Citadel Paints

All Citadel paints are now water based acrylic paints. Base and Layer paints give results similar to traditional acrylic paints, with an opaque finish.

Shade and Contrast paints are translucent and have a more ink-like finish. Because they have different properties from Base and Layer paints, they tend to settle in deeply recessed parts of miniatures, hence giving the surface more depth than a single coat of Base/Later paints. You can read more about Citadel paints at their official website.

Citadel Base and Layer paints will usually need thinning with water. You can use a painting palette to do this on, though it is much easier to do this using a wet palette. Our personal recommendation would be a Redgrass wet palette.

Base paints are generally thicker than Layer paints. Base paints are designed to cover large areas of a miniature in the main colour of that part. Layer paints are then applied on top of this to give the miniature more depth and contrast. In reality, you can use Base and Layer paints interchangeably. Just remember to apply extra coats of Layer as a base coat and to properly thin any Base paints you are using for layering.

Yes! The whole Citadel paint range is water based, so soap and water is enough to wash it off. If it is applied to clothes, it can also be easily washed using a detergent in a washing machine.

If a water based paint is used, it can be easily removed using a paint stripper such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Soak the painted miniature in a bath of IPA for around 40 minutes. After this, it’s best to use an old toothbrush to remove the paint, which should easily clean off now. 

Warning: Please use caution when handling IPA. It should be used in a well ventilated area and not near any heat, as it is flammable. It should always be handled by a responsible adult.