General starter — not colour-specificBlack Powder (all periods)
How to Paint Space Marines (Any Chapter)
The core armour method - basecoat, shade, edge highlight - for any chapter you pick
Prices in £ for the UK
Starter paint sets
Boxes to start from and paint sets to start with — pick a faction and both change to suit it.
General starter — not colour-specific
General starter — not colour-specificSkaven · 25 models · 2 kits
5× Stormcast Eternals Liberators · 20× Skaven Clanrats
General starter — not colour-specificOrks · 12 models · 4 kits
1× Space Marines Lieutenant · 5× Intercessors · 1× Ork Nob · 5× Ork Boyz
General starter — not colour-specificDeath Guard · 14 models
7× Angels of Death Kill Team operatives · 7× Plague Marine Kill Team operatives
General starter — not colour-specificSkaven · 35 models · 4 kits
1× Lord-Veritant · 1× Gryph-crow · 3× Prosecutors · 5× Liberators · 1× Grey Seer · 1× Warlock Engineer · 3× Rat Ogors · 20× Clanrats
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Mega Paint Set
50 paints
£136.00
£160.15-15%
+38
· compare 4 shops· priced 1 OctCovers 8 of 11 colours in this scheme
Covers 8 of 11 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Color - American Colonial Set
16 paints
£38.39
£47.99-20%
+4
· compare 3 shops· priced 3 JulCovers 6 of 11 colours in this scheme
+40
at Loaded Dice· priced 13 SepCovers 6 of 11 colours in this scheme
Covers 5 of 11 colours in this scheme
Covers 5 of 11 colours in this scheme
Recommended recipe
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Base coat
Shade
Layer
Highlight
Edge highlight
- Base coatImperial NavyArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3025PView paint
- ShadeLeviadon BlueCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960103View paint
- LayerMacragge BlueCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950272View paint
- HighlightCaledor SkyCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950273View paint
- Edge highlightBaron BlueArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3023P≈ Closest paint we sellView paint
Additional details
Trim
Weapons
Leather
Skin
Lenses
Basing
- TrimBright GoldArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinBestigor FleshCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243View paint
- LensesYellow OchreVallejo · Arte DecoView paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
★ Our pick for base coat
Exact Match
Night Lords Blue
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950304
from£2.33· compare 4 shops· priced 1 Oct
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Leviadon Blue
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960103
from£4.03· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
★ Our pick for shade
Very Close
Close
Similar
Similar
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Macragge Blue
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950272
★ Our pick for layer
Exact Match
Exact Match
Exact Match
Ultramarine Blue
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Very Close
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
★ Our pick for highlight
Very Close
Very Close
Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S35
from£4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 25 Sep
Close
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
Closest paint we sell — not an exact match for this colour
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Close
Fenrisian Grey
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951364
from£2.33· compare 4 shops· priced 1 Oct
Close
Faded Ultramarine
Monument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA013
from£4.19· compare 2 shops· priced 25 Sep
Similar
Details & accent colours
Everything else on the model - metals, skin, leather, lenses, basing and this faction's signature accents.
Metal — trim
Aquilas, rims and ornament. Basecoat gold, wash with a brown shade, then edge a brighter gold.
Bright Gold
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Close
Metal — weapons
Bolters, blades and casings. Dark gunmetal, washed black, edged with bright steel.
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
Close
Adepticon Magnesium
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S42
£4.29at Loaded Dice· priced 13 Sep
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Exact Match
Very Close
Flameon Dark Green Brown
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S25
£4.29at Loaded Dice· priced 13 Sep
CloseDiscontinued
Skin & flesh
Faces and hands. Basecoat, a flesh wash into the recesses, then build the highlights back up.
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
★ Our pick for skin & flesh
Very Close
Barbarian Flesh
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Very Close
Very Close
CloseDiscontinued
Eyes & lenses
Lenses, eyes and energy. A bright spot colour that pops against the armour - dot it on and add a white glint.
Yellow Ochre
Vallejo · Arte Deco
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Close
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
Buy It as a Box
Paint sets that cover this recipe - a set is usually cheaper than buying pots one by one.
