Dear DipIt,
I think something is wrong with my Speedpaint.
I opened my bottle of Zealot Yellow and it looks orange. And when I used Speedpaint Holy White on my miniature it came out grey instead of bright white. Did I get bad paint?!
— Serious Speedpainter
Hi, Serious Speedpainter. If you’ve ever opened a bottle of Speedpaint and thought “that doesn’t look like the colour on the label,” you’re definitely not alone. White and yellow Speedpaints are two colours in particular that can confuse painters the most — especially if you’re used to traditional acrylic paints.
The good news? Your paints are okay! They're working exactly as intended.
Speedpaints behave a little differently than regular paints because they’re designed to do multiple things at once: basecoat, shade, and highlight. That means the colour you see in the bottle — or even the first time you apply it — might not be what you expect.
Let’s break down why Speedpaint white can look grey, why Zealot Yellow sometimes looks orange, and how to get the results you’re aiming for.
What’s Actually Happening
Speedpaint 2.0 is a one-coat painting solution. This means that in just a single coat, it provides a base colour, intense shading, and highlighting effects. It’s designed to flow into recesses on your miniature and leave highlights on raised areas in one step. Because of that, Speedpaint is closer to a highly pigmented wash or ink than a traditional acrylic paint.
That means:
- The colour you see in the bottle is usually the paint at its darkest concentration.
- The colour you see on the model is the paint in a thin, transparent layer.
When you apply Speedpaint over a light basecoat, the colour will look much brighter than it does in the bottle.
Let’s Talk About Speedpaint “White”
You asked about white Speedpaint. Since colours like Holy White and Blinding Light are not opaque acrylics, it’s impossible for them to paint on as pure white. True white has no darker shade to create contrast. These white Speedpaints are designed to be painted on top of a pure white undercoat, where they will collect as a light grey in the recesses, tint the flat areas slightly off-white, and leave the raised edges as a pure white.
Let’s break down the process.
- Start with a white or off-white basecoat
- Apply Holy White or another white Speedpaint
- Let it settle into recesses
- Add pure white highlights with Warpaints Fanatic afterward if you want brighter edges
Why Zealot Yellow Looks Orange
This is another common question. When painters first open a bottle of Speedpaint Zealot Yellow, they often notice the colour looks darker or more orange than expected. That’s totally normal, we promise. Zealot Yellow naturally leans warm and slightly orange, which helps it create stronger shading and contrast on the miniature. On the most raised parts of your mini, it will look like a deep yellow with just a hint of orange to it.
If you want a brighter yellow finish on your model, you can add a traditional yellow highlight on top of the Speedpaint layer once it’s dry.
Common Speedpaint Beginner Mistakes
If you think Speedpaint looks strange on your minis, check for these common issues:
- Did you judge the colour by the bottle? Speedpaints almost always look darker in the bottle.
- Is your basecoat too dark? Speedpaint is transparent. We recommend using Matt White Colour Primer.
- Did you apply too much Speedpaint? Heavy pooling can make colours look darker than intended.
- Did you expect opaque coverage? Remember, Speedpaints are meant to tint and shade, not cover like a basecoat.
Learn more tips about using Speedpaint in this edition of Paint Like a Pro.
DipIt’s Final Take
Speedpaints can feel a bit magical once you understand what they do, which is handle multiple painting steps with a single coat. You get the basecoat, shades, and highlight done all at the same time. It’s an excellent way to get tabletop-ready minis in a short period of time. Just keep in mind that when it comes to certain colours – like whites and Zealot Yellow – they may look different than the same hues in acrylics.
