Yellow is notoriously streaky over dark primers. The trick: prime white or spray Wraithbone first, then apply Imperial Fists Contrast paint for instant smooth coverage. For the traditional method: Averland Sunset basecoat, Casandora Yellow wash, Yriel Yellow layer. Both methods produce clean yellow armour when done correctly.
Yellow armour strikes fear into the hearts of miniature painters. It is, without exaggeration, the most technically challenging colour to paint smoothly on miniatures. Yellow pigments are extremely translucent, meaning they require many more coats than other colours to achieve opacity. Over a dark primer, yellow often looks patchy, streaky, and uneven no matter how careful you are.
But yellow armour does not have to be a nightmare. Modern paints and techniques have made painting yellow far more manageable than it was even a few years ago. Contrast paints, in particular, have revolutionised yellow painting. This guide covers both the traditional and modern approaches so you can choose the method that works best for your skill level and patience.
Why Is Yellow So Hard to Paint?
Yellow paint has the worst coverage of any standard colour because yellow pigments are inherently translucent. Where black, blue, or green paints can achieve full coverage in one to two coats, yellow may require four to six coats over a dark primer — and each coat risks adding brushstroke texture.
The problems with yellow paint include:
- Transparency — yellow pigments do not block light effectively. The colour beneath always shows through to some degree, which is why yellow over black looks greenish or brownish rather than clean yellow.
- Streaking — because you need many coats, brushstrokes accumulate and become visible. Each layer adds texture, and by the fourth or fifth coat, the surface can look rough and uneven.
- Colour shift — yellow over dark surfaces shifts toward green or brown. Yellow over white looks clean but can appear washed out. Getting the right shade of yellow requires controlling the undercoat.
- Staining — yellow is easily stained by washes and adjacent colours. A careless wash can ruin hours of careful layering.
Understanding these challenges is the first step to overcoming them. The key to successful yellow is controlling the undercoat and using the right products.
What Is the Best Method for Yellow Armour?
The best method depends on your priorities. For speed and ease, use Imperial Fists Contrast paint over a white or Wraithbone primer — this produces excellent yellow in one coat. For maximum control and a traditional finish, use Averland Sunset over a warm primer, layer with Yriel Yellow, and highlight with Flash Gitz Yellow.
Here are the three main approaches, ranked by ease:
- Contrast method (easiest) — spray Wraithbone, apply Imperial Fists Contrast paint. Done. The Contrast paint shades and highlights automatically. Add edge highlights with Flash Gitz Yellow or Dorn Yellow for a polished finish.
- Spray and layer (intermediate) — spray Averland Sunset directly over a light primer. Layer Yriel Yellow on raised areas. Edge highlight with Flash Gitz Yellow. This gives more control than Contrast while being faster than brush basecoating.
- Traditional brush method (hardest) — prime white, apply four to five thin coats of Averland Sunset by brush, shade with Casandora Yellow, layer with Yriel Yellow, highlight with Flash Gitz Yellow. Most time-consuming but offers maximum control.
What Paints Do You Need for Yellow Armour?
For the Contrast method, you need Wraithbone spray and Imperial Fists Contrast paint, plus Dorn Yellow or Flash Gitz Yellow for edge highlights. For the traditional method, you need Averland Sunset (base), Casandora Yellow (shade), Yriel Yellow (layer), and Flash Gitz Yellow (layer).
- Averland Sunset (Base paint) — a warm, dark yellow that has better coverage than any other yellow base paint. This is your starting point for traditional yellow.
- Yriel Yellow (Layer paint) — a bright, vivid yellow for layering over Averland Sunset. Creates the classic Imperial Fists colour.
- Flash Gitz Yellow (Layer paint) — the brightest yellow in the Citadel range. Used for edge highlights on yellow armour.
- Casandora Yellow (Shade) — a yellow wash that deepens yellow without muddying it. Essential for the traditional method.
- Imperial Fists Contrast (Contrast paint) — the revolutionary paint that makes yellow armour accessible to everyone. One coat over a light primer produces smooth, consistent yellow.
- Wraithbone (Spray) — the ideal primer for yellow armour. Its warm, off-white tone warms the yellow and provides a smooth base for Contrast paints.
How Do You Basecoat Yellow Armour?
NEVER prime black for yellow armour. Always use a white or Wraithbone primer. For the Contrast method, spray Wraithbone and apply one coat of Imperial Fists Contrast. For the traditional method, spray Wraithbone, then apply three to four thin coats of Averland Sunset, letting each coat dry before applying the next.
The primer colour is critical for yellow — more so than any other colour. Here is why each primer option matters:
- Black primer — avoid this for yellow. You will need six or more coats of yellow to achieve coverage, and the result will likely look patchy. The dark undercoat pushes the yellow toward green-brown tones.
- White primer — a solid choice. Yellow covers white relatively well, and the bright undercoat keeps the yellow vivid. Two to three coats of Averland Sunset should suffice.
- Wraithbone primer — the best choice. This warm, off-white primer is specifically designed for use with Contrast paints but also works excellently for traditional yellow. The warmth of Wraithbone enhances the richness of the yellow.
- Averland Sunset spray — if available, this provides an instant yellow basecoat that eliminates the coverage problem entirely. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find in some regions.
How Do You Shade Yellow Armour?
Shade yellow armour with Casandora Yellow in the recesses only. Never use Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade on yellow armour unless you specifically want a dirty or weathered appearance — dark washes ruin clean yellow immediately. Apply the shade carefully with a fine brush, keeping it strictly in panel lines and recesses.
Shading yellow is where most people make critical mistakes. The instinct to reach for Nuln Oil (because it works on everything else) must be resisted. Black or brown washes on yellow create muddy, dirty-looking patches that are extremely difficult to fix.
