Collection: Games Workshop Shade Paints
If one type of paint makes the biggest difference for the least effort, it’s Shades. These thin washes flow straight into the recesses, panel lines and sculpted detail of a model, pooling in the shadows and leaving the raised areas clean. One coat over a dried basecoat and a flat miniature suddenly looks like it belongs on a display shelf. There’s a good reason experienced painters call them the closest thing the hobby has to a cheat code.
Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil are the two most-used pots in the entire hobby — Agrax for a warm brown over leather, bone, wood and gold; Nuln Oil for a cool black that makes metallics and armour panels instantly snap. From there the range covers every colour family: Reikland Fleshshade for natural skin tones, Drakenhof Nightshade for cold blues, Biel-Tan Green for scales and Ork flesh, plus Seraphim Sepia for warm parchment and Carroburg Crimson for reds and purples.
Each 18ml pot is a water-based acrylic wash built to do the shading work for you. Apply over a matte base with a soft brush, let it settle, and resist the urge to overload — a little goes a long way, and any excess can be tidied with the base colour once dry. For the boldest effect, shade before you highlight, and let each coat dry fully before moving on. Shades also double brilliantly as glazes and weathering washes, so a couple of well-chosen pots will stretch across an entire army.
If you’re just starting out, Agrax and Nuln Oil alone will carry you a long way — add the coloured shades as your schemes grow. Pair these with the Base and Layer ranges for a complete Classic Method workflow, or browse all Games Workshop paints at R&R Hobbies.
