Short answer: Texture paste and technical paints work by adding a thick, raised substance to a surface rather than colour. Normal paint colours a surface; texture paste changes its shape. That is why you reach for them when building bases, doing mud and earth weathering, or laying down crackle and rust grounds.
In practice, the gritty, cracked, rusted surface you keep trying to fake with flat acrylic gets physically raised in one pass. Citadel's "Technical" range (Astrogranite, Armageddon Dust, Stirland Mud, Agrellan Earth, Typhus Corrosion, Nihilakh Oxide) is the best-known of the bunch, while Vallejo, AK and Green Stuff World offer plenty of alternatives.
What is texture paste and what is it for?
Let's start with the definition: texture paste is a thick acrylic medium loaded with sand, grit or filler. You spread it with a spatula or an old brush and, once dry, it leaves a permanent, rough surface. Its real strength comes from this — instead of faking tiny bumps with paint, you build the actual three-dimensional surface, so light and shadow do the work for you.
Two uses dominate: basing and weathering. The mud around a gun emplacement, the broken earth of a ruined temple, the rusted floor under a robot — all of that lives in this category. Technical paints are a close cousin but behave differently: some work chemically, cracking as they dry or laying down a ready-made oxide.
How do technical paints work?
First, a quick assumption to clear up: not every "Technical" labelled paint is a flat colour, because each one does a specific job. Knowing which is which lets you expect the right effect from the right pot.
- Crackle (Agrellan Earth, Martian Ironcrust): Applied thick, it cracks as it dries into a dry lakebed or desert floor. Spread it thin and it won't crack at all.
- Typhus Corrosion: A dark, gritty rust and grime ground. Add rust pigment or an orange drybrush on top and you build convincing rust.
- Nihilakh Oxide: A ready-made verdigris, the blue-green of copper corrosion. It flows into recesses and leaves an oxide that sings on bronze statues and old metal.
- Coloured pastes (Stirland Mud): Already an earthy brown, so you finish with just a wash and a drybrush, no basecoat needed.
Because each product has its own logic, see the Crackle Paint and Verdigris Effects guides for the full picture.
How do you do it step by step? (base texture)
Now to the practical side. This is the workflow for a standard base surface with a neutral (uncoloured) paste. The golden rule here is texture first, colour second; reverse it and the paint just sinks into the grit.
- Pick your substance: Decide on grain size — fine sand (fine Astrogranite), larger stone (Astrogranite Debris) or ready earth (Stirland Mud).
- Apply: Spread it onto the base with an old, stiff brush or a spatula. Keep it uneven and natural. Leave the spot where the figure's feet land clean, because you'll need to glue there later.
- Dry: Let it cure fully. Thick coats can take hours, so don't rush in and touch it.
- Colour: Paint a neutral paste with basecoat + wash + drybrush. A coloured paste like Stirland Mud only needs a wash and a drybrush.
- Detail: Add static grass, tufts, rocks and pigment. For the full basing flow, move on to Basing Techniques.
How do you apply crackle step by step?
Crackle paste is the product people get wrong most often, almost always over consistency. The good news is the rule fits in two words: spread thick. Keep that in mind and the safe flow below does the rest.
- Paint the under-colour first. This is what shows at the bottom of the cracks; a dark earth or rust tone works well.
- Spread the crackle paste thick. Thin won't crack; the thicker the coat, the larger the cracks.
- Leave it completely alone to dry. It cracks on its own as it cures, and forcing it with a fan can ruin the surface.
- Once dry, pick out the crack edges and the depths with a drybrush or a light wash to push the sense of depth.
Which paints, pastes and tools do you need?
Don't worry — you don't need a wall of pots; one fine texture, one coarse, and a spatula carry you a long way. Here's the core kit.
- Citadel Technical: Astrogranite (sand/stone), Stirland Mud (ready earth), Agrellan Earth (crackle), Typhus Corrosion (rust ground), Nihilakh Oxide (verdigris).
- Alternatives: Vallejo Earth/Pumice Texture, plus AK and Green Stuff World pastes — often a bigger pot for the money.
- Tools: A spatula or an old, stiff brush you're happy to sacrifice. Never dip a good brush into texture paste, because the grit destroys the bristles.