Correct shading approaches for yellow:
- Casandora Yellow — the dedicated yellow wash. Darkens recesses subtly while maintaining the warm yellow tone. Apply only into recesses.
- Reikland Fleshshade — creates a warm, orange-toned shadow on yellow. This works surprisingly well and creates a rich, golden-yellow shade. Some painters prefer this to Casandora Yellow.
- Seraphim Sepia — creates brown-tinted shadows. Slightly dirtier than Casandora Yellow but still harmonious with yellow. Good for a more battle-worn appearance.
- Skip the shade — if using Contrast paint, shading is already built in. If using the traditional method, you can skip the wash entirely and rely on leaving darker Averland Sunset visible in recesses beneath your Yriel Yellow highlights.
How Do You Highlight Yellow Armour?
Layer Yriel Yellow over the raised surfaces of the armour, leaving Averland Sunset (or the darker Contrast shade) visible in recesses. Edge highlight with Flash Gitz Yellow on the sharpest edges. For maximum brightness, add tiny dots of Dorn Yellow or a Flash Gitz Yellow and White Scar mix at corners.
Highlighting yellow is challenging because the range between dark yellow and bright yellow is narrow. The highlights need to be subtle — too bright and the edges look white, losing the yellow character entirely.
First highlight — Yriel Yellow: Apply to all raised surfaces and upward-facing panels. This is the main visible yellow. Apply thin coats to avoid streaking. Yriel Yellow is thinner than Averland Sunset, so handle it carefully.
Edge highlight — Flash Gitz Yellow: Apply to the sharpest edges. This bright yellow is distinct enough from Yriel Yellow to be visible, but maintains the overall yellow tone. Keep the lines thin — thick highlights on yellow look particularly bad.
Point highlight — Dorn Yellow or white mix: For the finest points, use Dorn Yellow or mix a tiny amount of White Scar into Flash Gitz Yellow. Apply only at the corners where edges meet. Too much white will make the highlight look out of place.
What Factions Use Yellow Armour?
Yellow armour is less common than other colours, which makes yellow armies stand out dramatically on the tabletop. The Imperial Fists and their successors are the primary yellow faction, alongside Iyanden Craftworld and Bad Moons Orks.
- Imperial Fists — the definitive yellow army. Bright, clean yellow with red and black accents. The techniques in this guide produce their canonical colour scheme.
- Lamenters — yellow with a red heart checker pattern. Notoriously cursed in lore, and their colour scheme is equally challenging to paint.
- Iyanden Craftworld — Aeldari in yellow and blue. The smooth Eldar armour panels showcase yellow painting skill beautifully.
- Bad Moons Orks — the wealthiest Ork clan, wearing yellow armour and sporting golden teef. Their crude armour is more forgiving of imperfect yellow painting than smooth Space Marine plate.
- Ironjawz — some Ironjawz warclans use yellow armour in Age of Sigmar, creating a striking, aggressive appearance.
How Do You Fix Mistakes on Yellow Armour?
Fixing mistakes on yellow is difficult because applying corrective coats risks creating more streaking. If you must fix an error, apply multiple extremely thin coats of Averland Sunset over the affected area, letting each one dry completely. Build up the coverage gradually rather than trying to fix it in one coat.
Prevention strategies:
- Paint yellow areas first before any other colours on the model.
- Use a protective coat of varnish over finished yellow before painting adjacent areas.
- Keep a damp brush ready to immediately wipe away stray paint from yellow surfaces.
- Accept that yellow requires patience — rushing causes more mistakes than any other colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many coats of yellow do I need?
Over a Wraithbone or white primer, Averland Sunset needs two to three thin coats. Over grey, expect three to four. Over black, five or more — which is why you should never prime black for yellow. Imperial Fists Contrast needs only one coat over a light primer.
Can I use an airbrush for yellow armour?
Yes, and airbrushing is one of the best methods for yellow armour because it eliminates brushstrokes entirely. Airbrush Averland Sunset as the base, then gradually build up Yriel Yellow from a zenithal angle. The smooth transitions the airbrush creates are ideal for yellow.
Why does my yellow look green over black primer?
Yellow pigments are translucent, so the dark primer shows through and mixes with the yellow optically, creating a greenish or brownish tone. The solution is to never use dark primers for yellow — always prime white or Wraithbone.
Is Imperial Fists Contrast better than traditional yellow?
For most painters, yes. Imperial Fists Contrast over Wraithbone produces smoother, more consistent yellow than the traditional approach, in far less time. The only advantage of the traditional method is more control over exact shade placement and highlight intensity.
What wash should I use on yellow?
Casandora Yellow is the safest choice. Reikland Fleshshade creates warmer, orange-tinted shadows. Never use Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade on clean yellow armour — they create dirty, muddy stains that are almost impossible to remove.
What is the difference between Averland Sunset and Yriel Yellow?
Averland Sunset is a Base paint: thick, opaque and a warm, slightly darker yellow, made to cover in few coats. Yriel Yellow is a Layer paint: brighter, cleaner and thinner, made to go over Averland Sunset on raised areas. Use Averland Sunset first for coverage and Yriel Yellow as your main visible yellow, not the other way round.
What does Reikland Fleshshade look like over Wraithbone?
Reikland Fleshshade over Wraithbone gives a warm golden-tan with orange-brown recesses. It’s a quick way to get bone, parchment, pale skin or a warm undertone before yellow. Under thin yellow layers it adds a golden shadow; on its own it reads as aged bone or tan rather than yellow.
Can I use Imperial Fist Contrast over grey primer?
You can, but the yellow will come out darker and more muted, closer to ochre or mustard than bright Imperial Fists yellow. Contrast paints are translucent, so the primer colour shows through. For clean, vivid yellow use Wraithbone or white. Grey primer suits a grimy, weathered yellow army.