The first time you see a miniature painted using the zenithal highlight technique, something about it just looks different. It has depth. Volume. Light and shadow sit exactly where they should — and yet often the only difference is spraying primer from two different angles.
Zenithal highlighting is a technique that mimics natural lighting right at the priming stage — before you even pick up a brush. The result is a base coat that does part of the painting work for you, and the miniature ends up looking more convincing with far less effort.
In this article, we'll explain exactly what zenithal highlighting is, how to do it with a rattle can (no airbrush needed), how to do it with an airbrush, and why it works so well with Contrast and Speedpaint paints.
What is zenithal highlighting?
The word zenithal comes from zenith — the highest point of the sky directly above you. And that's exactly where the light this technique simulates comes from: straight down from above.
The principle comes down to two steps:
1
The whole miniature in black
Spray the entire miniature with a black primer — this is your base, your shadows.
2
A light-colored primer from above
From roughly a 45° angle, or straight from above, spray a white or grey primer.
The top surfaces and raised areas end up light, while the recesses and undersides stay dark. The miniature suddenly has a natural light gradient — and you haven't even picked up a brush yet.
This is the foundation that then amplifies the effect of every color you apply afterward. A wash flows into the dark areas and highlights them even further. A Contrast or Speedpaint color behaves differently on a light base versus a dark one — and that difference is exactly what creates the depth we're talking about.
Why does it even work?
Human eyes read curves, volume, and shape based on light and shadow. When we see a light top and a dark bottom, we automatically perceive a three-dimensional object. Painters and sculptors have done this since the Renaissance — zenithal highlighting applies the same principle to miniatures, automatically, in a few minutes.
Without zenithal highlighting, you have to build shading and highlights with a brush, layer by layer. With it, you get a starting point where light and shadow are already "built into" the base coat.
What you'll need
The spray version
- Black primer: Citadel Chaos Black, Vallejo Black Primer, or Army Painter Matt Black
- White / grey primer: Citadel Corax White, Wraithbone, or a grey primer
- The miniature on a holder — a PET bottle cap works great
Step-by-step process — the spray version
Step 1 — Base: the whole miniature in black
Spray it with Chaos Black from every angle. Keep a distance of roughly 25–30 cm, use short sweeping passes, and don't hold the can in one spot. Let it dry for 10–15 minutes. The miniature should be evenly matte black — no glossy patches, no pooled drips.
Step 2 — A grey mid-step (optional, but we recommend it)
Spray a grey primer from roughly a 45° angle — not from the sides, but from above and slightly in front. This shades the side surfaces while leaving the undersides dark. The resulting transition will be smoother and more realistic. Citadel Grey Seer, thinned with medium and run through an airbrush, also works great as this grey mid-step.
Step 3 — Light: white, strictly from above
Take Corax White or Wraithbone and spray straight down from roughly 20 cm away, in a quick pass. Cover only the top surfaces: the top of the head, the shoulders, the back.
Step-by-step photos are fine, but sometimes it's just easier to see it on video.
Zenithal highlight + Contrast / Speedpaint paints = the golden combo
This is the combination zenithal highlighting became famous for. Citadel Contrast paints and Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 are largely translucent — they work like a color filter, not an opaque paint. That means the base coat shows through:
- On a pure white base, a Contrast color looks light and bright
- On a black base, it's dark and intense
- On a zenithal highlight — where you have a gradient running from white through grey to black — the color reacts automatically: light on the raised areas, dark in the recesses
The result of a single layer of Contrast paint over a zenithal highlight is usually better than the result of three layers of Base + Shade + Layer without a zenithal foundation. That's not an exaggeration — it's simply the physics of how these paints work. It saves time and effort, though it's worth noting this is still a skill like any other, so it takes some practice to get comfortable with it.
Airbrush vs rattle can — what's the difference?
| Rattle can | Airbrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | ✓ No extra equipment needed | Requires a gun + compressor |
| Speed | ✓ 5 minutes, done | A bit more setup and cleanup |
| Smoothness of transition | Good, but not perfect | ✓ A very smooth gradient |
| Control | Basic | ✓ Precise targeting of light |
| Indoor use | Only with ventilation | ✓ Usable indoors year-round (still with ventilation) |
| Starting cost | ✓ Just the price of the spray can | A significant upfront investment |
For beginners, the rattle-can version is completely adequate — the difference in the result is visible, but not dramatic. An airbrush starts paying off once you use zenithal highlighting regularly and want finer control. If you're considering an airbrush as a first step, take a look at our airbrush equipment section — we can help you figure out where to start.
The most common mistakes, and how to avoid them
White from the wrong angle
Spray white from the side instead of from above, and the miniature will end up evenly light from that side, with no gradient. Always spray the white strictly from above.
A thin coat of black
If the base coat doesn't cover evenly, the result will look patchy. The base needs to be solid — one even layer that covers all the plastic.
Impatience between layers
White over wet black = a grey mush. Let each layer dry for at least 10–15 minutes, longer in cold weather.
Too much white
The bottom third of the miniature should still look clearly dark. A short, quick pass from above is enough — a zenithal highlight should be subtle.
More advanced variations of zenithal highlighting
A colored zenithal
Instead of white, use a colored airbrush spray or can as the top layer. Black → dark blue → light blue for cool lighting. Black → brown → yellow for a warm, desert setting. A Contrast color then reacts with much richer color.
OSL effect
Instead of lighting from above, try lighting the miniature from the side or below — for the effect of a lantern, magical light, or an explosion. Requires an airbrush, but the result is dramatic and genuinely unique.
A foundation for NMM
Non-Metallic Metal (metallic effects with no metallic paint) is built on strong contrast between light and shadow. A zenithal highlight gives you the perfect starting gradient for NMM and saves dozens of minutes of building that gradient by brush.
Summary — why you should try zenithal highlighting right away
- Zenithal highlighting is one of those techniques you stop skipping once you've tried it
- It adds 5–10 minutes to priming, and saves dozens of minutes of shading by brush
- For Contrast and Speedpaint paints, it's practically a required foundation
- All you need are two spray cans: Chaos Black and White Scar
Need help choosing primers or Contrast paints? Drop by our shop in Plzeň at Zbrojnická 116/2, open Mon–Fri 1pm–6pm.
obchod@coloursofwarriors.com · +420 737 281 727
Source: Reddit