Citadel Contrast Paint Pot: Mantis Warriors Green

Base Coat and Shading in One Step

Contrast paints changed how hobbyists approach painting miniatures. Instead of building up a base coat, then washing recesses, then re-highlighting raised surfaces — Contrast does the heavy lifting in a single pass. Applied over a pale undercoat, the paint flows into recesses to create natural shadow while leaving raised areas brighter, giving models instant depth and definition without the multi-stage process that can slow down a painting session. The result looks like significantly more work than it takes.

How Contrast Works

The formula is engineered specifically for miniature painting. Brush Contrast paint over Games Workshop's Grey Seer or Wraithbone undercoat — both available as spray primers or base paints — and the medium pulls pigment into recessed detail while thinning out over raised surfaces. What you get is a vivid, saturated colour with built-in shading on the first coat. Models that might otherwise take three or four painting stages to reach a respectable tabletop standard can be finished in a fraction of the time. Contrast paints are not a shortcut that looks like a shortcut — used correctly, they produce genuinely strong results that stand up on the gaming table.

Who Should Use Contrast Paints

New painters will find Contrast one of the most forgiving and rewarding ways to start. The technique is straightforward — prime light, apply paint, let it dry — and the results are encouraging enough to build confidence quickly. Experienced painters use Contrast for batch painting large units, blocking in base colours efficiently before adding highlights, or achieving saturated effects that are difficult to replicate with standard acrylics. At 18ml per pot, there is plenty of paint for a substantial project. These paints work equally well across any genre of miniature — fantasy, sci-fi, historical, skirmish — making them a versatile addition to any hobby shelf.