Painting with Commando Green: A Step-by-Step Guide
By Frontline Gaming | Published: 2026-10-26
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to paint green armor and miniatures using Army Painter Warpaint Commando Green. Step-by-step instructions for smooth coverage and realistic shading.
Quick Answer
Commando Green from The Army Painter Warpaint range gives you a rich, military green base coat with excellent coverage. Follow these steps to paint green armor that looks smooth and natural on your miniatures.
Why Commando Green Works for Armor Panels
Commando Green is a medium-toned green that reads as a realistic military color on infantry, vehicles, and monsters. Its heavy pigment load means you get full opacity in fewer coats, which saves time when basecoating large surfaces like Space Marine pauldrons or tank hulls.
The paint is designed to match The Army Painter's Colour Primer of the same name, so if you prime with the spray can, the brush-on paint will cover perfectly without visible brush strokes or color shifts. This is a practical advantage when you need to touch up primed areas or paint sub-assemblies.
Common Pitfall: Over-Thinning
Because Warpaints already have a high pigment load, you do not need to thin them as much as other acrylics. Over-thinning with water can break the binder and cause the paint to bead up or become translucent. A single drop of water per brushful is usually enough—if the paint runs off your palette like ink, you have added too much.
How to Paint with Commando Green
- Step 1: Prime Your Miniature: Apply a thin, even coat of The Army Painter Colour Primer in Green or a neutral gray. Shake the can for two minutes and spray from 20–30 cm away in short passes. This gives the Warpaint a consistent surface to bond to. If you skip priming, the paint may chip off edges during handling. Always prime bare plastic or resin.
- Step 2: Basecoat with Commando Green: Shake the dropper bottle for 30 seconds. Load your brush and apply one smooth coat over the primed armor panels. Work from the center of each panel outward to avoid pooling in recesses. Let it dry for 5–10 minutes before adding a second coat if needed. One coat is often enough for flat panels. If you see bare spots, the paint is too thin—add less water next time.
- Step 3: Apply a Wash for Depth: Use a dark green or brown wash (e.g., Army Painter Strong Tone) to shade the recesses. Apply it selectively with a fine brush into panel lines, rivets, and crevices. Let it flow naturally; do not slop it over the whole surface or it will muddy the green. Wipe excess wash off raised areas immediately with a damp brush to keep the armor bright.
- Step 4: Highlight the Edges: Mix a small amount of Commando Green with a light green or ivory paint (about 2:1 ratio). Use the side of a fine brush to paint the raised edges and corners of the armor. This creates a crisp, realistic highlight that makes the green pop. Keep the highlight line thin—less than 1 mm wide. A thick line will look cartoonish.
- Step 5: Seal the Paint Job: Once everything is dry, spray or brush on a matte varnish to protect the paint from wear during gaming. Let it cure for 24 hours before handling the miniature aggressively. Gloss varnish will change the finish to shiny. Use matte for military green armor unless you want a wet look.
Product Used in This Guide
- The Army Painter: Warpaint, Commando Green: Utilizes loads of heavy pigment for excellent coverage and is a 100% match of the Colour Primer of the same name. You get smooth, opaque green armor in fewer coats, and touch-ups blend seamlessly with the primer coat.
The Army Painter: Warpaint, Commando Green
