OrangeWild Rider RedKhorne RedMephiston RedEvil Sunz ScarletWazdakka RedAverland SunsetYriel YellowFlash Gitz YellowDorn YellowCaliban GreenWarpstone GlowMoot GreenGauss Blaster GreenKantor BlueAltdorf Guard BlueCalgar BlueBlue HorrorNaggaroth NightXereus PurpleGenestealer PurpleDaemonette HideAbaddon BlackEshin GreyMechanicus Standard GreyDawnstoneCelestra GreyUlthuan GreyAdministratum GreyWhite ScarAgrax EarthshadeDrakenhof NightshadeGuilliman BlueSeraphim SepiaPallid Wych FleshSkarsnik GreenSotek GreenBaharroth BlueLothern BlueKabalite GreenRetributor ArmourWarpfiend GreyScreamer PinkMacragge BlueScreaming SkullFenrisian GreyKarak StoneSteel Legion DrabGehenna’s GoldElysian Green

Only paints explicitly named in this feature are indexed.

EXPLORE RELATED TOPICS

Colour theory Painting techniques

Back to the original

Find this article in White Dwarf 421, pp. 116–121.

This is an original summary. Refer to your magazine for the complete article, rules, images and painting steps.

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PaintingWD 421 · p. 81

Astral Hawks Veteran Sergeant

Aidan Daly uses related blue-greys across armour highlights and arms, red accents and a warm desert base to balance a limited palette. Carefully irregular scuffing makes a newly deployed Primaris veteran feel used without turning every mark into identical fresh damage.

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PaintingWD 421 · p. 82

Guardian of the Covenant

Simon Adams adds sculpted robes and Dark Angels components to a silver-armoured Intercessor. Gloss mixed into washes preserves a polished metallic finish, while different highlights distinguish leather from hard black surfaces; the judges praise the conversion but question the similar value of figure and base.

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August 2017Read summary
PaintingWD 421 · p. 83

Imperial Fists Sergeant

Chris Innes gives his sergeant targeting equipment and a patrolling pose, then paints a muted industrial yellow rather than a bright heraldic finish. Subtle brown shading and shape-sensitive highlights preserve the yellow, with black crenellations adding character to the greave.

Warhammer 40,000Imperial Fists2 paint colours
August 2017Read summary