A Beginner’s Guide to Using Glazes in Warhammer and Infinity Miniature Painting

If you’re new to painting miniatures for Warhammer, Infinity, or any other tabletop game, you might be familiar with the challenge of achieving smooth, professional-looking finishes on your models. You may think you need an airbrush to achieve this. Don't worry, you can acheive this with your standard brushes. One of the most effective techniques to improve the depth, smoothness, and vibrancy of your paint job is using glazes. While this term might sound complicated at first, a glaze is a simple tool that can elevate your painting and help create beautiful, blended effects. In this article, we’ll explore what a glaze is, how to create one, and the benefits of incorporating it into your miniature painting routine.

What is a Glaze?

In miniature painting, a glaze is a thin, transparent layer of paint that’s used to alter the tone, depth, or hue of the surface beneath it. Unlike a wash, which tends to settle into the recesses and create shadows, a glaze is designed to be applied over the surface of your model to subtly modify its colour on selected areas. Glazes are typically used to blend colours, shift tones, or add a smooth, even finish to areas of a model that may look patchy or uneven.

Glazes can be applied over dry paint layers to add depth, warm up or cool down certain areas, and even adjust the intensity of highlights. They are an excellent tool for beginners because they allow for more control and smooth transitions without the risk of over-saturating a model with colour.

How to Create a Glaze

Creating a glaze is a simple process that requires just a few basic materials. Here’s how to make one:

1. Start with Paint: Choose the colour of paint you want to use for your glaze. This could be a tinted glaze to add warmth or coolness to the overall colour scheme, or it could be a more neutral glaze to adjust the tonal balance of your paintwork.
2. Dilute the Paint: The key to creating a glaze is dilution. You’ll want to thin down your paint with a medium such as Lahmian Medium so that the glaze becomes transparent. Start by mixing about 1 part paint to 3-5 parts Lahmian Medium or Warpaints Stabilizer. If you want a more intense effect, you can experiment with different ratios, but the goal is to make the paint thin enough so it doesn’t obscure the detail of the miniature beneath it.
3. Use an Acrylic Medium such as Lahmian Medium/Warpaints Stabilizer: Use an acrylic glazing medium instead of water to dilute your paint. Using water will make the process more difficult when too much water is added to pait, the paint will 'break'. Using a medium helps retain the paint’s colour vibrancy and can make the glaze more durable. Mediums can also prevent the paint from drying too quickly, giving you more time to work with it.
4. Test the Consistency: Once your paint is thinned down sufficently, test it on a scrap piece of paper or an unused part of the model. The glaze should be transparent but still provide some colour. If the colour is still too strong add a little more medium until you get a watery consistency with enough colour to subtly alter the model’s hue.

How to Apply a Glaze

Now that you have your glaze ready, it’s time to apply it to your miniature. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide for beginners:

1. Use a Soft Brush: A soft, clean brush is best for applying glazes. A medium-sized round brush or a flat brush works well, depending on the area you need to cover.
2. Apply Thin Layers: Start by applying the transparent glaze in thin layers, moving your brush in smooth, even strokes. Don’t overload your brush with glaze; a little goes a long way. You can always add more layers to build up the effect gradually.
3. Work in Sections: Apply the glaze to specific areas or sections of the miniature, focusing on one part at a time. This allows you to control the intensity of the glaze and ensures that you don’t accidentally flood an area with too much paint.
4. Blend and Smooth: As you apply the glaze, use your brush to gently blend and smooth the glaze into the surrounding areas. The goal is to create a smooth, even transition between the glazed area and the rest of the paintwork. You can also use a clean, slightly damp brush to soften the edges of the glaze for an even smoother finish.
5. Build Up Gradually: If you want a more intense effect, allow each layer of glaze to dry completely before applying the next one. This prevents the glaze from becoming too thick or pooling in unwanted areas. Multiple layers of thin glaze will give you more control over the final result.

Benefits of Using a Glaze

1. Smooth Transitions and Blending: Glazes are perfect for blending harsh lines or transitions between colours. If you’ve painted highlights or shadows that are too stark, a glaze can help smooth them out and create more natural-looking gradients.
2. Modifying Colour Tones: You can use glazes to shift the overall tone of a model. For example, applying a red glaze over a gold surface can create a warm or glowing effect. Alternatively, using a blue or purple glaze can cool down a model or add a reflective, ambient light effect.
3. Fixing Mistakes: Glazes are excellent for fixing minor mistakes. If a section of your model looks patchy or uneven, applying a glaze over it can help smooth out the finish and correct colour imbalances.
4. Enhancing Depth and Contrast: A well-applied glaze can add depth by deepening shadows and enhancing highlights, giving the model more visual interest and contrast. This is particularly useful for larger models or those with lots of surface area.
5. Customising Effects: Glazes can be used to create special effects, like glowing light from a weapon or magical aura, or the burnt muzzle of an overheated weapon. A glaze made with bright, neon colours can mimic the reflection of light on nearby surfaces, adding a unique and atmospheric touch to your models.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the use of glazes is a simple yet powerful technique that can greatly improve your painting. Whether you’re working on a Warhammer Space Marine or an Infinity operative, using glazes can help you smooth out transitions, adjust colour tones, and add depth to your miniatures. By following the steps outlined in this guide and experimenting with different colours and techniques, you’ll find that glazes are a fantastic tool in your painting arsenal, helping to elevate your models and bring them to life on the tabletop.