How to Paint Plasma Glow Effects

Paint the plasma coil white, then glaze outward with blue — Aethermatic Blue or Talassar Blue Contrast — building up layers to create a glow that fades naturally into the surrounding armour. Add thin blue-white glazes to adjacent armour surfaces to simulate object source lighting (OSL), making the plasma look like it’s genuinely casting light.

Plasma weapons are one of the most iconic visual elements in Warhammer 40k. Every Space Marine army, Imperial Guard squad, and Adeptus Mechanicus force features them, and a well-painted plasma glow can transform an ordinary model into a centrepiece. The technique itself isn’t complicated — it’s all about thin layers and patience.

This tutorial covers the plasma coil recipe, the fundamentals of object source lighting, how far to extend the glow, colour variations for different plasma types, and both quick and advanced methods.

How Do You Paint the Plasma Coil Itself?

The plasma coil is the glowing part of the weapon — the series of ridged coils visible on Warhammer plasma guns, plasma pistols, and plasma cannons. Painting the coil is the first step before adding any glow effects.

Step 1: Basecoat White

Paint the entire coil area with solid white (White Scar or any pure white). This takes 2-3 thin coats over primer. The white base is essential — it creates the intense, bright core of the glow. Any primer colour showing through dulls the final result. Take your time here because smooth white coverage makes everything that follows easier.

Step 2: Apply Blue to the Recesses

Using a medium blue (Teclis Blue, or Talassar Blue Contrast), paint into the recesses between the coil ridges. The ridges themselves should stay white — they’re the hottest, brightest part of the plasma. The blue sits in the gaps, creating immediate contrast and definition. If using Contrast paint, apply it thinly and let it flow into the recesses naturally.

Step 3: Darken the Deepest Recesses

Apply a darker blue (Kantor Blue or Macragge Blue) into the very deepest recesses — the bottom of each coil groove. This creates a three-value gradient across the coil: dark blue in the deepest recesses, medium blue in the valleys, and white on the ridges. The gradient simulates the plasma’s glow diminishing as it travels deeper into the weapon housing.

Step 4: Final Highlight

Touch up the coil ridges with pure white if any blue has crept onto them. The white ridges should be crisp and clean. Optionally, add a tiny dot of white to the centre of each ridge — this creates a specular highlight that makes the coil look like it’s emitting intense light.

What Is Object Source Lighting and How Does It Apply to Plasma?

Object source lighting (OSL) is the technique of painting light effects as if a light source on the model is casting light onto surrounding surfaces. For plasma weapons, this means painting a blue glow on the armour, hands, face, and body parts nearest the plasma coil.

OSL follows real physics: light intensity decreases with distance (inverse square law). On a miniature, this means the glow is strongest directly adjacent to the plasma coil and fades rapidly over a short distance. Surfaces facing the coil receive more light than surfaces angled away.

The most common mistake with OSL is making the glow too large or too intense. On a 28mm miniature, a plasma glow should extend no more than 5-10mm from the source. It should be subtle — visible but not overpowering the miniature’s other colours. Think of it as a tint on nearby surfaces, not a repaint.

How Do You Paint Plasma Glow OSL Step by Step?

This process assumes you’ve already painted the plasma coil (white with blue recesses) and the surrounding model is basecoated in its normal colours.

Step 1: Identify Surfaces That Would Catch Light

Hold the model and imagine the plasma coil is a real light source. Which surfaces face it? On a standard plasma gun held at chest height, the glow would hit: the firing hand and forearm, the chest plate beside the weapon, the underside of the chin/helmet, and the inside of the arm cradling the weapon. It would NOT hit: the back of the model, the legs (too far away), or surfaces angled away from the coil.

Step 2: Mix Your Glaze

Create a very thin glaze of your glow colour. Mix a medium blue (Teclis Blue or Lothern Blue) with a lot of water or glaze medium — about 5:1 or even 8:1 medium to paint. The glaze should be almost like coloured water. You want to shift the hue of the underlying paint slightly, not cover it. If you can see the blue clearly in one coat, it’s too thick.

