Believe it or not, Contrast Paints have been in the works for a while now, and two may already have been released and hiding in plain sight!
Two separate industry insiders gave some additional insight on Contrast Paints from Warhammer Fest. But before we jump into all the details, let’s check out what Contrast Paints actually are.
What Are Contrast Paints?
In essence, it looks like the Contrast line is just a thicker pigmented wash. To capture the detail of your minis, you’ll need to prime them in a white or a neutral off-white. That way you’ll have a brighter background that highlights the color of the paint. The science behind this is to allow people who have hordes of models to get them done quickly without wanting to pull their hair out.
While the painting effect may not be as “clean” as the traditional method of bases, layers, etc. it certainly is looking to be a lot faster.
Insider Word the Contrast Paint Line
As we’ve said before, we’ve got two separate insiders on the Contrast line so we’ll be breaking them down one by one for you. Remember these are just rumors until proven otherwise.
Industry Insider #1: According to one insider the contrast paints have been under development for four years and everything was just finalized about eight months ago.
One Thick Coat of Hexwraith Flame?
Industry Insider #2: Hexwraith Flame and Nighthaunt Gloom were prototypes to “test the water” for an entire paint line to the same effect.
If you wanted to get a closer look at the prototyped Contrast Paints, we’ve got a video for you! While these may have been prototypes for Contrast, they are still totally useful in all sorts of painting projects. If you want to pull off an eerie ghost effect or even some kind of glow detailing, these paints are a solid choice.
In the end, it looks like Contrast Paints weren’t something that GW threw together over a long weekend. There’s a science behind the paint. And just because it’s different from the normal painting technique doesn’t mean it’s objectively worse. We think it’s a great introductory step for new hobbyists to get paint on some miniatures in a forgiving way. It’s a lot harder to mess up a single thin coat of a wash vs dealing with multiple paint-types to thin down and apply to a model.
Could Contrast Paints spark hobby “laziness” and drive people to just stop at the Contrast step? Or will we see more highly-painted models hit the tables much faster? Let us know what you think in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
