Contrast Paint? Make Your Own Custom Washes Instead!

After almost 30 years in the hobby, I might very well have a bigger selection of paints than anyone else, and it probably didn't cost me much more than 100 bucks.

I did use Citadel paints back in the 90's, when I first got into the hobby and didn't know any better, but have long since given them up for cheaper and better alternatives. Just like you, I like mixing my own paints, either from thickening inks, or by thinning down professional soft body acrylics.

With all the attention these new Citadel contrast paints have been given, my old frustration with the GW price point have returned. The way they take advantage of hobbyists in general, and beginners in particular, is appalling. I have even been thinking about making a video similar to yours, explaining how easy they are to make.

The main point I would wish to get across though is not how easy it is to make contrast paints or washes specifically, but rather how silly it is buying large selections of paint of any kind. In theory, you only need three good primary colors (plus black and white), and you can mix whatever you want from them.

When working with real pigments though, it's hard to find ones with perfect mixing properties, so I normally use 6 primaries in practice. But once you've learnt how to mix paint properly, that is truly all you need. No color in the world will require you to mix more than two of those primaries to get the right hue, and then you break it with black and white to find your desired shade, tone or tint.

This is how traditional painters have done it for centuries. They find the handful of pigments that best suit their taste, and then mix whatever else they need. And if you ever doubt the validity of this approach, remember that pretty much every single color image you have ever seen in print media (including GW box art, magazines and posters) have all been made using only cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks. Together with the white of the paper it's printed on, those 4 inks can recreate every colour you see.

So save yourself a lot of money. Buy a small selection of professional acrylics that are high in pigment, and complement them with some acrylic media and a couple of mixing agents. I would say that the most enjoyable part of any painting session is to sit down and premix the colors you plan on using for your figures. Just store the finished paints and washes in plastic dropper bottles (which you can buy in bulk from Amazon) and they will keep forever. You even get to name them yourself, which is a surprising amount of fun :-)

Contrast paint works pretty well for me. I prefer to spend money on more and different paints rather than mix my own. I find I have trouble getting a match for mixes I've made myself, even if I wrote down exactly what I did. You don't wanna know how different my Everblight skin mixes turned out. A robust selection of paints allows me to just grab the one I need rather than having to make something. I'm lazy, so that works great. Also, I enjoy having lots of paints the same way we enjoy having lots of models. I may never use Fulgrim Pink, but I feel like it needs to be in there.

I think it's great you show people they can work things out for themselves.

It's good watching this video again. Every time I find myself tempted to buy a Citadel shade or contrast paint, I rewatch these videos and remember why I haven't bought them. I can make my own.

You had me at "home brew"

I think it really depends on what and why one is painting. If I want to own a Space Marine-Army, that looks great on the desk I want them to be finished relatively quick, than it is a good idea to use a contrast paint for the base colour, that will really safe time and look good. However, I would not start to buy the whole collection for all different parts on the mini.

Thank you so much. I just recently started this hobby. I’ve been on the fence about miniature painting for quite some time but your message really inspired me to keep trying and focus more on honing my paint skills rather than cranking out a finished but rushed model.

Are contrast paints also Speed Paints? They appear to be in every way.

Thank you. I’ve been painting figs since the 80s and every time I asked someone about contrast paints they described them like they were magical. But their description sounded just like a wash. But they would swear up and down that they weren’t. Your in depth explanation is exactly the information I wanted.

Kinesthetic learning is the way to go! Great video, thanks!

So, 4 years later how does this hold up?

Hi Brent, this is Robert Kennedy with Typhoon Paint Products. Great video above and I sent you an email that I hope to hear back from you. Take good care and thanks again for great video.

Hello, where can i order those ingredients?

Just bought the liquitex stuff... Trying to convert my Vallejo paints into contraist paints, since i love the new slopchop peinting technique - but i struggle in painting the my miniatures after i drybrushed them with white/black

I was hoping youd show your attempts with making acrylic paints more like washes. I have so many and dont want to buy contrast paints or inks if I can avoid it lol.

I keep coming back to this video for a number of reasons, and I enjoy it and find something new that I missed (or forgot) each time I watch it. The sad truth is that I have yet to touch a single GW product (aside from the original Hasbro / GW collab Hero Quest) 100% due to the price point of their products. The fact that this has been the case for 20+ years is telling, and it is absolutely a deterrent to new people looking to get into the hobby. I'm always glad to see videos like this that give folks some great options to accomplish what they're looking for without paying the GW tax. Thanks, Goobertown. :)

Love your stuff! Keep it up!

I pray to God you reply. Would chinesse inks work? Or they do not fit at mini painting?

