How do I paint eyes and faces on Warhammer models?
For an army, do not paint the eyes at all. A Shade or Contrast over the head's base colour darkens the sockets by itself. When you do want eyes, start with an off-white, not pure white, paint one thin vertical black line down the middle, and add a tiny white dot at the very end if you want a glint. If you slip, cover the mistake with black and try again.
Eyes from easiest to hardest
| Level | Method | Brush |
|---|---|---|
| Skip them (armies) | Put a Shade or Contrast over the head's base colour. Natural shadows form round the eyes. Add a coat or two round the brow to deepen the sockets. | Any small brush |
| Line (characters) | Paint the eyeball an off-white, then one thinned vertical Corvus Black line down the centre, covering the white from top to bottom. | Small Layer |
| Dots (advanced) | Paint the eyeball black. Add small off-white dots either side of the centre so a black pupil remains. | X-Small Artificer Layer |
| Glint (expert) | With a tiny amount of White Scar on the very tip of the brush, poke one dot into the upper corner of the pupil. | X-Small Artificer Layer |
Why off-white and why black
Games Workshop's painting presenter Emma Robinson recommends an off-white base. It stops the eyes looking too bright and obvious, and it helps hide small mistakes. Celestra Grey, Grey Seer and Corax White all work. The eye need not look perfectly round. The black line must cover the white from top to bottom, or the model looks as if it has been caught in the headlights.
If you drop too much paint on the eye, you can cover it with Corvus Black and try again. That is why the line method is the one to start with: a mistake costs one dot of black.
A quick face
Two ways to do the skin, and one touch for wounds.
- Ruddy skin. Paint Cadian Fleshtone, then put Guilliman Flesh over it, thinned with Contrast Medium. This is how the Citadel Colour Masterclass team at Games Workshop do it.
- Darkoath Flesh and one highlight. Painter Vincent Knotley uses Kislev Flesh for the highlight, not a five-step process.
- Cuts and bruises. A sparing coat of Volupus Pink brings them out.
The grid below shows the paints and finer brushes we list for this job.
Glowing eyes with two paints
A glowing eye needs only a pale base and one bright Contrast. Games Workshop's glowing-eyes advice is to paint the eyes a pale base colour such as Grey Seer or White Scar, then drop in a bright Contrast thinned with a little medium. Its examples are Frostheart and Doomfire Magenta. Build thin layers on the brow and cheekbones to tie it together, and keep the centre white so it glows.
For an inner-light version, the same advice builds a gradient: Khorne Red, Mephiston Red, Evil Sunz Scarlet, then Fire Dragon Bright. Each is thinned with Lahmian Medium at about one part paint to four of medium, and each goes in a smaller circle than the last.
Common questions
Do I have to paint eyes on Warhammer models?
Not for an army. Games Workshop's own beginner advice is to skip the eyes and let a Shade or Contrast paint form natural shadows round the sockets.
What colour should I paint the whites of the eyes?
An off-white, such as Celestra Grey, Grey Seer or Corax White, because pure white makes the eyes look too bright and obvious.
What size brush do I need to paint eyes?
A Small Layer brush handles the line method. For black-and-dots eyes, Games Workshop recommends an X-Small Artificer Layer brush, because it holds a very fine point and gives you more control.
How do I paint glowing eyes?
Base the eyes in a pale colour such as Grey Seer or White Scar. Drop a bright Contrast, thinned with a little medium, into the recess and build thin layers, keeping the very centre white.
Eye painting levels and glowing eyes: Warhammer Community, 30 November 2022. Flesh with Contrast: Warhammer Community, 4 February 2025 and 18 February 2025. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.