Army Painter Speedpaints vs Warpaints Fanatic: Which Should You Buy?

The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 and Warpaints Fanatic are both designed for painting tabletop miniatures, but they produce results in very different ways.

Speedpaint is a transparent one-coat painting system. Applied over a light undercoat, it creates a main colour, darker recess shading, and lighter raised areas in one step. It is designed for painters who want to finish armies, board-game miniatures, monsters, and large collections quickly.

Warpaints Fanatic is a traditional opaque acrylic paint range. It gives painters greater control over basecoats, layering, blending, edge highlights, corrections, and smooth colour transitions. Its Flexible Triad system organizes related colours from dark to light, making it easier to choose shadows, midtones, and highlights.

The two ranges are not direct replacements for one another. Speedpaint is usually faster, while Warpaints Fanatic provides greater precision and control. Many painters will achieve their best results by combining them.

This comparison explains the differences between Army Painter Speedpaints vs Fanatic, including coverage, finish, application, drying behaviour, beginner accessibility, army painting, display painting, metallics, airbrush use, and overall value.

Browse Speedpaint 2.0, Warpaints Fanatic, primers, brushes, washes, paint sets, and other Army Painter products at Tistaminis.

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Quick Summary

• Best for Painting Armies Quickly: Speedpaint 2.0
• Best for Traditional Layering: Warpaints Fanatic
• Best for Complete Beginners: Speedpaint for speed; Fanatic for learning traditional techniques
• Best for Display Painting: Warpaints Fanatic
• Best for Board-Game Miniatures: Speedpaint 2.0
• Best for Flat Armour Panels: Warpaints Fanatic
• Best for Fur, Cloth, Skin, and Organic Texture: Speedpaint 2.0
• Best for Edge Highlights: Warpaints Fanatic
• Best for Easy Corrections: Warpaints Fanatic
• Best for One-Coat Metallics: Speedpaint Metallics
• Best for Controlled Metallic Layering: Fanatic Metallics
• Best Colour-Selection System: Fanatic Flexible Triads
• Best Overall Army-Painting Workflow: Speedpaint followed by Fanatic highlights
• Best First Purchase: A small set matched to your first project
• Best Choice for Most Painters: Use both ranges for different stages.

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Speedpaint vs Warpaints Fanatic at a Glance

Feature	Speedpaint 2.0	Warpaints Fanatic
Paint Type	Transparent one-coat paint	Traditional opaque acrylic
Main Purpose	Fast colour, shading, and initial highlights	Controlled basecoating, layering, and highlighting
Best Undercoat	White, ivory, light grey, or zenithal	Black, grey, white, coloured, or zenithal
Coverage	Transparent	Opaque
Speed	Very fast	Moderate
Control	Moderate	High
Corrections	More difficult	Straightforward
Flat Surfaces	Can pool or streak	More consistent
Textured Surfaces	Excellent	Excellent with multiple stages
Layering	Glazes and transparent layers	Opaque and semi-opaque layers
Best Use	Army painting and fast tabletop results	Refined tabletop and display-quality painting

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What Is Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0?

Speedpaint 2.0 is a transparent acrylic paint system designed to create several visual stages in one application.

When applied over a light primer, the paint remains lighter on raised surfaces and collects more heavily in recesses. This produces the appearance of a basecoat, shade, and initial highlight without requiring three separate paints.

Speedpaint Works Best On:

• Fur
• Cloth
• Skin
• Leather
• Wood
• Scales
• Feathers
• Bone
• Stone
• Organic monsters
• Highly textured armour
• Board-game miniatures

Main Advantages

• Very fast application
• Creates automatic recess shading
• Produces an immediate tabletop-ready result
• Excellent for batch painting
• Works well with zenithal and slapchop underpainting
• Large colour selection
• Includes one-coat metallic options
• Can be thinned with Speedpaint Medium
• Useful for glazing and tinting

Possible Drawbacks

• Can pool on flat areas
• Mistakes are harder to cover directly.
• Results depend heavily on the undercoat.
• Different colours can have different strength and flow.
• Large vehicles and smooth armour require careful control.
• One coat may not provide enough definition for display painting.