Step 3: Apply Glazes in Layers

Apply the glaze to the surfaces you identified in Step 1. Start with the areas closest to the plasma coil — these get the most coats (3-5 layers). Move outward, applying fewer coats as you get further from the source (2-3 layers at mid-range, 1 layer at the outer edge). Let each coat dry completely before the next.

This layered approach creates a natural falloff. The surfaces nearest the plasma source become noticeably blue-tinted, while distant surfaces show only the faintest hint of colour. The transition should be gradual and believable.

Step 4: Add Hot Spots

On surfaces touching or directly adjacent to the plasma coil (the weapon casing around the coil, the fingers gripping it), add a stronger highlight. Mix white into your blue glaze for a lighter, more intense version and apply 1-2 coats to just these contact points. These hot spots are the most intense part of the glow and sell the illusion.

Step 5: Final White Highlight (Optional)

For maximum glow effect, add a tiny amount of near-white blue (Blue Horror + White Scar) to the very edges where the armour meets the plasma coil. This represents the point of maximum light intensity. Use a fine brush and apply sparingly — a little goes a long way.

How Far Should Plasma Glow Extend?

This is the critical judgement call that separates good OSL from bad OSL. Here are practical guidelines.

Infantry models (28-32mm): Extend the glow 5-8mm from the plasma source. On a standard Space Marine, this means the glow touches the hand, forearm, and the closest chest panel — and stops there. Don’t glow the entire torso or head unless the plasma is very close to them.

Larger models (vehicles, dreadnoughts): You can extend further because the model is larger, but the same proportional rule applies. The glow should cover roughly 20-30% of the area within arm’s reach of the source.

The “half the model” rule: If you find yourself glazing more than half the model’s surface with glow, you’ve gone too far. Pull back. The unlit areas of the model are just as important as the lit areas — they provide contrast that makes the glow visible. A model entirely bathed in blue glow just looks like a model painted blue.

Environmental OSL: If the plasma weapon is pointing at the ground, you can add a glow circle on the base directly below it. This is a nice touch that grounds the effect in the environment. Keep it small — a spot roughly the size of the weapon’s profile.

What Colours Work for Different Plasma Types?

While blue is the classic Warhammer plasma colour, different factions and editions have used various plasma colours. The technique is identical regardless of colour — only the paint choices change.

Blue plasma (classic, most common): White core → Lothern Blue → Teclis Blue → Kantor Blue. OSL glaze: Lothern Blue. This is the standard for Ultramarines, Imperial Guard, and most Imperial factions.

Stuck on a paint scheme? Roll a colour scheme with Citadel paint suggestions.

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Green plasma (2nd edition style, Necrons): White core → Moot Green → Warpstone Glow → Caliban Green. OSL glaze: Moot Green. Some painters use this for a retro look referencing older Warhammer box art.

Red/orange plasma (overcharged, Ryza): White core → Fire Dragon Bright → Troll Slayer Orange → Mephiston Red. OSL glaze: Troll Slayer Orange. Represents an overcharged or dangerously hot plasma coil. Suits Adeptus Mechanicus Ryza forces.

Purple plasma (Chaos, Dark Eldar): White core → Genestealer Purple → Xereus Purple → Naggaroth Night. OSL glaze: Genestealer Purple. Gives a Chaos corruption or Dark Eldar technology feel.

White-hot plasma: White core → Blue Horror → White Scar (no colour variation). OSL glaze: Blue Horror. Represents extremely intense plasma. Minimalist and striking.

What Is the Quick Method for Painting Plasma Glow?

If you’re batch-painting and need fast plasma effects, this three-step method works well.

Step 1: Paint the coil white (2 coats).

Step 2: Wash the coil with Aethermatic Blue Contrast (one coat). Let it pool in the recesses and stay thin on the ridges. The Contrast paint does the gradient work automatically — blue in recesses, near-white on ridges.

Step 3: Touch up the coil ridges with white if needed. Done.

