Hello again, curious hobbyists. If you've spent any time learning about miniature painting, you've probably come across the term layering. It's one of the most common techniques in the hobby, but many tutorials jump straight into using it without explaining what it actually means… which seems like a strange place to start.
So let's clear it up.
What Is Layering (in Miniature Painting)?
Layering is a miniature painting technique where you build highlights and shadows by applying successive layers of paint, leaving some of the previous layer visible.
Rather than covering an area completely each time, each new layer is applied to a slightly smaller area than the last, usually where you want more light or more colour intensity. This creates a gradual transition between colours and helps give the miniature more depth and definition.
Painters commonly use layering to:
- Build highlights and deepen shadows
- Create smoother colour transitions
- Make surfaces look more three-dimensional
At its core, layering is simply painting one colour on top of another in a controlled way.
In DipIt’s Own Words
Imagine you're painting a blue cloak. You start with a dark blue basecoat. Then you paint a lighter blue on the raised folds. Then an even lighter blue on the areas that would catch the most light. You haven't painted over everything that came before. You've left parts of each colour showing.
That's layering. You're gradually building light and shadow instead of trying to paint them all at once.
Our Flexible Colour Triads are designed to help you pick out those colours without guessing. They come with base, shade, and highlight colours to make it simple. Learn more about how the Flexible Triad System works.
Why Miniature Painters Use Layering
Layering is popular because it gives painters direct control over where highlights and shadows appear.
-
It Creates Smoother Transitions
Instead of jumping from one colour to another, layering creates intermediate steps between them. This can make highlights and shadows look more natural. -
It Helps Define Shapes
By placing lighter layers on raised areas and darker colours in lower areas, you can make armour, cloth, skin, and other surfaces appear more dimensional. -
It Works on Almost Anything
Layering can be used on cloaks, armour, weapons, creatures, skin tones, vehicles, and just about any other surface you'll find on a miniature. -
It Combines Well with Other Techniques
Many painters use layering alongside washes, glazing, drybrushing, and edge highlighting as part of the same project.
How Layering Differs from Glazing
This is a common point of confusion. Layering uses paint with enough opacity to create visible steps between colours. Glazing uses much thinner, more transparent paint to subtly shift colour and soften transitions.
Glazing is a type of layering through the use of thinner, more transparent colours. Every glaze is a layer, but every layer isn’t a glaze.
Many painters use both techniques together. Learn more about glazing in a previous instalment of DipIt’s Mini Painting Dictionary.
Common Layering Beginner Mistakes
Like every painting technique, layering takes practice. Here are a few common mistakes to watch out for.
- Covering the entire previous layer – If every layer completely hides the one beneath it, you lose the transition.
- Making colour jumps too large – Smaller changes between colours usually create smoother results.
- Using paint that is too thick – Thick paint can leave visible texture and brush marks.
- Expecting instant results – Smooth layering is often built through several passes, not one perfect stroke.
- Leaving too much water on your brush – Thinned paint is good but too much water means you won’t have control over the paint.
Do You Need Layering?
You do you. No Rules. Just Paint.
There are plenty of ways to paint miniatures, and many fantastic results are achieved using techniques like drybrushing, washes, and Speedpaints. That said, layering is one of the foundational skills in miniature painting. Learning it can help you better understand highlights, shadows, and how light interacts with a model.
Where Layering Fits in the Painting Process
Layering usually happens after the basecoat stage. Painters often use it to:
- Build highlights
- Reinforce shadows
- Reestablish colour after a wash
- Refine surfaces before edge highlighting or glazing
DipIt’s Final Take
Layering isn't the fastest technique in miniature painting, but it is quite versatile. It gives you control over where colour goes, helps create smoother transitions, and teaches you how light and shadow work on a miniature. And once you understand that, a lot of other painting techniques start to make more sense.