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What Is Warpaints Fanatic?

Warpaints Fanatic is The Army Painter’s traditional acrylic miniature-painting range.

These paints are designed to provide strong coverage, smooth application, reliable colour consistency, and a broad selection of shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Unlike Speedpaint, Fanatic colours are primarily opaque. They cover the undercoat rather than depending on it to create the finished shading.

Fanatic Is Best For:

• Traditional basecoating
• Layering
• Edge highlighting
• Blending
• Glazing
• Correcting mistakes
• Painting flat armour panels
• Display-quality miniatures
• Historical figures
• Vehicles and machinery
• Detailed character models

Main Advantages

• Strong opacity
• Greater control over exact colour placement
• Easy correction of mistakes
• Excellent for smooth layers
• Large traditional acrylic range
• Flexible Triads simplify colour selection.
• Dedicated metallics, effects, and washes
• Useful for beginners and advanced painters
• Works over nearly any primer colour

Possible Drawbacks

• Slower than a one-coat system
• Traditional workflows require several stages.
• Painters may need multiple colours for one finished area.
• The full range is much larger than most painters need.
• Paint consistency may still require adjustment on the palette.

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The Biggest Difference: Transparent vs Opaque Paint

The central difference between Speedpaint and Fanatic is opacity.

Speedpaint Is Transparent

Speedpaint allows the light undercoat to show through. The visible result is created by the combination of:

• The primer
• The thickness of the Speedpaint layer
• The miniature’s sculpted texture
• Where the paint pools
• Any zenithal or drybrushed underpainting

Fanatic Is Opaque

Warpaints Fanatic covers the underlying colour more completely. The painter creates shadows and highlights by applying separate darker and lighter colours.

Why This Matters

Speedpaint is faster because the paint performs several jobs at once. Fanatic is more controlled because each stage can be adjusted independently.

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Speedpaint 2.0: One-Coat Painting Explained

A one-coat paint does not mean the miniature will always be completely finished after one brushstroke.

It means one controlled coat can establish:

• The main colour
• Dark recesses
• Lighter raised surfaces
• Initial colour variation

The result may already be suitable for tabletop gaming. Painters can then improve it with:

• Additional highlights
• Edge highlights
• Metallic details
• Weathering
• Facial details
• Basing
• Selective washes

Speedpaint Is Most Effective When:

• The model has clear texture.
• The primer is smooth and light.
• The brush carries enough paint to cover the area.
• Pooling is controlled before drying.
• The painter avoids repeatedly brushing partially dried paint.

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Warpaints Fanatic Flexible Triads Explained

The Fanatic range organizes many colours into Flexible Triads. Each family contains six related colours arranged from dark to light.

This gives painters several possible three-colour combinations instead of forcing one fixed shadow, base, and highlight.

Example Approaches

• Colours 1, 3, and 5 for strong contrast
• Colours 2, 3, and 4 for smoother transitions
• Colours 3, 4, and 6 for a brighter scheme
• All six colours for detailed display layering

Advantages of Flexible Triads

• Simplifies colour selection
• Provides consistent dark-to-light progression
• Helps beginners understand shading
• Allows strong or subtle contrast
• Reduces the need to mix every highlight
• Makes army recipes easier to repeat

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Which Is Faster?

Speedpaint 2.0 is significantly faster for most basic army-painting workflows.

Typical Speedpaint Workflow

1. Prime the miniature a light colour.
2. Add an optional zenithal or drybrushed underpainting.
3. Apply Speedpaint to each major area.
4. Paint metallics and small details.
5. Complete the base.
6. Apply varnish if required.

Typical Fanatic Workflow

1. Prime the miniature.
2. Apply opaque base colours.
3. Add washes or darker shadows.
4. Restore the midtones.
5. Apply highlights.
6. Add edge highlights or final details.
7. Complete the base.
8. Apply varnish.

