The everything-store's move is to sell you every paint with little to no guidance on which does what. We stock a handful of ranges on purpose, and the point of stocking fewer is that we can tell you what each one is for. Here's the short version.
| If you want… | Reach for |
|---|---|
| An eye-catching colourshift on armour, vehicles or big panels | Turbo Dork Turboshift |
| A shift you steer with the undercoat | Turbo Dork Zenishift |
| A metal that stands out, in colours you won't find elsewhere | Turbo Dork Metallics |
| Reliable metals while you're finding your feet | Two Thin Coats metallics |
| Colour with shadow and highlight paints designed to work together | Two Thin Coats triads |
| To deepen recesses and add quick shading | Two Thin Coats washes |
Turbo Dork: the shifts and metallics that stand out
Turbo Dork's paints split three ways, and which line you're holding matters more than the colour on the label. Turboshift is the colourshift line: the colour moves as the light changes, and it's the one most people mean when they say "Turbo Dork". Zenishift shifts based on what's underneath, so the same paint over black and over white gives you two different colours. The Metallics are a wide range of colours you won't find in a normal metal set, and they're for when you want the metal itself to be the thing people notice.
Because the shift needs room to travel, these earn their keep on bigger surfaces like armour, cloaks and vehicle panels, and they hold up as a main colour, not just an accent. Full breakdown of the three ranges, and which to buy first, is in Which Turbo Dork should you actually start with.
Two Thin Coats: Shadows and Highlights without the guesswork
Where Turbo Dork is for standing out, Two Thin Coats is for getting a whole model looking right with the least fuss. Every colour is part of a triad: a shade, a midrange and a highlight. Paint in the midranges first, then drop in the shade and highlight to add depth (there's a full walk-through). Washes are the quickest way to add shading: flow one into the recesses, and it does the shadow work for you.
Coming from Citadel or Vallejo?
You already know the application: thin your coats, build in layers. The difference you'll notice most is consistency. With most ranges, there is a huge variance in consistency, which means they all thin slightly differently. Two Thin Coats is the range with the least variance in consistency that I’ve ever used.
Knowing what you're going to get in the pot each time saves you time. Reach for any colour and the paint will behave in the same way, making thinning down to a wash or glaze easier. That is a big part of why these are what we stock.
What next?
- New to all this? Start with Never painted before.
- Want a game to paint for? Learn Relicblade in 10 minutes.
- Ready to pick colours? Browse Two Thin Coats and Turbo Dork.
Still not sure which is right for your model? Tell us what you're painting, and we'll point you at the one to start with.
FAQ
- What's the difference between Turboshift and Zenishift? Turboshift shifts with the light. Zenishift shifts with the undercoat beneath it.
- Can I use shift or metallic paints over a whole model? Yes. They work as a main colour, and they look their best on bigger surfaces like armour, cloaks and vehicle panels, where the light has room to move.
- What's a triad? A matched shade, midrange and highlight of one colour, so you don't have to guess which tone is lighter or darker.
Gadewch sylw (angen pob maes)