Hey, Mitch Kramer, does your butt still hurt from all those swats?

Hi there! Can I mix citadel contrast paints between each other to get new color? Sorry for silly question, I'm new to the hobby.

Yay

In my experience, I’ve been using ceramcraft paints for specific purposes. While some people consider craft paints to not be useable, I say it depends on the brand and the specific paint.

Hey Brent, loving the videos. I've watched a ton of your videos over the last few weeks. Would you say that this method of making your own contrast paints is viable for saving money compared to purchasing paints? I plan on getting some speedpaint 2.0 but for now I need to stay on a budget and have a huge backlog of models i want to paint and display

Like you I have been using this technique way back for large areas like horses, vehicles, capes, Terrain in general. But recently watching the "slap chop" videos, and wanting to extend the life of the paints I have, I have been looking for a formula to experiment with. (I never loved the paint wash dry brush low light highlight method too many steps) Pretty much only try to buy "miniature" paint for specific colors. But as paint gets more expensive I am going to try to roll into using Art Acrylics. Taking some classes to learn and practice color theory and practice mixing acrylics. Thanks for your advice and inspiration!!

Honestly, so much of this was things I needed to hear. Thank you! It really takes the pressure off. I'm very excited to get back to learning painting ❤

Ive been painting with craft paint for years and no one has any idea until i tell them,mostly i use them for dry brushing and bases. This video was great! Im not a fan of GW stuff at all,its over hyped,over priced and boring. I prefer to make my own washes and buy from smaller paint companies or local hobby shops :)

You're painting an army of hologram battle arena figures...

Thanks for the recipe! As an Artist I've never liked buying premade washes. Companies charge as much and sometimes more for thinned down pigments. I'm going to use Dr. PH Martins liquid acrylics and the two Liquitex mediums. I use Golden for Canvas/Boards, but my3D prints/Sculptures will get the aforementioned concoction. I like to keep my different mediums distinguishable.

Liquitex isn't exactly cheap either. :(

I didn't hear you say "dry brush" *L

You could say, he is Painting bravely..

I feel like this is missing a recipe ... like what ratio of parts to the other. I guess the whole point of the video was "experiment," though.

Craft paints work fine. You just water them down and layer them up. Its more work, but it works.

You're like the offspring of Bob Ross and Mr Rodgers of the miniature world. Seriously thank you for sharing this and thank you for sharing the way you do.

I think you and I met in San Antonio at a common friends Game Store that is now closed. I too make my own washes with Liquidtex and FW inks.

Whats the ratio of flow aid to ink/medium? You went equal parts ink and matte medium, but then what ratio for flow aid to the ink/medium mix? 1/10? What do you think about adding water to the mix?

Possible to use ink instead of pigment?

I know this is an old video, but in case someone notice my comment.. Will this work for slapchop technique?

So no Chlorine and Bleach with blue pigment?

Instructions unclear. Used homebrew heavy body wash in shower. Skin now purple.

Hello! First of all, thanks for the video, it's amazing and really helpful.
I'd like to ask you if you if you could share any link of the products, since I can't see them at the description, neither find them on amazon, I'm not sure if they've rebranded the packaging or something.
Again, thanks a lot!

Thank you.

I'm so glad that Army Painter's Speedpaints have offered up competition here. When Contrast Paints came out, I didn't see the point; why spend $7.50 for a pot of paint when I can get nearly the same effect with a dark wash for way cheaper? But now Speedpaints are way more reasonably priced, I don't feed bad about using them as a base coat that blends easier than normal acrylic paint.

I keep exactly 2 colors of GW contrast paints on my shelf at all times. Black templar for when you need something really black like right now and Cygor Brown because I find it does brown hair amazingly well. Other than a few random GW paints I keep around I generally use Vallejo or army painter for 2 reasons. Reason 1 is that they are way cheaper and reason 2 is that GW paint pots are the worst.

I had so much hope for this video and you delivered absolutely nothing you didn't tell us what actual bounce you used for what colours thank you for wasting my time

Anyone try the acrylic ink/matte Medium recipe? Any need to add floor polish?

Actually got really close with acrylic paint (although gunk settled on the bottom) and mod podge ! .. finally getting acrylic in on.. is mod podge a decent matte medium? Anyone try it?

You inspired me to purchase 100 army men to use in experiments! I metaphorically agonize over techniques and colors (not volumes! Haha). But not anymore. Will be fun to try it all!) Thanks!

I agree with you GW is pricing this out of the hands of the beginners, I bought every pot of thier products a few years agoand now i wouldnt pay a cent for there stuff anymore. There are better paints and products out there, just like you said trial and error.