Speed Paints
Speed paints, also known as contrast paints or one coat paints, have transformed miniature painting. Instead of spending hours layering and shading, these paints are designed to deliver strong colour, smooth coverage, and natural highlights and shadows in a single application. The formula allows paint to flow into recesses while leaving raised areas lighter, creating a shaded and highlighted effect that looks like multiple stages of painting – all in one step.
For hobbyists, this means faster results without compromising quality. Entire armies can be painted in a fraction of the usual time, making speed paints especially popular with players who want their forces tabletop-ready quickly. At the same time, painters who enjoy experimenting find them incredibly versatile. Speed paints can be used as glazes, for tinting metallics, or as a base for more advanced techniques, offering flexibility far beyond their name.
On this page, you’ll find four of the leading ranges of speed paints available today. Games Workshop’s Citadel Contrast Paints range set the benchmark, opening the door to this style of painting. The Army Painter Speedpaint range quickly followed, bringing an affordable and wide-reaching palette. Vallejo, trusted worldwide for their paints, created Xpress Color with the same one-coat philosophy, delivered in their familiar dropper bottles. And AK Interactive’s Quick Gen Colour offers a bold, modern take with strong pigmentation and smooth application.
Buy Speed Paints
Great Discounts!
-
Contrast Paints - Games Workshop
Buy Contrast PaintsGames Workshop’s Citadel Contrast paints set the standard for contrast-style painting. Each colour flows into the recesses for instant shading while leaving raised areas brighter, giving you a layered effect in a single step. They’re hugely popular with Warhammer players and miniature painters who want reliable, vibrant finishes.
-
Speedpaint - The Army Painter
Buy Speedpaint paintsArmy Painter Speedpaints are built around efficiency, with a wide palette that covers everything from natural tones to bold fantasy colours. Known for smooth application and strong pigments, they make painting whole armies much faster. The updated Speedpaint 2.0 range also improved reactivation and consistency, making them a strong choice for gamers and painters alike.
-
Xpress Color - Vallejo
Buy Xpress Color PaintsVallejo’s Xpress Color range delivers the same one-coat coverage you’d expect from a speed paint, combined with Vallejo’s trusted quality. Packaged in dropper bottles for precision, they flow smoothly and leave natural highlights and shadows. With a balanced palette and easy handling, they’re especially popular with hobbyists who value control and consistency.
-
Quick Gen Colour - AK Interactive
Buy Quick Gen Colour PaintsQuick Gen is AK Interactive’s entry into the speed paint market, focusing on vibrant colour and natural shading in a single layer. They’re formulated for fast, efficient painting, giving miniatures a bold look with minimal effort. Quick Gen has quickly earned praise for its coverage and finish, making it a competitive alternative to the longer-established ranges.
