Army Painter’s new John Blanche Paint Sets, Vols. 3 and 4, bring Warhammer 40k’s grimdark color to your minis using the palette of the artist who defined the style.
If you have ever looked at classic 40k art and thought, “Why does nothing I paint ever look like that?”, these new John Blanche Masterclass Paint Sets from The Army Painter are aiming straight at that problem.
Volumes three and four expand the range with twenty brand-new Warpaints Fanatic colours, each built to push atmosphere first and realism second. This is not about clean studio finishes or hyper-smooth blends. This is about mood, contrast, and models that feel like they crawled straight out of one of his sketchbooks.
Designed directly with Blanche and produced by The Army Painter, these sets (along with the first two) are meant to work alongside the earlier releases while standing on their own. Whether you want cold, haunted warzones or burning, fever-dream battlefields, these palettes are built to do the heavy lifting for you.
Why These Paints Matter: John Blanche Is Grimdark
Calling John Blanche influential undersells it. He did not just contribute to the grimdark aesthetic of wargaming. He basically invented it. From the earliest days of Warhammer, Blanche’s art defined what the setting felt like. It was bleak, religious, violent, and beautiful all in an unsettling way.
That is why these Masterclass Paint Sets hit differently. This is not a company guessing what grimdark colours should be. This is Blanche putting his actual palette on the table. These are the tones he would reach for to build contrast, temperature, and emotional weight. If you have ever wanted your miniatures to look more like classic 40k artwork and less like box art, this is the closest shortcut you are going to get.
Plus, the Army Painter’s Warpaints Fanatic formula also matters here. High pigment density means strong coverage, controlled transparency, and colours that behave predictably when glazing or weathering. Add in the practical colour naming convention, and these paints are built to be used, not just collected.
John Blanche Masterclass: Volume 3 Combo: $53.99
Volume three is all about cold light and creeping dread. This set leans into frost-lit shadows, pallid skin tones, and desaturated hues that make models feel old, cursed, or half-dead. Think plague worlds, corpse-lit corridors, and armies that have not seen warmth in centuries.
These ten new paint colours are tailored for chilly atmospheres and high-contrast finishes. They shine when you are working on grim infantry, haunted heroes, or anything that needs to look like it belongs under a dying sun. The paints are designed to layer easily, making them ideal for sketch-style painting, rough blends, and expressive edge work.
Like all the Masterclass sets, Volume three is endorsed by John Blanche himself and comes with a free DipIt Brush for pre-orders, which is a nice bonus if you like having a dedicated workhorse brush on the table.
John Blanche Masterclass: Volume 4 Combo: $53.99
If Volume three is cold dread, Volume four is raw heat. This set unleashes fiery warmth, aggressive reds, and sickly, expressive tones that feel volatile and alive. It is perfect for warzones, zealots, daemons, and anything that should look like it is burning from the inside out.
These ten brand-new colours are built for explosive atmospheres and visceral contrast. They excel at pushing focal points, exaggerating highlights, and adding that unhinged energy that defines Blanche’s later work. Used sparingly or aggressively, they give you tools to make models feel dangerous and unstable instead of neat and tidy.
As with Volume three, you get pigment-dense acrylics designed for miniatures, a practical naming system, and a free DipIt Brush with pre-orders. It is a cohesive set that encourages bold choices rather than safe ones.
Final Thoughts: Who These Paint Sets Are For
The John Blanche Masterclass Paint Sets are not trying to replace your entire paint rack. They are there to change how you think about colour and mood. If you love grimdark 40k, old-school Warhammer art, or painting styles that prioritize feeling over perfection, these sets are an easy recommendation.
Volumes three and four give you cold horror on one end and burning madness on the other, both straight from the artist who defined the look of the hobby. If you have ever wanted your miniatures to look more like a piece of Blanche artwork and less like a showroom display, these paints are about as close as it gets without handing him the brush yourself.
Click Here to Get Your New Blanche Sets!