- DIY route: Fine sand + PVA glue + a little paint. Cheap and effective, but unglued sand will always shed.
The sturdiest rule in this whole category comes straight from Citadel's own crackle products: it's the thick coat, not the thin one, that makes the crack. Thin crackle won't crack — so lay the paste on generously, leave it alone, and learn to wait out the drying.
The most common mistakes
Most failures with these products come down to consistency and order. The good news is that every one of them is avoidable; they just ask for a little patience.
- Spreading crackle thin: It won't crack — you're left with a flat dry layer. Fix: lay it on generous and thick.
- Pasting over the foot contact: You can't glue the figure afterwards. Fix: position the model first or leave that spot bare.
- Working before it's fully dry: Paint or wash on top smears and ruins the texture. Fix: wait it out.
- Using DIY sand without glue: It sheds at the first knock. Fix: bind the sand with PVA.
- One grain size only: The surface looks artificial. Fix: mix sizes up.
Pro tips
Don't treat texture paste as a slap-it-on-and-done job, because small choices decide whether the result reads as natural ground or plastic.
- Mix grain sizes: Drop a few coarse stones into fine sand. Real terrain is a blend, not a single uniform grit.
- Go neutral for control: Coloured pastes (Stirland Mud) save time, but painting a neutral paste yourself gives you full control of tone.
- Play with crackle thickness: Thick = large cracks, medium = fine cracks. One product, two different grounds.
- Keep the base rim clean: Don't let paste creep over the edge. A clean rim visibly raises the quality of the whole base.
- Finish with a drybrush: Because the texture is already raised, Drybrushing instantly catches the high points and makes the texture pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between texture paste and normal paint?
Normal paint only colours the surface; it doesn't touch the texture. Texture paste is a thick medium loaded with sand or grit that leaves a physical, three-dimensional surface once dry. So instead of faking a gritty ground with paint, you actually raise it. The two work together: paste first, paint second.
Which brush should I use to apply texture paste?
Never use a good synthetic or sable brush, because the grit inside the paste ruins the bristles for good. Use an old, stiff, expendable brush or a small spatula instead. Most painters keep one cheap bristle brush set aside just for this. When you finish, rinse the brush immediately before the paste dries on it.
Why didn't my crackle paste crack?
The reason is almost always the same: you spread it too thin. Crackle products need a thick coat to crack; a thin layer just dries flat. So lay the paste on generously, don't touch it until it's dry, and let it cure on its own without forcing it with a fan. Remember, a thicker coat means larger cracks.
How long does texture paste take to dry?
Thin coats can dry in 1-2 hours; thick coats, especially crackle, may want an overnight wait. Don't paint, wash or do anything else on top until you're sure it's fully cured. Touching it early smears the texture and, with crackle, closes the cracks. This is the one place you shouldn't rush.
Is coloured or neutral paste better?
Both have their place. Coloured pastes like Stirland Mud come ready in an earthy tone and need no separate painting, which saves time on army-scale work. Neutral paste is uncoloured — you paint it yourself with basecoat, wash and drybrush, which is more effort but gives full control of tone and contrast. In short, neutral for display pieces, coloured for tabletop armies.
Should I apply texture paste before gluing the figure?
If you coat the spot where the figure's feet land, you won't be able to glue it afterwards. There are two safe routes: position the figure first and paste around it, or leave that contact point bare and apply everywhere else. On busy bases, most painters pin the model down first, then work the texture around it.
Do I need separate products for verdigris and rust?
These two effects come from different products. Nihilakh Oxide gives ready verdigris and flows into recesses; Typhus Corrosion lays a rust and grime ground that you build on with pigment or an orange drybrush. Both belong to the technical-paint family but do different jobs. For the layering order, see the Rust Effects guide, where we explain which layer to add when.
Key takeaway and next step
One-line summary: texture paste changes the shape of a surface, while technical paints hand you ready effects like crackle, rust and oxide. In both, the golden rule is "texture first, colour second," and for crackle it's "spread it thick." Get the consistency and the patience right and you turn an ordinary base into real ground.
If you'd like to start with the right paste, spatula and drybrush, you can build your own kit from the paints, brushes & hobby supplies in our shop.