The Army Painter’s D&D Paints Level Up Your Minis

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D&D paints from The Army Painter bring your characters, monsters, and adventuring party to life on the tabletop.

Every D&D group has that one player who’s been running the same grey plastic models for three campaigns; you know who they are. Well, that’s exactly who The Army Painter is going after with its new official Dungeons & Dragons partnership, backed by Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. The news dropped at SPIEL Essen 2026, but we’re still waiting on the full product reveal.

And really, it makes sense. Most of us already have more paint than we know what to do with, but that friend who shows up every week to roll dice and has never picked up a brush? That’s a whole different crowd. For now, we know what The Army Painter is planning, just not exactly what’s in the boxes.

Forgotten Pigments Starts With Your Character, Not a Color Chart

So, what are we actually getting? The Forgotten Pigments Collection is the main part of this partnership, with paints, sets, and accessories made specifically for D&D. The colors take their inspiration from familiar D&D artwork, books, characters, creatures, and worlds. Instead of just handing you another color chart, they tie the paints to things D&D players already know and love.

Think about it. You’ve probably got a pretty clear picture of your character in your head, even if the miniature on the table is still grey. The Army Painter helps you get from one to the other. And if you’re the DM, that goes for all those monsters, villains, and encounters you’ve been throwing at your players, too. So we’re guessing a few Beholders are about to get some fresh paint.

Of course, this isn’t The Army Painter’s first go at official D&D paints. Remember the official D&D hobby line with the Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments sets? Those already brought D&D branding to Army Painter bottles. Forgotten Pigments feels like another go at that idea, only with a bigger plan this time. And they’re not just talking to experienced painters, either. Players and DMs who’ve never held a paintbrush are part of the audience.

The D&D Paint Academy Might Matter More Than the Bottles

Here’s the thing, though. Giving someone a bunch of paints doesn’t mean they’re going to know what to do with them. That’s why the D&D Paint Academy might end up being the more interesting part of this whole deal. The Army Painter is putting together a dedicated spot for beginners and anyone curious about painting, with tutorials, guidance, and inspiration from the company and its approved partners.

The idea is pretty simple: make painting that first mini feel like something you can actually do, rather than another hobby you need to study for. We’ve all seen someone absolutely drown a miniature’s face in wash on their first try. Whether they come back for round two can depend a lot on how that first session goes. Making painting easier to get into has been The Army Painter’s thing for years, and it’s the same thinking behind Speedpaint 2.0.

Minsc & Boo Explain That Big Red Cape at SPIEL Essen

Okay, so what’s the deal with that giant red cape at SPIEL Essen? Turns out there’s a pretty good reason for it. According to Adam at The Army Painter, the company’s first miniature, painted nearly 19 years ago, was Minsc & Boo. So the big red cape was a nod to the famous ranger and his hamster, bringing things back around to where they started.

It’s a fun bit of history, and a pretty fitting way to announce the partnership. But the cape isn’t really what this is about. The Army Painter wants more D&D players to give miniature painting a shot, including the ones who’ve been perfectly happy playing with unpainted minis until now.

Final Thoughts on the D&D Paints from The Army Painter

Now we just need to see what Forgotten Pigments and the D&D Paint Academy actually deliver when the full details drop over the next few months. What colors are we getting? What’s going to be in the sets? And will the Academy give new painters enough help to get started without feeling lost after the first brushstroke?

Those are the things we’re curious about. If The Army Painter gets that beginner experience right, we could see a lot more painted characters showing up at D&D tables.

The Army Painter put it this way: “Every D&D player has a character they can picture in their imagination. We want to help them put that character on the table, pick up a brush, and bring it to life.” Sounds good to us.

Now we’ll see if the paints can deliver.

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• New Army Painter Color Guides for D&D Are Here
• Make Your Airbrush Work for Painting D&D Miniatures
• How to Paint Miniatures: Warhammer & 40k Painting Guide

What do you think of the new D&D paints from The Army Painter, and who in your group is getting a brush first?

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