Speedpaint removes several separate shading and highlighting stages. Fanatic takes longer but allows each stage to be refined.

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Which Produces Better Results?

Neither range automatically produces better miniatures. The result depends on the painter, model, undercoat, colour choices, and desired standard.

Speedpaint Usually Produces Better Results When:

• The goal is a fast tabletop army.
• The miniature has deep texture.
• The painter uses a strong underpainting method.
• Many similar models must be completed.
• Time is more important than perfect smoothness.

Fanatic Usually Produces Better Results When:

• The model has broad flat surfaces.
• The painter wants clean edge highlights.
• Precise colour placement matters.
• The miniature is a character or centrepiece.
• Smooth layering and blending are priorities.

Best Overall Result

Use Speedpaint for the first colour and shading stage, then refine the miniature with Fanatic midtones and highlights.

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Which Is Better for Beginners?

This depends on what the beginner wants to learn.

Speedpaint Is Better When the Beginner Wants:

• Fast visible progress
• Fewer painting stages
• Immediate shading
• To finish an army quickly
• To paint board-game miniatures
• To avoid learning complex layering immediately

Fanatic Is Better When the Beginner Wants:

• Traditional miniature-painting skills
• Greater correction control
• To learn basecoating and highlighting
• To paint characters carefully
• To create repeatable colour recipes
• To develop toward display painting

Best Beginner Recommendation

A beginner can start with a small Speedpaint set for the main colours and add a few Fanatic paints for corrections, metallics, skin highlights, bone, and final details.

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Which Is Better for Army Painting?

Speedpaint is usually the better choice for full armies.

It is particularly effective for:

• Large infantry units
• Horde armies
• Historical troops
• Fantasy monsters
• Board-game collections
• Role-playing miniatures
• Miniatures needed for an upcoming event

Fanatic May Be Better for Armies With:

• Large flat armour panels
• Clean military schemes
• Bright white armour
• Extensive edge highlighting
• Vehicles and walkers
• Graphic colour blocking

Recommended Army Workflow

1. Prime the entire army in a light colour.
2. Add a zenithal or drybrushed undercoat.
3. Apply Speedpaint to infantry.
4. Use Fanatic on vehicles and flat panels.
5. Add shared Fanatic highlights across the army.
6. Complete bases in batches.

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Which Is Better for Display Painting?

Warpaints Fanatic is the stronger primary range for display painting.

Display painting benefits from:

• Precise opacity
• Controlled layering
• Smooth blending
• Careful edge highlights
• Colour correction
• Glazing
• Custom mixtures

Speedpaint remains useful for display painting as:

• An initial transparent layer
• A glaze
• A tint
• A recess colour
• An underpainting tool
• A base for later Fanatic refinement

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Which Is Better for Board-Game Miniatures?

Speedpaint is generally the better choice for board-game miniatures.

Why?

• Large model counts can be completed quickly.
• Individual miniatures usually contain strong sculpted textures.
• Perfect uniformity is less important than clear visual identification.
• Players can finish a complete game instead of leaving the models unpainted.
• Simple colour coding improves gameplay visibility.

Use Fanatic afterward for:

• Eyes
• Weapons
• Symbols
• Corrections
• Final highlights
• Base rims

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Which Is Better for Vehicles and Flat Armour?

Warpaints Fanatic is usually better for vehicles, tanks, large shields, and smooth armour.

Speedpaint can collect unevenly across broad flat areas, creating:

• Pooling
• Tide marks
• Visible brush paths
• Uneven saturation

Speedpaint Can Still Work on Vehicles When:

• The surface has strong texture.
• The paint is applied through an airbrush.
• The colour is used as a filter or tint.
• The goal is weathered or irregular armour.
• The panel is painted in one controlled pass.

Recommended Vehicle Method

Use Fanatic or Warpaints Air for the main armour, then use Speedpaint selectively for leather, crew, stowage, cables, cloth, weathering, or tinted details.

