Speedpaints, Acrylic Highlights, and a Sensible Dose of Nuln Oil
A quick hobby note from our chat
Sometimes the best hobby tips are the ones that come out of a short, practical conversation while someone is painting and someone else is trying not to drown a model in wash.
This time the topic was pretty simple: how far to go with Nuln Oil, and how to get more out of Speedpaints without locking ourselves into a one-step paint job.
Our current approach: Speedpaint first, acrylics after
As Wilini put it, this is the workflow he uses:
- start with Speedpaints
- then come back with regular acrylics
- add highlights where the Speedpaint result feels too weak
Honestly, we really like this approach. It keeps painting moving fast, but it also leaves room to fix things, sharpen edges, and bring back contrast where needed.
Speedpaints do a lot of heavy lifting, but they do not have to be the final word. If a surface ends up a bit too flat, too dark, or just not punchy enough, going back in with acrylic highlights makes a huge difference.
Nuln Oil: not everywhere, just where it makes sense
The other part of the chat was about Nuln Oil.
The short version from Michał: Nuln on metallics.
That is a good rule of thumb. Metallic areas usually benefit from that extra shading, and Nuln Oil helps bring out the depth without much effort.
But the important warning was also there: not everything needs it at the end.
If the model already has enough contrast from Speedpaint and acrylic work, then covering everything in Nuln Oil can just muddy the result. It is tempting, because a final wash feels like an easy “done” button, but it is not always the right move.
The Kharadron exception… or maybe the Kharadron rule
As End3r pointed out, Kharadron are basically one big metallic model.
So in their case, the advice becomes very practical:
almost everything except the trousers is a good target for Nuln Oil
And honestly, that sounds about right.
If you are painting Kharadron Overlords, a lot of the model is metal, machinery, trim, weapons, tanks, and armored surfaces. That means Nuln Oil has a lot of valid places to go. Not necessarily as a universal dunk-over, but definitely across most metallic elements.
The takeaway
So the hobby tip we are taking from this one is:
- Use Speedpaints to get the model moving quickly
- Use acrylics to restore highlights and definition where needed
- Use Nuln Oil mainly on metallics
- Do not treat the final wash as mandatory
- If you are painting Kharadron, yes, that probably means most of the model can take Nuln well
It is not a revolutionary technique, but it is one of those solid, repeatable habits that can save a paint job from looking either unfinished or overwashed.
Sometimes the best answer is not “always use this product” or “never use that step” — it is just knowing where it helps.
If you have your own mix of Speedpaints, acrylic cleanup, and selective washes, we are very much in that camp too.