Yellow has a reputation as the hardest colour in miniature painting, and it's deserved. Yellow paint is naturally translucent, so it goes on patchy and streaky over anything darker than white. With the right primer and a few thin coats, though, bright and smooth yellow armour is completely achievable.
The short answer: prime white or light grey, build up several thin coats of yellow, shade with orange or brown rather than black, and highlight with a pale yellow-and-ivory mix.
Why is yellow so hard to paint?
Yellow pigments have low opacity, so they don't cover well and any darker colour underneath shows straight through. Thick coats to compensate fill detail and leave a gloopy finish. The answer is a light undercoat and patience.
What primer should I use for yellow armour?
White or very light grey. Over black primer you'll need several extra coats before yellow even looks yellow. A zenithal primer, with white sprayed from above over grey or black, gives you built-in shading under translucent yellow. Our guide to priming properly explains how.
Should I use an undercoat colour before yellow?
It helps. A pale bone, cream or light orange basecoat gives yellow something warm to sit on, so it reaches full coverage in fewer coats than over white alone. Darker, ochre-style yellows sit well over a mid orange-brown.
How many coats of yellow do I need?
Plan on two to four thin coats over a light primer. Let each coat dry fully before the next, and thin the paint so it flows rather than piling up. A wet palette keeps the yellow at the same consistency across every coat.
What colour should I shade yellow with?
Orange, sepia or brown. Black and grey shades turn yellow green and dirty, which is the most common mistake. Apply the shade into recesses only, so flat panels stay bright; our guide to washes covers recess shading.
How do I highlight yellow armour?
Mix your yellow with a little white or ivory for the first highlight, then add more for a final edge highlight on the sharpest edges. Avoid pure white, which looks chalky against yellow. Our edge highlighting guide covers brush control.
Can I use one-coat paints for yellow?
Yes, and over a white or zenithal primer they're one of the fastest routes to good yellow. They shade themselves as they settle into recesses, which suits large armies. See our guide to one-coat paints for avoiding blotches on flat panels.
How do I fix patchy yellow?
Another thin coat usually solves it, so resist the urge to apply one thick coat. If a dark undercoat is showing through, repaint the area with a light basecoat first and build the yellow up again. Our guide to fixing painting mistakes covers other repairs.
Which colours go well with yellow armour?
Black trim is the classic pairing and makes yellow look brighter by contrast. Deep reds, dark blues and gunmetal metallics also work well as spot colours. Our guide to choosing a colour scheme explains how to balance a bright main colour.
Can I use a yellow spray primer?
A coloured spray primer gives you a fast, even yellow basecoat, which is a real time-saver on large models and vehicles. Spray in light passes in good conditions, as with any primer. You'll still need to shade and highlight afterwards.
How do I paint yellow on large flat vehicle panels?
Flat panels show every streak, so use several very thin coats, each brushed in the same direction. An airbrush gives the smoothest result if you have one. Avoid one-coat paints on big flat areas, where they tend to pool unevenly.
What's the difference between warm and cool yellow?
Warm yellows lean towards orange and look rich and golden. Cool yellows lean towards lemon and can look slightly green next to warm colours. Warm yellows are more forgiving, because orange and brown shades blend into them naturally.
How do I keep yellow consistent across a whole army?
Write your recipe down, use the same paints and the same number of coats on every model, and paint in batches so mixes match. Our guide to batch painting an army covers the workflow.
Is there a simple yellow armour recipe?
This works on almost any model.
- Prime white, or zenithal prime with grey and white.
- Basecoat with a pale cream or light orange in two thin coats.
- Apply two or three thin coats of a warm mid yellow.
- Recess shade with an orange-brown wash.
- Tidy the flat panels with the mid yellow.
- Highlight with yellow mixed with ivory, then edge highlight with a paler mix.
Is yellow harder than white?
They're difficult in different ways. White needs clean, controlled shading to avoid looking grey, while yellow mostly needs coverage. Our guide to painting white armour covers the other notoriously tricky light colour.
Does yellow armour need varnish?
Light colours show handling marks and fingerprints more than dark ones. A coat of matt varnish once the paint has fully cured keeps yellow looking clean, especially on models you game with.
More hobby guides
- How to Make and Use a Wet Palette for Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures
- One-Coat Paints for Warhammer 40,000: A Beginner's Guide to Painting Armies Fast
- How to Use Washes on Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures: Shading Made Simple
- How to Edge Highlight Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures
- How to Choose a Colour Scheme for Your Warhammer 40,000 Army
- How to Paint White Armour on Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures
- Warhammer 40,000 Hobby Guides & Free Tools
Warhammer 40,000® is a registered trade mark of Games Workshop Limited. This is an independent hobby guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Games Workshop.