Compare the jobs, not just the labels
| Approach | What it does | A useful starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Speedpainting with translucent paint | Uses the undercoat and surface detail to influence shadows and highlights. | Textured cloth, fur, and batches of gaming miniatures. |
| Layering | Places progressively lighter or darker colours in selected areas. | Armour panels and readable, controlled highlights. |
| Glazing | Uses thin transparent applications to adjust colour or soften a transition. | Refining focal areas after a base and highlights are established. |
These are options to test, not a rule that every army must use one technique. A model can have speedpainted clothing and carefully layered armour.
Start with a suitable undercoat
The Army Painter recommends light primers such as white, beige, or ash grey for vibrant Speedpaint results. Its official application guidance also recommends a hard palette and describes its dedicated medium for thinning.
A pre-shaded undercoat is another experiment, rather than a requirement for every translucent paint. Try your chosen colour over a plain light primer and your planned pre-shading on separate test pieces. Pick the result you prefer before preparing a whole unit.
Control the paint while it is wet
Plan one manageable area at a time. Watch the underside of folds and the edges of flat panels for unwanted pooling. Avoid repeatedly brushing through a section that has begun to dry; allow it to settle before deciding whether to correct it.
Changing the primer, thinning, or brush load halfway through a squad can change its appearance. Keep those choices consistent until you have a reason to alter them, and record the change when you do.
Use glazing for a specific correction
Start with a purpose: soften the boundary between two layers, shift a highlight towards the midtone, or add a tint to a small area. Test a transparent mix, unload excess liquid, and make a controlled pass. Let it dry before judging its strength.
A glaze should not flood the surface like a broad wash. If you cannot see an effect after one pass, that may be appropriate for a subtle adjustment. Build gradually instead of compensating with a large wet brush load.
Try a hybrid workflow on one model
- Choose a small test model from the unit.
- Establish colour on textured areas with your selected translucent paint.
- Use opaque basecoats and deliberate highlights on armour or other focal areas.
- Try glazing only where a transition needs refinement.
- Write down what you would repeat before starting the rest of the squad.
For a blue-armour example, use our Ultramarine painting guide. The goal is a repeatable result you enjoy, not a promise of competition finishes or a fixed number of minutes per model.
Turn the method into a session plan
Split the work into actions you can stop between: basecoat the cloth, tidy the armour, or highlight the helmets. Keep the necessary paints ready before starting. After the session, record the next action while you still remember it.
MiniPaint AI can keep those recipe notes and session records together. For a practical way to choose which project gets that session, read how to organise a miniature painting backlog.