Power-armoured super-soldiers are the first models many of us ever paint, and for good reason. Big, flat armour panels, clear shapes and chunky details make them forgiving to learn on. This guide walks you through a reliable beginner method that will get a squad looking sharp on the table, whichever colour scheme you choose.
What you need
- A spray primer (grey, black or white, more on that below)
- Your main armour colour, plus one lighter shade of it
- A silver or gunmetal, a brown or black wash, and a general-purpose dark wash
- A small detail brush, a medium brush and an old brush for drybrushing
- A palette (a ceramic tile works) and two water pots, one for rinsing and one clean
Step 1: Clean, build and prime
Scrape off mould lines with the back of a hobby knife before gluing anything. They are far more visible once paint goes on. If your models carry backpacks or weapons that hide hard-to-reach areas, consider painting those as sub-assemblies.
Prime in light coats from about 20–30 cm away, in a dry room that isn't cold. Pick your primer colour to suit the armour: white or light grey for yellow, white or red armour; grey for blues and greens; black for dark armour. A primer that sits close to your final colour saves coats later.
Step 2: Basecoat the armour
This is where most beginners go wrong: paint straight from the pot is usually too thick. Put a drop on your palette and add a little water until it flows like semi-skimmed milk. Two thin coats beat one thick coat every time, because thick paint fills in detail and dries with a gritty, uneven surface.
Let the first coat dry fully (it should look matt and feel dry) before the second. Don't worry about getting paint on the metal areas or the base; you will cover those next.
Step 3: Metals and details
Paint guns, purity-seal wax, pouches and trim in their basecoats. A common, effective approach for a first squad:
- Weapons: black casing with silver on the barrels and mechanical parts.
- Trim and badges: gold or silver, depending on your chapter's look.
- Pouches and straps: a mid brown.
- Seals and scrolls: a deep red for the wax and an off-white for the paper.
Work from the inside of the model outwards and from the hardest-to-reach areas to the easiest. That way you are less likely to smudge finished areas. Once you are confident, gold trim is also a great place to try non-metallic metal for a striking, display-quality finish.
Step 4: Wash for instant depth
A wash is a thin, pigment-heavy paint that runs into recesses and creates shadows. On armour, you have two options:
- All-over wash: quick and grimy, ideal for darker or battle-worn schemes.
- Recess or panel-line wash: apply the wash only into the joins between armour plates with a fine brush. This keeps flat panels clean and bright and looks far neater on lighter colours.
Use a dark brown or black wash on metals. It instantly makes silver look like real worked steel. Leave washes to dry completely, at least 20–30 minutes, before touching them.
Step 5: Tidy up and highlight
After washing, re-apply your armour basecoat to the large flat areas, leaving the wash in the recesses. This "clean-up" step is what turns a model from muddy to crisp.
Then take your lighter armour shade and run it along the top edges of shoulder pads, helmet ridges, knee pads and the rims of the backpack. This is called edge highlighting, and it gives power armour that hard, manufactured look. Keep the paint thin and use the side of the brush, not the tip. Start with just the most prominent edges; you can always add more.
Step 6: Eyes and lenses
Eyes are the focal point, so they're worth a few extra minutes. A simple method: paint the lens a dark version of your chosen colour (red or green is classic), then add a lighter dot towards the bottom edge and a tiny white dot at the top corner as a reflection. If your hand is unsteady, rest both wrists on the table and brace the model against something solid.
Step 7: Basing and varnish
Finish the base so the model looks complete. Texture paint or sand plus a drybrush, then a couple of tufts, takes ten minutes and transforms a squad. Paint the base rim a neutral colour such as black or dark brown. Once everything is dry, a matt varnish protects your work from handling.
Common beginner mistakes
- Thick paint. If detail is disappearing, thin your paint and do more coats.
- Rushing between coats. Wet paint on wet paint lifts and streaks.
- Neglecting your brushes. Edge highlights and eyes need a sharp point, so learn how to clean your brushes properly from day one.
- Painting in poor light. A daylight-balanced lamp makes a huge difference to accuracy and colour choice.
- Trying to make the first model perfect. Paint a full squad with the same steps. You will improve noticeably by the fifth model.
Speeding up a whole squad
Once you're comfortable, paint five models at once, one colour at a time. By the time you finish the last model, the first is dry and ready for the next step. It's the fastest way to get an army finished without cutting corners.
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