How to Paint Lenses and Gems on Miniatures

Paint lenses using a gradient from dark to light in the opposite direction to natural light — dark at the top, light at the bottom, with a tiny white dot in the dark area. This creates the illusion of a translucent, reflective gem or lens. The technique works for helmet visors, gemstones, spirit stones, vehicle optics, and any small glassy surface on your miniatures.

Painting convincing lenses and gems is one of those skills that looks incredibly impressive on the tabletop but is actually far simpler than most hobbyists expect. The entire effect relies on one optical trick: reversing the natural light gradient. In real life, light hits the top of objects and shadow falls at the bottom. By painting the opposite — light at the bottom, dark at the top — you trick the eye into seeing a translucent, refractive surface rather than an opaque one.

This guide covers every aspect of lens painting: the core red lens recipe, alternative colours (green, blue, purple), different sizes from tiny eyes to large vehicle optics, the difference between lenses and gems, and both a quick tabletop method and an advanced display technique.

What Is the Core Technique for Painting Lenses?

The fundamental technique is the same regardless of colour. You are creating a reversed gradient with a specular highlight (the white dot). Here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Base Coat the Entire Lens

Paint the entire lens area with the darkest shade of your chosen colour. For a red lens, this would be Khorne Red or Mephiston Red. For green, use Caliban Green. For blue, use Kantor Blue. The base coat should be solid and smooth — apply two thin coats if needed.

Step 2: Paint the Lower Half with a Mid-Tone

Using your mid-tone colour, paint the lower half to two-thirds of the lens. Keep the darkest colour visible at the top. For red, use Evil Sunz Scarlet. For green, use Warpstone Glow. For blue, use Caledor Sky. The transition line should be roughly horizontal across the middle of the lens.

Step 3: Add a Bright Spot at the Bottom

Paint a smaller crescent or spot of bright colour at the very bottom of the lens. For red, use Wild Rider Red or Fire Dragon Bright. For green, use Moot Green. For blue, use Lothern Blue. This spot should be roughly the bottom quarter of the lens.

Step 4: Add the White Specular Highlight

This is the step that makes the whole effect work. Place a tiny dot of pure white (White Scar) in the upper portion of the lens — in the dark area. This dot represents the reflection of a light source on the lens surface. The counterintuitive placement — bright dot in the dark area — is what sells the illusion of transparency.

Step 5 (Optional): Gloss Varnish

Apply a coat of gloss varnish such as Ardcoat to the lens. This adds a genuine reflective sheen that reinforces the illusion of a smooth, glassy surface.

How Do You Paint Red Lenses? — Full Recipe

Red is the most common lens colour in Warhammer — Space Marine helmet lenses, vehicle targeting optics, and weapon sights all typically feature red lenses.

Paints needed: Khorne Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, Wild Rider Red (or Fire Dragon Bright), White Scar, Ardcoat (optional).

Step 1: Base the entire lens with Khorne Red. Two thin coats for solid coverage.

Step 2: Paint the lower two-thirds with Evil Sunz Scarlet. Leave a crescent of Khorne Red visible at the top.

Step 3: Paint the lower third with Wild Rider Red. This bright orange-red creates the brightest part of the refracted gradient.

Step 4: Place a tiny dot of White Scar in the upper-left area (in the Khorne Red section).

Step 5: Apply Ardcoat over the entire lens for a gloss finish.

The entire process takes about 2-3 minutes per lens once you have the technique down. On a squad of 10 Space Marines, you can complete all 20 lenses in under an hour.

How Do You Paint Green Lenses?

Green lenses are common on Tau battlesuits, some Eldar models, and Necron gauss weapons.

Paints needed: Caliban Green, Warpstone Glow, Moot Green, White Scar.

Recipe: Base with Caliban Green (whole lens), then Warpstone Glow (lower two-thirds), then Moot Green (lower third), then White Scar dot (upper area). Finish with Ardcoat.

Green lenses tend to look more alien and technological than red ones, making them ideal for xenos armies or for contrast on warm-toned armour.

How Do You Paint Blue Lenses?

Blue lenses work well for psychic effects, force weapons, and a cold analytical appearance. Popular on Grey Knights, Thousand Sons, and Craftworld Eldar.

Paints needed: Kantor Blue, Caledor Sky, Lothern Blue, White Scar.

Recipe: Base with Kantor Blue, then Caledor Sky (lower two-thirds), then Lothern Blue (lower third), then White Scar dot (upper area). Finish with Ardcoat.

For a more vibrant electric blue, substitute Baharroth Blue for Lothern Blue in the brightest step.

What Is the Difference Between Painting Lenses and Gems?

The technique is fundamentally the same — both use the reversed gradient with a specular highlight. The differences are in application and context:

Lenses (helmet visors, targeting optics, vehicle sensors) are typically flat or slightly convex surfaces set into a frame. The gradient should be smooth and consistent. Lenses benefit more from gloss varnish, as real lenses are smooth and reflective.