Skip the OSL entirely for speed painting. The coil itself will still look great. OSL is the icing, not the cake. A well-painted plasma coil without OSL looks far better than sloppy OSL that overwhelms the model.

What Is the Advanced Method for Maximum Glow Effect?

For display pieces or character models, add these extra steps after the standard technique.

Reflected light on metallic surfaces: If the weapon casing is metallic (gun metal, silver), mix your glow colour into the metallic paint for surfaces near the coil. This creates coloured metallic reflections — blue-tinged silver — which is extremely realistic.

Gloss varnish the coil: Apply gloss varnish to just the plasma coil. The reflective surface contrasts with the matte-varnished rest of the model, creating a subtle “wet energy” look. This is especially effective under display lighting.

Airbrush the glow: An airbrush can spray a perfectly smooth, fading glow around the plasma source. Use highly thinned blue at very low PSI (10-12) and spray outward from the coil. This produces a glow gradient impossible to achieve by brush. For airbrush setup, see our airbrush miniatures tutorial.

Darken the opposite side: If the plasma lights one side of the model, subtly darken the opposite side with a thin glaze of the model’s shadow colour. This contrast — lit side vs unlit side — makes the OSL dramatically more convincing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paint gives the best plasma glow effect?

Aethermatic Blue Contrast is the single best paint for quick plasma coils. Applied over white, it creates an instant blue-white gradient. For OSL glazing, Lothern Blue thinned to a glaze consistency gives the most controllable results. For an even easier option, Tesseract Glow (green) or Magos Purple Contrast applied over white produce excellent alternative plasma colours.

Should you paint plasma before or after the rest of the model?

Paint the plasma coil first (during basecoating), then paint the rest of the model, then add OSL glazes last. Adding OSL last ensures you’re glazing over finished paint — you can see exactly how the glow looks against the final colours. If you add OSL too early, subsequent paint layers may cover it.

How do you fix OSL that’s too strong?

Glaze over the too-blue areas with a thin wash of the original armour colour. This pushes back the glow without completely removing it. For example, if blue OSL on red armour is too strong, glaze a thin layer of the red back over it. Two or three passes will reduce the glow to a subtle tint. If it’s beyond saving, repaint the affected area and start the OSL with thinner glazes.

Does plasma glow look good on dark armour?

Plasma glow looks best on dark armour because the contrast is highest. Blue glow on black armour (Black Templars, Deathwatch, Raven Guard) is strikingly visible. On light armour (white Scars, bone-coloured Death Guard), the glow is more subtle and requires a heavier application to be visible. Adjust your glaze strength based on the armour’s darkness.

Can you dry brush plasma glow?

Dry brushing works well for the plasma coil itself — dry brush white over a blue basecoat to pick out the coil ridges quickly. For OSL, dry brushing is too rough and creates a chalky, unnatural effect. Glazing is the correct technique for OSL because it creates smooth, transparent colour shifts.

How do you paint plasma on vehicles?

The same technique scaled up. Vehicle-mounted plasma (Leman Russ plasma cannons, Knight Castellan plasma decimators) have larger coils that are easier to paint. The OSL can extend further on a vehicle because the light source is larger. An airbrush is particularly useful for vehicle plasma OSL — it can create a smooth, fading glow across large flat panels that would be very difficult to achieve with brush glazing alone.

Can you use Contrast paint for OSL glazes?

Yes, if you thin it heavily with Contrast Medium. A blue Contrast paint like Aethermatic Blue thinned this way makes a smooth, transparent glaze that shifts the colour of nearby armour without covering it. Build it up in several coats, with more layers nearest the plasma coil, just as you would with thinned Lothern Blue.

What is the difference between a glaze and a wash?

A glaze is a very thin, transparent layer applied over a whole area to tint it, while a wash or shade is designed to flow into recesses and darken them. For plasma OSL you want glazes, which shift the colour of armour panels gradually. A wash would pool in the panel lines instead of tinting the raised surfaces that would really catch the light.

How to Paint Plasma Glow Effects — OSL Tutorial