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Mega Paint Set
50 paints
£136.00
£160.15-15%
+38
· compare 4 shops· priced 1 OctCovers 8 of 11 paints in this scheme (73%) — base coat, layer, highlight, metal — trim and more.
Or cover 91% of the recipe with 2 boxes (£143.99 for 1 of the 2 — the rest are priced in dollars):
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Mega Paint Set
50 paints
£136.00
£160.15-15%
+38
· compare 4 shops· priced 1 OctNo price tracked yet
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
11 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
11 paintsfree UK delivery over £20
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
free UK delivery over £75, £3.99 below that
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform
£4.99 UK delivery, 1-2 working days, free over £65
- not stocked: Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
postage per seller
- not stocked: Macragge Blue, Caledor Sky, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
- not stocked: Imperial Navy, Leviadon Blue, Macragge Blue, Caledor Sky, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Imperial Navy, Leviadon Blue, Baron Blue, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Yellow Ochre, English Uniform
free UK delivery over £75, from £2.66 below that
- not stocked: Imperial Navy, Leviadon Blue, Macragge Blue, Caledor Sky, Baron Blue, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
- not stocked: Imperial Navy, Leviadon Blue, Macragge Blue, Baron Blue, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Yellow Ochre, English Uniform
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Imperial Navy
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctLeviadon Blue
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctMacragge Blue
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's MiniaturesCaledor Sky
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctBaron Blue
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctBright Gold
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter
No price tracked yetBeasty Brown
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepBestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctYellow Ochre
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepEnglish Uniform
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 Sep
Every Space Marines kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
Space Marines are the most painted miniatures in the hobby, and for good reason: large, clean armour panels make them an ideal canvas for learning the core techniques of basecoat, shade and highlight. The method below is chapter-agnostic - it is the same three steps whether your armour is blue, red, green, black or yellow, and the only thing that changes is which pot the basecoat comes out of. Pick your chapter's colour in the scheme generator and the recipe rebuilds itself around it.
The signature look
Every chapter shares the same shape: hard, angular armour panels in one dominant colour, metal or contrasting trim, chapter markings on one shoulder, and bone or parchment purity seals. Whatever colour you choose should read rich and saturated rather than washed-out, with crisp edge highlights to define the plates - that contrast between flat panel and bright edge is what makes a Marine look like a Marine.
Painting the armour
The recipe above gives you the full ramp, but the technique matters as much as the paints:
- Basecoat smoothly. Thin your base colour with a little water and do two thin coats rather than one thick one - thick paint clogs the detail and dries patchy.
- Shade in the recesses only. Use a targeted wash in the joints and panel lines rather than slopping it over the whole model, so the flat armour stays clean.
- Edge highlight. This is what makes Space Marines pop. Drag a fine brush along the topmost edges with the highlight colour, then hit only the corners with the edge-highlight tone. Keep the line thin.
Choosing a chapter colour
Every chapter is the same method with a different base colour. Open the chapter's armour colour in the scheme generator and the recipe rebuilds itself:
- Ultramarines - deep cobalt blue, gold trim (the full recipe is in How to Paint Ultramarines).
- Blood Angels - deep red, gold trim.
- Dark Angels - dark green, bone robes.
- Imperial Fists - yellow (build yellow up from a brown/orange base for coverage).
- Space Wolves - blue-grey with lots of metal and fur.
- Salamanders - dark green with a green-stable energy and black skin.
Tips and common mistakes
- Two thin coats beats one thick coat. Almost every "my Marines look messy" problem traces back to over-thick paint.
- Don't over-wash. A full-model wash muddies the clean armour. Shade the recesses, not the panels.
- Gold trim last. Paint the trim after the armour so you can tidy any overspill with the armour colour, then a brown wash brings the gold to life.
- Decals over edge highlights. Apply transfers after highlighting, then a matt varnish blends them into the surface.
Recipes are generated by perceptual colour matching against our cross-brand paint database. Use them as a strong starting point and test paints in person when precision matters.