Painting Tyranids is different from painting tanks and power armour. They’re all flesh, carapace and claws, and you’ll usually have a lot of them, so the goal is a scheme that looks cohesive and menacing without taking forever. This guide covers the practical approach: pick colours that feel alien, use speed paints for the bulk, and save the detail work for the claws and teeth.
Start with a concept, not a colour chart
Before you crack open a pot, decide what feeling you want the swarm to give off. Tyranids are savage, primal and inhumane, so colours that evoke bruises, blood and deep shadow tend to work better than bright, clean palettes.
A quick word-association exercise helps. If you think ‘dark’, ‘bloody’ and ‘savage’, you’ll naturally lean toward blacks, deep reds, purples and blues. That gives you a direction before you start mixing.
The fast two-tone scheme that actually works
Most people painting Tyranids want speed, because a swarm is dozens of models. The reliable method is a bone-coloured undercoat plus two Contrast-style paints: one for the skin, one for the carapace.
Prime in a bone or off-white spray. That undercoat doubles as the carapace colour, so you don’t have to paint it again later. Then paint the fleshy skin areas in one generous coat of a rich blue, red or purple speed paint. It shades itself as it dries, pooling darker in the recesses and staying lighter on raised muscle.
Leave the hard plates, head and back in the bone undercoat, or deepen them slightly with a thin bone Contrast paint if you want a warmer, more organic look. The contrast between coloured skin and pale carapace is what makes the model read as a Tyranid from across the table.
- Bone or off-white primer (Wraithbone works well)
- One Contrast or speed paint for the skin
- One bone Contrast for the carapace (optional)
- A brown shade for claws and teeth
- A bone layer paint for highlights
Shade, tidy and add the bite
Once the main colours are down, the model already looks finished from a distance. Push any flat areas with a little more speed paint or a matching shade in the deepest recesses.
Wash the claws, teeth and talons with a brown shade like Agrax Earthshade to ground them. Then paint the talons with a bone layer such as Ushabti Bone and highlight the very tips. That’s the step that gives the swarm its bite.
Thin layers and organic colour choice
If you’re not using speed paints, thin layers are your best friend. They let you slowly build up colour and make small adjustments as you go, which is especially useful on organic shapes where you’re blending skin into muscle and bone.
For colour inspiration, look at real-world organic references: bruises, lacerations, raw meat, insect shells. A quick image search can give you combinations you wouldn’t have thought of. Some painters also use oil paints for smooth blending on large creatures, though that’s a slower, more advanced approach.
Making the swarm look like one organism
Consistency matters more than perfection. Pick your scheme and repeat it across every model, even if you rush the smaller ones. A unified hive fleet looks far better than a mix of individually well-painted bugs that don’t match.
Don’t skip the varnish if you’re using Contrast paints or oils. A protective coat keeps the paint from rubbing off during games, especially on the edges of claws and carapace plates.
Key facts
- Bone-coloured primer doubles as the carapace colour, saving a step.
- Contrast-style paints shade organic skin in one coat.
- A brown shade on claws and teeth adds definition and grounds the model.
- Thin layers work best for blending skin, muscle and bone.
- Consistency across the swarm matters more than individual detail.
FAQ
What’s the fastest way to paint a Tyranid swarm?
Use a bone-coloured primer and Contrast-style speed paints. One coat on the skin, leave the carapace in the undercoat, then shade the claws. You can finish a brood in an evening or two.
Do I need special paints for Tyranids?
No, but Contrast or speed paints make organic skin much faster because they shade themselves. A bone spray primer and a brown shade are the only other essentials.
How do I make my Tyranids look cohesive?
Stick to the same colours across every model, even if you rush the smaller ones. A consistent scheme reads as a single hive fleet, which is the whole point.