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Which Is Better for Skin?

Both ranges can produce excellent skin.

Speedpaint Skin

• Fast
• Automatically shades facial features
• Works well on rank-and-file miniatures
• Useful for monsters and varied skin colours
• May need an additional highlight on important faces

Fanatic Skin

• More controlled
• Better for smooth transitions
• Allows detailed facial highlights
• Suitable for heroes and display models
• Easier to correct

Best Combined Method

1. Apply a light skin undercoat.
2. Add one controlled Speedpaint skin tone.
3. Restore the raised areas with a Fanatic midtone.
4. Add a lighter Fanatic highlight to the nose, cheeks, brow, and fingers.

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Which Is Better for Metallics?

The two ranges offer different metallic painting experiences.

Speedpaint Metallics

Speedpaint Metallics combine metallic particles with transparent one-coat behaviour.

Best For:

• Fast weapons
• Armour
• Chainmail
• Robots
• Board-game miniatures
• Batch-painted troops

Advantages

• Metallic colour and shading in one stage
• Fast application
• Useful for textured metal
• Distinctive coloured metallic options

Fanatic Metallics

Best For:

• Controlled metallic basecoats
• Layered steel and gold
• Edge highlights
• Large armour panels
• Detailed weapons
• Display painting

Recommendation

Choose Speedpaint Metallics for speed. Choose Fanatic Metallics for maximum control and traditional metallic layering.

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Undercoating for Speedpaint

The undercoat is a visible part of the final Speedpaint result.

White Primer

• Brightest colours
• Strongest saturation
• Clean fantasy appearance
• Good for yellow, orange, and pale colours

Ivory or Bone Primer

• Warmer finish
• Natural skin and cloth
• Historical and fantasy miniatures
• Softer highlights

Light Grey Primer

• More neutral finish
• Slightly darker overall result
• Useful for science fiction and military schemes

Zenithal Undercoat

A zenithal undercoat uses dark shadows with lighter grey or white applied from above.

This creates stronger directional lighting beneath the transparent Speedpaint layer.

Slapchop Underpainting

Slapchop commonly begins with a black primer followed by heavy grey and lighter white drybrushing. Speedpaint is then applied over the textured grayscale underpainting.

Important Warning

Speedpaint applied directly over solid black primer will usually appear extremely dark because the paint is transparent.

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Undercoating for Warpaints Fanatic

Fanatic paints are less dependent on undercoat colour because they are more opaque.

Black Primer

• Dark schemes
• Metallic armour
• Deep natural shadows
• Forgiving coverage in recesses

Grey Primer

• General-purpose painting
• Balanced bright and dark colours
• Easy visual inspection

White Primer

• Bright colours
• Yellow and orange
• Clean fantasy schemes
• Fluorescent effects

Coloured Primer

• Armies dominated by one armour colour
• Vehicles
• Historical uniforms
• Large batch projects

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Correcting Mistakes

Correcting Fanatic Paint

Fanatic mistakes are generally simple to correct:

1. Allow the mistake to dry.
2. Paint over it with the intended base colour.
3. Restore the highlight or shadow.

Correcting Speedpaint

Because Speedpaint is transparent, painting another Speedpaint colour directly over the mistake may produce a mixed or darker result.

Recommended Speedpaint Correction

1. Allow the mistake to dry fully.
2. Cover it with a light opaque Fanatic paint matching the undercoat.
3. Allow the correction to dry.
4. Reapply the correct Speedpaint.

This is one of the strongest reasons to keep a light opaque acrylic available when using Speedpaint.

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Using Speedpaint Medium

Speedpaint Medium reduces the colour intensity while preserving the paint’s transparent flow characteristics.

Use Speedpaint Medium To:

• Create lighter colours
• Reduce staining
• Produce glazes
• Build smoother transitions
• Control very dark colours
• Create subtle skin tones
• Tint existing paint without completely covering it

Why Not Use Only Water?

