[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-/guides/best-contrast-paints":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":148,"date":149,"description":150,"extension":151,"heroImage":152,"intro":153,"lastUpdated":149,"marketEditions":154,"meta":155,"navigation":154,"noShopFooter":156,"path":157,"related":158,"seo":161,"shopSearch":162,"stem":163,"tags":164,"__hash__":165},"guides/guides/best-contrast-paints.md","Best Contrast Paints & Speedpaints (2026)",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":140},"minimark",[9,13,18,26,30,68,81,85,89,104,108,128,131],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Contrast paints (also called speedpaints) are the biggest shortcut in modern miniature painting. They act as a basecoat, shade and highlight in a single application, letting you get a whole unit tabletop-ready in a fraction of the time. If you have a horde army, they are transformational.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"how-they-work","How they work",[10,19,20,21,25],{},"Contrast paints are translucent and self-shading: applied over a light undercoat, they pool dark in the recesses and stay light on the raised areas, doing the shading for you in one coat. They work best over a ",[22,23,24],"strong",{},"white or zenithal primer"," - the lighter the undercoat, the brighter the result.",[14,27,29],{"id":28},"the-three-main-ranges","The three main ranges",[31,32,33,46,62],"ul",{},[34,35,36,39,40,45],"li",{},[22,37,38],{},"Citadel Contrast"," - the original, with the widest colour range and excellent consistency. The most expensive. See the ",[41,42,44],"a",{"href":43},"/paints/citadel","Citadel paint chart",".",[34,47,48,51,52,56,57,61],{},[22,49,50],{},"The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0"," - great value in dropper bottles, strong colours, and reformulated to fix the early \"reactivation\" issues. See the ",[41,53,55],{"href":54},"/paints/army-painter","Army Painter chart",", and compare ",[41,58,60],{"href":59},"/sets/speedpaint","every Speedpaint set"," - Starter vs Most Wanted vs Mega - with full contents and current prices.",[34,63,64,67],{},[22,65,66],{},"Vallejo Xpress Color"," - smooth, slightly more matt finish, good value in droppers.",[10,69,70,71,75,76,80],{},"All three are largely interchangeable - if a recipe names one, the ",[41,72,74],{"href":73},"/tools/paint-matcher","paint matcher"," finds the nearest match in another range, and the ",[41,77,79],{"href":78},"/convert","conversion charts"," list every pairing with live prices.",[82,83],"paint-products",{"ids":84},"citadel-black-templar,army-painter-grim-black,vallejo-greasy-black",[14,86,88],{"id":87},"getting-the-best-results","Getting the best results",[90,91,92,95,98,101],"ol",{},[34,93,94],{},"Prime white, or zenithal (black up to white) for instant depth.",[34,96,97],{},"Apply in one confident coat - don't overwork it or you'll get tide marks.",[34,99,100],{},"Layer a second coat only where you want it darker.",[34,102,103],{},"Add a normal highlight on the sharpest edges to lift the model above \"speed-painted\".",[14,105,107],{"id":106},"tips","Tips",[31,109,110,116,122],{},[34,111,112,115],{},[22,113,114],{},"Light undercoat is everything"," - contrast over dark primer looks dull.",[34,117,118,121],{},[22,119,120],{},"One coat, don't fiddle"," - going back over a drying coat causes streaks.",[34,123,124,127],{},[22,125,126],{},"Brilliant for skin, cloth, wood and leather"," - organic textures shade beautifully.",[82,129],{"ids":130},"citadel-guilliman-flesh,army-painter-hardened-leather,vallejo-willow-bark",[132,133,137],"affiliate-shop",{"label":134,"search":135,"tid":136},"Shop contrast paints","contrast speedpaint set miniatures","best-contrast-paints",[10,138,139],{},"A contrast/speedpaint set is the fastest way to paint a whole army.",{"title":141,"searchDepth":142,"depth":142,"links":143},"",2,[144,145,146,147],{"id":16,"depth":142,"text":17},{"id":28,"depth":142,"text":29},{"id":87,"depth":142,"text":88},{"id":106,"depth":142,"text":107},"Buying Guides","2026-06-28","A guide to contrast paints and speedpaints - how Citadel Contrast, Army Painter Speedpaint and Vallejo Xpress Color compare, and how to use them for fast results.","md","/images/guides/best-contrast-paints.webp","Citadel Contrast vs Army Painter Speedpaint vs Vallejo Xpress",true,{},false,"/guides/best-contrast-paints",[159,160],"best-paint-for-miniatures","washes-and-shades",{"title":5,"description":150},"contrast paint set miniatures","guides/best-contrast-paints",null,"Uz9wb0pvg0n7hF-9lL95TMWAw9P7X7M08f2L7-JHowE"]