How to Paint an Armored Warrior Miniature
Armored warriors are the most popular miniature subject for good reason -- gleaming plate armor, flowing tabards, and weapon details offer a satisfying mix of techniques. This guide takes you through painting a classic plate-armored knight from bare primer to table-ready, covering metallics, cloth, leather, and edge highlighting.
Supplies Needed
- •Black or dark grey spray primer
- •Metallic silver or gunmetal paint
- •A bold base paint for the tabard (red, blue, or green)
- •Dark brown paint for leather straps and belts
- •Dark wash (black or dark brown)
- •A lighter shade of your tabard color for highlights
- •Off-white or bone paint for parchment and skull details
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prime in Black or Dark Grey
Apply a thin, even coat of black or dark grey primer. Dark primer is ideal for armored models because any spots you miss in the recesses will read as natural shadow rather than bare plastic. This gives you a built-in head start on shading.
Tip: Let the primer cure for at least 30 minutes before painting over it. Primer that hasn't fully cured can peel when you apply paint.
Basecoat the Armor Plates
Apply metallic silver or gunmetal paint to all the plate armor surfaces -- helmet, pauldrons, breastplate, greaves, gauntlets, and any shield. One coat of metallic paint usually provides good coverage, but apply a second coat on any areas that look thin. Keep the paint smooth and avoid going over semi-dry areas, which creates a rough texture.
Tip: Metallic paints have tiny reflective particles that settle quickly. Stir or shake the pot thoroughly before each use, and don't thin metallics as much as regular paints.
Paint the Tabard and Cloth
Choose a bold heraldic color for the tabard, surcoat, or cloth elements -- deep red, royal blue, or forest green all work beautifully against silver armor. Apply two thin coats. Take your time around the edges where cloth meets armor; clean lines here make a big difference in the finished look.
Paint the Leather Details
Use dark brown for all the leather elements -- belts, straps, pouches, scabbards, and boot cuffs. These smaller areas connect the large armor plates and cloth sections, adding visual complexity. Two thin coats for solid coverage.
Paint the Weapon
Apply metallic paint to the blade of any sword, axe, or mace. For weapon handles, use dark brown for wood or leather wrapping. If the weapon has a pommel or crossguard, paint these in a contrasting metallic like gold or bronze.
Tip: For a more realistic blade, paint it with a darker metallic at the base and a brighter silver toward the cutting edge.
Apply a Dark Wash
Apply a black wash over the entire model. On the armor, it settles into the joints, rivets, and gaps between plates, creating instant depth. On the cloth, it pools in the folds and creases. On the leather, it defines the edges and buckles. Let it dry completely before moving on.
Edge Highlight the Armor
Using a fine brush and bright silver paint, carefully paint thin lines along the sharpest edges of each armor plate -- the rims of pauldrons, the ridge of the helmet, the edges of the breastplate, and the tops of the greaves. Turn the brush sideways and drag it along the edge, letting only the side of the tip touch the surface. This makes the armor look crisp and defined.
Tip: If a highlight line comes out too thick, clean it up with your base metallic color. Edge highlighting is a back-and-forth process -- don't expect to get every line perfect on the first pass.
Highlight the Cloth
Mix your tabard color with a small amount of off-white to create a lighter shade. Paint this along the raised folds of the cloth where light would naturally catch -- the tops of creases, the drape over the belt, and any billowing edges. Keep these highlights thin and placed only on the highest points.
Pick Out Final Details
Paint any purity seals or parchment with bone or off-white. Add a dot of color for gemstones on the armor. If there's heraldry on the shield, block it in with simple shapes. Paint the eyes (if visible through the helmet visor) with a bright color. Finally, base the model and paint the rim black.
Pro Tips
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Dark primer is your best friend for armored models -- it does half the shading work for you before you even pick up a brush.
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Don't try to edge highlight every single edge on your first attempt. Focus on the most prominent edges and add more detail as your confidence grows.
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If you want a more battle-worn look, sponge a small amount of dark brown or orange paint onto edges and corners to simulate chipped paint and rust.
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Painting the base rim black creates a visual frame around the model that makes everything else look more polished.
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For heraldic designs on shields or tabards, start with the lightest color as a base and paint the darker design on top -- it's easier to paint dark over light than vice versa.
Related Techniques
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