When you have to paint a whole army just to play it, the goal shifts from making one figure flawless to getting dozens table-ready in good time. Short answer: speed painting is the umbrella term for finishing many models as fast as possible at an acceptable, looks-good-on-the-table quality. The aim is a consistent, repeatable, fast result, not display perfection.
The logic fits in one line: maximum visual impact in the fewest steps. It rests on three core moves: one-coat systems that collapse basecoat, wash and highlight into a single pass, zenithal and slapchop that set value before colour, and batch work that applies the same step across the whole army.
So this is not one technique but a family of them. This guide walks through standard fast, slapchop, zenithal+Contrast, dipping and pre-shading: when to choose each, a typical fast-army workflow, and the traps people fall into most.
What is speed painting and what is it for?
As the name suggests, speed painting is not about making one display figure flawless; it is about getting a whole army table-ready in reasonable time. Its yardstick is the "three-foot rule": if the model looks good at normal play distance, the job is done, because no one sees the finer details across the table.
So what is it for? Most players want to play more than they want to paint, yet to play they must first finish an army of dozens of models. That is the load speed painting lifts: minutes per figure instead of hours, and enormous time saved at army scale.
As Tabletop Dash sums it up, the main methods fall into four groups: standard fast (quick basecoat + minimal palette), slapchop, zenithal priming and pre-shading. All are different routes to one goal: few steps, many models, a consistent result.
How does speed painting work?
At its core, speed painting is a "maximum impact, fewest steps" optimisation that runs on four principles. Once you grasp these, you make the right call whatever products you own.
- Cutting steps: One-coat systems (Contrast, Speedpaint) or dipping fold basecoat, wash and highlight into one move, so three steps fit into a single coat.
- Pre-set value: Establishing light and shadow before colour. A zenithal prime or a slapchop drybrush gives the model volume before any colour touches it.
- Batch work: Applying the same step across the whole army back to back. Instead of finishing one model at a time, you go "red on all," then "skin on all."
- Selective detail: Spending time only where the eye lands (face, weapon, symbol) and moving fast over the rest.
The key is that these four feed each other. The classic fast-quality recipe simply combines them: a zenithal base + one coat of Contrast + a few selective highlights + a quick base. None is magic alone, but together they bring an army to life fast.
Which method should I choose?
The right method depends on your army, your products and the quality you want. They all build the same illusion at different speeds, so most painters mix two or three as needed.
- Standard fast: A small palette, a quick flat basecoat, one all-over wash (shading the whole surface) and a quick drybrush highlight. As the most classic route and the one needing the fewest products, it is an ideal start for beginners.
- Slapchop: A black-grey-white drybrush value base, then one coat of transparent colour, so speed and volume arrive at once. See the Slapchop guide for the detail.
- Zenithal + Contrast/Speedpaint: A zenithal base by spray or airbrush, then one coat of transparent colour. This gives the most consistent shadow transition; the Zenithal Priming and Contrast & Speedpaint Systems guides cover its two halves.
- Dipping: After the basecoat, you shade in one pass by dipping or brushing on a Quickshade-type dark product. It gives the fastest batch result; the Dipping & Quickshade guide has the whole flow.
- Pre-shading: You airbrush a dark pre-shadow into the recesses, then lay a semi-transparent colour over it. It asks for more control, but rewards you with more.
The rule of thumb is straightforward: dipping or standard fast suits very large, flat armies; slapchop or zenithal+Contrast suits characterful, high-volume units. When in doubt, start with slapchop, because it needs no kit beyond a brush and is forgiving.
How do you paint a fast army step by step?
Now let us turn that logic into a concrete flow. The workflow below advances the whole unit together rather than model by model. The secret is to apply each step to every model first, then move on, resisting the urge to finish one model start to finish.
- Batch prime: Prime the whole unit together, black or zenithal. This preps the surface and sets the value base for slapchop and zenithal methods.
- Pre-set value: Place light and shadow before colour with a zenithal spray or a slapchop drybrush. The model now reads as volumetric before any paint goes on.
- Single-coat colour: Paint the zones in one coat with Contrast/Speedpaint. Working batch-style, apply each colour across the army: all the armour first, then all the skin.
- Quick shade: If needed, drop an extra wash only into selected recesses. On most models the single coat already carries the shadow, so this step is optional.
- Selective highlight: Add a few highlights only on the critical spots: face, weapon edge, symbol. A few right ones lift the whole model, so leave the rest as is.
- Base and varnish: A quick base (one texture + drybrush + tuft) and a protective varnish. Game models get handled a lot, and varnish guards them against wear.
The real engine that carries this flow from one model to a whole army is batch work. To see how to scale speed from a single figure to a full unit, check the Batch Painting guide.
Which paints and brushes?
