How to Use Shades to Add Contrast to Miniatures (7 Simple Steps)

You’ve basecoated your model. The paint is opaque and smooth—but it looks flat. That flatness comes from a lack of contrast.

Contrast is the movement from light to dark across a surface. It’s what gives a miniature depth, weight, and presence. Without it, even clean paint jobs feel unfinished.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to add contrast to miniatures is with a shade, often called a wash. To add contrast with shades, load a brush lightly with wash, let it pool naturally in recesses, guide it gently where needed, and leave it untouched until fully dry.

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In this article, I’ll show you how to use premade shades (or washes) to add contrast to your model. Premade shades are the simplest and most reliable place to start. Here are 7 simple steps for how to use a shade on miniatures.

Miniature painting guide showing how to use shading washes to add contrast to a basecoated model.

Step 1. Choose the Right Shade Color for Your Miniature

Every shade affects the color beneath it. That choice is never neutral. For this simple guide, I’m using a banner that I basecoated earlier to show you how to use a shade.

Basecoated miniature banner prepared for applying a shade wash to add contrast. — I basecoated this miniature banner using a Fur Brown paint.

If you’re unsure where to begin, start with a neutral shade. Agrax Earthshade, an earthy brown, and Nuln Oil, a soft black, are both dependable options. Each shade adds depth while keeping most of the main color of your basecoat.

Citadel Agrax Earthshade wash bottle commonly used to shade miniatures and add depth. — The most versatile store-bought wash (shade) you can find—Agrax Earthshade.

Miniature cape shaded with Agrax Earthshade wash to create depth and contrast. — This cape was painted using a combination of techniques. But a simple wash application of a pre-made shade laid the foundation.

Citadel shades (washes) work well with a broad range of miniature hobby colors. If follow some simple rules—following below—you can almost never screw up.

Warhammer Skaven miniatures after applying a shade wash to simple basecoats for contrast. — I painted these Warhammer Age of Sigmar Skaven miniatures using simple basecoats of color, followed by a wash application of Agrax Earthshade—using the exact simple method shown in this article.

Step 2. Shake the Shade Bottle Well

Shades are a mixture of pigment, solvent, and binder. Their performance depends on that balance. See this article if you’re wondering about the difference between shades, inks and washes?

Mini paint vortex mixer used to properly mix shade washes before applying to miniatures. — A mini paint shaker can help you along. It quickly mixes the wash/paint media so it works as intended.

Pro Tip: Don’t dilute or thin your pre-made Citadel hobby shades. Use them straight out of the pot.

If your bottle hasn’t been used recently, heavier pigments will settle at the bottom. Shake thoroughly until the mixture is fully mixed. I use a vortex mixer, but a bit of elbow grease will do. A poorly mixed shade won’t behave well on a model.

Step 3. Load Your Brush Carefully

Washes are thin, and thin media demands control.

Dip your brush only up to the ferrule—the metal part that holds the bristles. The bristles should carry the liquid, not the ferrule. Any wash that reaches the metal will run straight off, often onto model areas you don’t want to touch—or your clothes!

Loading a brush with a controlled amount of shade wash for miniature painting. — Touch the bristles to the surface of the wash media. Let capillary action do the work. Don’t soak your brush. Try to avoid getting wash media on the ferrule—the metal part of the brush.

You want enough wash that it stays on the brush without threatening to drip off. Aim for control, control, control.

Step 4. “Roll the Brush” Onto the Model

Rather than “painting” the shade on, think of “rolling” it onto the surface. Roll the bristles onto your model, letting the shade pool.

Applying a shade wash to a miniature using a rolling brush motion instead of painting strokes. — A light touch should do it. Pull and roll your bristles off the model.

Use a gentle motion with almost no pressure. Let the shade leave the brush naturally, then guide it into the recesses where shadows belong. The shade should balance within and stick to recesses.

Dragging a brush to guide shade wash into recesses on a miniature model. — A heavier coat of wash is called for; not thin like painting normal colors.

At this stage, you’re placing the wash and not spreading it thin. Deposit a shade; it’s not painting. Continue below to see what I mean.

Miniature with controlled shade wash application showing pooled shadows in recessed areas. — I applied the shading on this miniature in controlled applications.

Step 5. Control the Shade Coat

Drag the brush. Don’t scrub. Don’t paint.

Shade wash pooling naturally in miniature recesses to create shadow contrast. — This is exactly the application you’re aiming for. A bit of run, but not so much that the wash drips off or creates a mess. You’ll find the balance with practice. You may need to soak up a bit of wash—just a bit—to avoid drips. But, the idea is to create “pools” of darkness.

The wash does not need to be thin. It needs to pool. Pooling is where the shade does its real work. Pigment gathers in recesses and low points, darkening them automatically.

Close-up of shade wash pooling in fine details to enhance miniature contrast. — The details come alive with a good shade wash.

This is the key strength of washes. They place shadows for you, creating contrast without careful brushwork. It should be easy and satisfying. No fuss.

Wet shade wash settling into recessed areas of a miniature during drying. — Pigments pool naturally. Let it do its work.

Step 6. Let the Shade Dry Completely

The most important part of shading is knowing when to stop.

As the wash dries, you’ll see a thin film form across the surface, similar to the crust on a pie. Once that film starts to form, don’t touch it!

Set the model down and walk away. Most washes dry within 5 to 10 minutes.

Miniature left undisturbed while a shade wash dries to avoid surface marks. — There is a microscopic film of drying shade forming. Don’t touch it!

Step 7. Done. Inspect the Result

Let air exposure do the work. Disturbing a drying wash is the fastest way to ruin the finish.

Once dry, evaluate the model.

Finished miniature after a shade wash has fully dried, showing increased contrast. — OH, this is beautiful, and oh, so easy!

Is the contrast strong enough?

If yes, you’re ready to move on.

Close-up view of dried shade wash highlighting recessed details on a miniature. — Notice how the dark pigments naturally settle into the recesses? This creates the shadow contrast you’re looking for. Zoom out. Investigate.

If not, apply another layer of wash and let it dry fully again. Multiple controlled passes are better than trying to force results in one go.

This is your call. You’re done when you think the areas of shadow are dark enough for you.

Remember, that the more layers of shade/wash you add, the darker the overall model will become.

Don’t worry, you can bring back the brightness in later steps by painting over a bit of the raised areas with your original basecoat paint color again.