Citadel Medium Shade Brush: GWS 63-16

The Right Brush for Shading Work

Shading is where a miniature stops looking painted and starts looking real. A well-applied wash settles into recesses, defines muscle tone, picks out panel lines, and adds depth that base coating alone can never achieve — but only if the paint flows where you want it. The Citadel Medium Shade Brush is sized and shaped specifically for shade work: large enough to load with wash and move it across a surface quickly, small enough to direct flow and avoid pooling on raised detail where it doesn't belong. It's a dedicated tool for a specific job, and that specificity makes a genuine difference at the painting table.

Built for Washes and Shades

This is a soft-haired brush with a generous belly that holds a good amount of liquid — important when working with Citadel Shade paints, which are thinner than base or layer paints and need to be worked across a surface before they set. The medium size sits in a practical middle ground: capable enough to cover a Space Marine or Stormcast Eternal in a few strokes, controlled enough to work on smaller models or detailed areas without flooding the surface. It applies cleanly, pulls excess wash away from areas where it would sit flat rather than recess, and helps achieve the natural, shadow-deepening effect that shades are designed to produce.

Who Should Have This Brush

Any miniature painter who uses Citadel Shade paints — Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, Reikland Fleshshade, and the rest of the range — will get more out of them with a brush designed for the task. New painters will find the medium size forgiving and versatile as they learn to work with washes. Experienced painters often keep a dedicated shade brush separate from their base and detail brushes to avoid contaminating finer tools with wash residue. It works equally well across Warhammer 40,000 models, Age of Sigmar miniatures, Warmachine warjacks, and any other miniature painting project — shading technique doesn't change with the game system.

Specifications