How to Paint Wood on Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures

October 16, 2026

Wood is less common than metal on a 40k battlefield, but it appears in all the places that give a model character: rifle stocks, crates of ammunition, barricades, ladders, the hafts of primitive weapons and the planks scattered across a ruined base. Painted well, it adds a warm, natural contrast to cold armour and stone. The good news is that one simple method works for almost every wooden surface.

The short answer: basecoat a dark brown, paint thin, slightly wavy grain lines along the length of each piece in a mid brown, add finer, shorter lines of a pale tan on the upper areas, then wash the lot with brown to blend the layers. For old, weathered wood, swap the browns for grey-browns and finish with a light drybrush of pale grey.

What colours do you need to paint wood?

You need a dark brown for the base and shadows, a mid brown for the grain, a pale tan or bone for the highlights and a brown wash to unify everything. Different wood types are mostly a matter of temperature: reddish browns suggest polished hardwood, yellow-browns suggest fresh pine and grey-browns suggest old, sun-dried timber.

Wood type	Base	Grain	Finish
Polished rifle stock	Red-brown	Orange-brown lines	Brown wash, satin varnish
Fresh pine crate	Mid brown	Yellow-tan lines	Sepia wash, matt
Everyday planks	Dark brown	Mid brown, then tan	Brown wash, matt
Old, weathered timber	Grey-brown	Grey lines	Pale grey drybrush, matt
Burnt or charred wood	Near-black	Dark grey cracks	Orange glaze in deepest cracks

How do you paint wood grain?

Use a size 0 or 1 brush with a good point and paint lines that run along the length of the piece, parallel but gently wavy, never perfectly straight or zig-zagged. Thin the mid brown so it flows like ink without becoming a wash; our guide to thinning paints explains the consistency. Once dry, add even finer tan lines inside some of the mid-brown lines, mostly towards the top or centre of each surface where light falls.

Can you drybrush wood instead?

Yes, and on sculpted wood grain it is the fastest option. Drybrush the mid brown, then a lighter tan, dragging the brush across the grain so only the raised ridges pick up colour. Finish with a wash to soften any chalkiness; our drybrushing guide covers brush choice and pressure.

How do you paint planks and knots?

Run the grain along each plank separately and vary the direction slightly between neighbouring planks so they read as separate boards. The brown wash will settle into the gaps between planks and provide shadow for free. For knots, paint a small stretched oval and curve the nearby grain lines around it like water round a stone.

How do you paint end grain?

Where a plank or log has been cut, paint the exposed end slightly lighter than the side, then add a few fine concentric rings or a scatter of tiny cracks radiating from the centre. A darker wash around the edge of the cut face makes it look recessed. This small detail makes broken barricades and splintered planks far more believable.

How do you make wood look old and weathered?

Old wood loses its colour and turns silvery grey, so shift the palette towards grey-brown and finish with a very light drybrush of pale grey across the grain. Add darker streaks below nails and metal fittings to suggest rust staining, and a little green-grey in the lower cracks for damp. Our guides to painting rust and weathering pigments pair well with this.

How do you paint wooden weapon stocks and hafts?

Small wooden parts look best with a smoother, warmer finish than scenic timber. Paint the grain lines very fine and close together, use a reddish brown base and add a single bright highlight along the top edge, then glaze with thinned brown to polish it up; see how to glaze. Worn patches where hands would grip can be a touch lighter.

How do you paint wooden bases and terrain?

For bases, paint scattered planks with the three-brown method, then weather them into the ground with the same colours as your soil and a light dusting of pigment. On urban bases, broken beams and charred timber add variety alongside rubble; see urban rubble bases for ideas.

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