Nighthaunt are spectral undead, and their entire aesthetic is the ethereal glow of a ghost. It is one of the most striking armies on the table and, thanks to contrast paints, one of the fastest to paint - the signature look is practically built for the technique.
The signature look
Translucent teal/blue-white spirits fading from a glowing core to wispy, pale tails, with bone, rusted iron and the occasional spot colour (a lantern, a cloak). The key effect is the spectral fade - bright where the spirit is "solid", fading to white at the trailing edges.
Painting the ethereal glow
The classic method is a single contrast paint (a spectral green or blue) over a white undercoat, applied so it pools in the recesses and lower body and thins out toward the top:
- Undercoat white.
- Apply a teal/green spirit contrast heavily at the base and recesses.
- Pull it thin (or leave white) toward the upper edges and tails so the spirit looks like it is dissolving into light.
That is genuinely most of the model done in one pass.
Bone, iron and accents
Wraith bone (cream, brown wash), rusted chains and weapons (dark metal, orange rust), and a single warm accent - a glowing lantern or a coloured cloak - give the eye somewhere to land amid all the cool spectral tones.
Tips and common mistakes
- Let the contrast fade. The transition from solid to wispy is the whole effect - don't paint the spirit a flat, even colour.
- Keep it cool. Teal and blue read as spectral; warm tones break the illusion.
- One warm accent. A single lantern or flame stops the army feeling monotonous.