Gems and spirit stones (Eldar spirit stones, decorative gems) are typically raised, rounded surfaces. When painting gems, you can add a thin line of the mid-tone colour along the bottom edge to represent light refracting through the curved base. This makes rounded gems look more three-dimensional.

Spirit stones on Eldar models are usually teardrop-shaped and represent soul stones. They are painted using the standard gem technique but with colours matching their Craftworld — warm red on Saim-Hann, blue on Alaitoc, green on Biel-Tan.

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

Generate a scheme →

How Do You Paint Large Lenses and Vehicle Optics?

Larger lenses — on Dreadnought sarcophagi, Land Raider targeting arrays, or Tau sensor clusters — benefit from more detailed work because their size makes shortcuts visible.

For large lenses, add additional gradient steps. Instead of three colours, use four or five. You can also add subtle effects:

Cross-hair lines: On targeting optics, paint very thin lines in a cross pattern to suggest a targeting reticle.

Multiple specular highlights: Large lenses can support two white dots — a primary bright one and a smaller secondary one.

Edge highlighting the frame: The frame around large lenses should be edge-highlighted carefully.

Subtle colour variation: On very large lenses (Knight or Titan-sized), introduce slight colour variation to suggest complex refraction.

What Is the Quick Method for Batch Painting Lenses?

When you need to paint lenses on 50+ models for an army, here is a faster method:

Step 1: Base the lens with a mid-tone colour (Evil Sunz Scarlet for red).

Step 2: Apply a wash of the darkest shade (Carroburg Crimson for red). Let it pool naturally — it will darken the top and edges.

Step 3: Touch the very bottom with a bright dot (Wild Rider Red).

Step 4: White dot in the upper area.

This method produces a surprisingly effective lens that reads correctly from gaming distance. Perfect for ranked infantry where speed matters.

How Do You Paint Glowing Lenses with OSL?

For a more dramatic effect, combine the lens technique with Object Source Lighting (OSL) to make lenses appear to actually emit light.

After painting the lens normally, apply a thin glaze of the lens colour to the surfaces immediately surrounding the lens. For a red lens, glaze Evil Sunz Scarlet mixed with Lahmian Medium onto the helmet around the eye lenses. The glaze should be strongest right next to the lens and fade to nothing within a few millimetres.

This creates the impression of coloured light spilling from the lens. Use this sparingly — a subtle glow is far more effective than an aggressive one.

Common Mistakes When Painting Lenses

Mistake 1: Painting the gradient in the natural direction. If you paint dark at the bottom and light at the top, the lens looks like a flat, opaque surface. The reversed gradient is essential.

Mistake 2: Making the white dot too large. The specular highlight should be a tiny dot, not a large blob. Use the very tip of your finest brush.

Mistake 3: Placing the white dot in the bright area. The dot must go in the dark area of the lens.

Mistake 4: Too many colours. On small lenses (5mm or less), three gradient colours plus the white dot is the maximum.

Mistake 5: Forgetting gloss varnish. After matte varnishing your model, go back and apply Ardcoat to lenses to restore the gloss finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What brush size should I use for painting lenses?

Use a size 0 or 00 detail brush. The key is a sharp point rather than a small brush — a well-maintained size 1 with a perfect tip can paint smaller details than a cheap size 000. Winsor and Newton Series 7 size 0 or Artis Opus Series S size 0 are excellent choices.

Can I use Contrast paints for lenses?

Contrast paints can work for the quick batch method — apply Blood Angels Red over a white undercoat and the paint will naturally create a gradient as it pools. Add a white dot once dry. This is the fastest method but less controlled.

How do I fix a mistake on a tiny lens?

Do not try to fix it in place — you will make it worse. Instead, paint over the entire lens with your base coat colour and start again. A clean restart takes 2 minutes and produces a much better result.

Should all lenses on a model be the same colour?

Not necessarily. Different lenses can represent different systems. However, keep similar lenses (both eye lenses on a helmet) the same colour. Variation between different types of lenses (eyes vs weapon sights vs vehicle sensors) can add visual interest.

Do I paint lenses before or after shading the rest of the model?

Paint lenses as one of the last steps, after all basecoating, shading, and highlighting is complete. This prevents accidentally getting wash or highlight paint on your carefully painted lenses.

How do I paint purple lenses?

Use the same reversed gradient. Base the lens with Naggaroth Night, paint the lower two-thirds with Xereus Purple, add Genestealer Purple to the bottom third, then place a tiny White Scar dot in the dark upper area. Finish with Ardcoat. Purple lenses look striking on green, yellow or bone armour.

Can I use Gemstone technical paints for lenses?

Yes, for a fast glossy finish. Basecoat the lens with a bright silver such as Stormhost Silver, then apply one coat of Spiritstone Red, Waystone Green or Soulstone Blue. The metal shows through and gives a jewel-like sheen. Add a white reflection dot in the upper area to sharpen the effect.