Can you paint your Warhammer models any colour you like?
Yes. Games Workshop's own articles say you can paint your models however you want, from Space Marine Chapters in any colour to Death Guard that are not green.
Pick colours that your opponent can tell from their own army, and test the scheme on a few models before you commit to an army.
What Games Workshop's articles say
| Subject | What the article says |
|---|---|
| Any model | The beauty of Warhammer is that you can paint your models however you want. You are not obliged to follow the box-art schemes. |
| Space Marines | Each Chapter paints its armour however it wishes, so you are completely free to paint yours as you like and it still fits the background. |
| T'au Empire | Almost limitless freedom to paint lore-appropriate armies in whatever colours you like. |
| Death Guard and Emperor's Children | Death Guard do not have to be green. Taupe, mauve and chartreuse are all fine. The Emperor's Children can be any colour they please. |
The box-art recipes are examples, and Games Workshop's own painters swap them out for their own schemes.
What can affect your choice of colour
- Events at Warhammer World. The minimum is Battle Ready: coloured main areas and a simple finish on the base. It names no colours.
- Your opponent. Pick a palette that stays distinct from theirs on the table. That is advice from us, not a rule.
- Your paints. The undercoat and paint type change the result. A pale colour over a black undercoat will need extra coats; see the primer page.
Test a scheme before you commit
Games Workshop's painting team suggests this method for choosing a scheme:
- Look for a real reference. One painter pictured tiger stripes for a Tyranid hive fleet.
- Check the colour wheel. A complementary colour sits directly opposite, and a triadic scheme uses three colours spaced evenly round the wheel.
- Write the recipe down. Update it as you change your mind.
- Paint a few models first. A small group, such as a Kill Team, gives you a working force and a test of the scheme before the whole army.
For a quick test, a light spray and one coat of Contrast per colour is the fastest way to see a scheme. Vincent Knotley, a Contrast painter who features on Warhammer Community, did ten Chaos Chosen in ten different Contrast schemes and says to experiment and even mix the Contrast paints together. The Contrast page covers where it works and where it does not.
Common questions
Can I paint Warhammer any colour?
Games Workshop says you can paint your models however you want and you are not obliged to follow its box-art schemes. Space Marine Chapters, Death Guard and T'au all have wide latitude in its own articles.
What colours can you paint Space Marines?
Any colour you like. Each Chapter paints its armour however it wishes. Established Chapters such as the Ultramarines have known colours, but you are free to paint yours as you like and it still fits the background.
Do I have to paint my army to match the box art?
The box-art schemes are recipes from Games Workshop's Eavy Metal painting team, and you are not obliged to follow them.
Is it okay to paint models a different colour from usual?
It is fine. Games Workshop shows alternative schemes in its own articles, and the standard for its Warhammer World events does not name colours. A lore fan may have an opinion. Pick a scheme you will enjoy painting a lot of.
Colour freedom: Warhammer Community, 18 August 2023 (Alternative Colour Schemes), 3 October 2023 (Starting a Space Marine army), 8 May 2024 (Starting a T'au Empire army) and 17 April 2025 (Vincent Knotley's Chaos colour schemes). Battle Ready: 28 June 2022. Choosing a scheme: 4 October 2023 (Citadel Colour Masterclass interview) and 13 January 2023 (Chaos Chosen).