Once the method is settled, the kit comes next. The core of speed painting is transparent, one-coat paints and brushes suited to batch work, so focus on the right product type rather than the brand.
- One-coat paints: The Citadel Contrast or Army Painter Speedpaint ranges deliver basecoat, wash and highlight in a single coat. These are the backbone of speed painting.
- For zenithal/slapchop: Black primer, grey and white spray or paint; you build the value base with these.
- For dipping: Army Painter Quickshade-type dark-tone products give shade and protection in one pass.
- Brushes: A wide drybrush (for zenithal/slapchop) and a sturdy mid-size detail brush are enough. Because speed painting wears a brush tip, save your expensive kolinsky for display work.
- Varnish: A matt or satin protective spray stops game models from wearing down.
Keep this in mind: the longer the product list, the slower you get. A small, smartly chosen palette beats a vast collection, because a tighter palette means fewer decisions.
The most common mistakes
Almost all speed-painting mistakes trace back to one root cause: misreading the method. Here, "fast" does not mean sloppy; it means smart step optimisation. Keep that in mind and the traps below take care of themselves.
- Confusing it with sloppiness: Speed painting is a good result in fewer steps. You cut steps cleverly, not quality.
- Giving every model equal detail: This is the biggest mistake, and it breaks the speed logic. Reserve detail for the critical spots (face, weapon, symbol) and move fast over the rest.
- Choosing the wrong base: Putting Contrast/Speedpaint over a dark base and killing the effect. Since transparent paints shine over a light base, pick the base to suit the method.
- Skipping varnish: Game models get handled constantly and wear. Skipping varnish ruins in weeks the work you did in minutes.
So when in doubt, play for consistency. Rather than make one model perfect, apply the same scheme across the whole army; the eye reads a consistent unit far better than perfect but mismatched ones.
Pro tips
Once the basics are in place, a few small habits move speed painting from "passable" to "worthy of the army." All are simple, bench-proven moves.
- Internalise the "three-foot rule": if the model looks good on the table, the job is done. Do not fuss over flaws no one sees at arm's length.
- A little detail on a few critical spots (face, symbol, weapon) lifts the whole model, so invest your time there.
- Combine methods: zenithal + Contrast + selective highlight + a quick base is the classic fast-quality recipe.
- Paint a test model first. Try the scheme on one model before committing the army; if you are going to make a mistake, make it on one, not thirty.
The golden rule Tabletop Dash keeps in mind: speed painting is not sloppiness but smart step optimisation. The aim is not to work less but to build the right visual impact in fewer steps. A consistent army always beats individually perfect but mismatched models.
In the end, speed painting is the one-coat philosophy in practice. For the theory behind it and its limits, check the One-Coat Techniques guide; that is where you learn which step you can collapse into a single coat, and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is speed painting just sloppy painting?
No. Speed painting is not sloppiness but smart step optimisation. It collapses steps like basecoat, wash and highlight into a single move, cutting the number of steps, not the quality. Done right, it yields a consistent army that looks fine on the table; its yardstick is the three-foot rule, not a microscope.
Which method should a beginner start with?
Slapchop or standard fast makes the most sense, since both need no kit beyond a brush and are forgiving. Slapchop is a black-grey-white drybrush under a single coat of transparent colour; standard fast is basecoat + wash + drybrush. As your control grows you can move on to zenithal+Contrast and dipping.
Does speed painting need an airbrush?
No. Slapchop, standard fast and dipping use only a brush and a spray primer. An airbrush only speeds up the zenithal base and pre-shading, so it is an enabler, not a requirement. Most hobbyists speed-paint their whole army without ever touching one.
How long does it take to speed-paint an army?
It varies with method and model, but you aim for minutes per figure rather than hours. With batch work and one-coat paints a sizeable unit can be table-ready in a few sessions. The real saving is at army scale, where applying each step in batches multiplies your time.
Contrast or Speedpaint for speed painting?
Both are one-coat transparent paints that do the same job; Contrast is Citadel's range, Speedpaint is Army Painter's. They differ in colour range, flow and price. Start with what you have or can find locally; mixing the two is fine, since they work together happily.
Can I add detail later to a speed-painted model?
Yes. Speed painting is not a finish but a solid base. You can later push your favourite models (commander, special unit) with extra highlights, freehand or eye and face detail. Most players speed-paint the army, then spend extra time on the characters.
Key takeaway: Speed painting is the family of techniques for getting many models table-ready in few steps. Its logic rests on cutting steps, pre-set value, batch work and selective detail. Pick the method that suits your army, and above all put consistency ahead of individual perfection.
To round out your one-coat paints, zenithal spray and drybrushes, build your own speed-painting kit from our paints, brushes & hobby supplies. After all, the right product is half the speed.