Small amounts of water may alter flow, but excessive water can reduce the consistency and behaviour that makes Speedpaint work. Speedpaint Medium is designed to maintain the system’s intended properties.

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Can Fanatic Paint Be Thinned?

Yes. Fanatic paints can be adjusted with water or acrylic medium.

Thin Fanatic Paint for:

• Smooth basecoats
• Layering
• Glazing
• Blending
• Fine details
• Airbrush application with suitable additives

General Method

1. Place paint on a palette.
2. Add a small quantity of water or medium.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Test the coverage.
5. Apply several controlled layers when required.

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Wet Palette Compatibility

Warpaints Fanatic

Fanatic paints work well on a wet palette. The palette helps preserve working time and supports mixing, layering, and repeated army recipes.

Speedpaint

Speedpaint can be placed on a dry or controlled palette, but prolonged contact with a wet palette may change its consistency. A simple dry palette or small well palette provides greater control.

Recommended Setup

• Wet palette for Fanatic acrylics
• Well palette for Speedpaint
• Separate water for metallic paints where practical

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Can Speedpaint and Fanatic Be Mixed?

The ranges can be used together, although directly mixing them changes their original properties.

Better Combined Uses

• Speedpaint base followed by Fanatic highlights
• Fanatic underpainting followed by a Speedpaint glaze
• Fanatic corrections beneath Speedpaint
• Speedpaint shadows with Fanatic edge highlights
• Fanatic armour with Speedpaint cloth and leather

Direct Mixing

Mixing Speedpaint with opaque Fanatic paint can create a more transparent or satin mixture, but the final behaviour may be less predictable. Test the mixture before applying it to an important model.

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Best Speedpaint and Fanatic Hybrid Workflow

1. Prime the miniature white, ivory, or light grey.
2. Add a zenithal or drybrushed underpainting.
3. Apply Speedpaint to textured areas.
4. Use Fanatic opaque paints on flat armour and equipment.
5. Correct mistakes with Fanatic.
6. Add Fanatic highlights to the Speedpaint areas.
7. Use Fanatic metallics or Speedpaint Metallics according to the desired finish.
8. Add washes selectively where more depth is needed.
9. Complete the base.
10. Apply varnish if required.

This workflow preserves most of Speedpaint’s time savings while giving the finished miniature cleaner highlights and corrections.

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Best Choice by Miniature Type

Miniature Type	Recommended Range
Large infantry army	Speedpaint with Fanatic highlights
Board-game miniatures	Speedpaint
Character model	Fanatic or hybrid workflow
Tank or vehicle	Fanatic or Warpaints Air
Monster with scales or fur	Speedpaint
Smooth power armour	Fanatic
Historical infantry	Speedpaint for speed or Fanatic for precision
Display bust	Fanatic
Terrain	Fanatic for basecoats; Speedpaint for tinting details

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Best Choice by Painter Type

New Painter Who Wants Fast Results

Buy Speedpaint.

New Painter Who Wants to Learn Traditional Techniques

Buy Warpaints Fanatic.

Army Painter with Limited Time

Use Speedpaint with a small Fanatic highlight set.

Display Painter

Build primarily around Fanatic.

Board-Game Collector

Choose Speedpaint.

Historical Painter

Use Fanatic for controlled uniforms or Speedpaint for mass formations.

Painter Who Owns Many Traditional Acrylics

Add selected Speedpaints rather than replacing the entire collection.

Painter Who Already Owns Speedpaint

Add Fanatic triads for corrections and highlights.

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Starter Set or Individual Bottles?

Choose a Starter Set When:

• You own few or no paints.
• The included colours suit your first project.
• You want a lower-cost introduction.
• You are unsure which shades to select.

Choose Individual Bottles When:

• You already own another paint range.
• You need colours for one army.
• You want to test several formulas.
• A paint set includes many colours you will not use.
• You need replacements for frequently used colours.

Recommended First Speedpaint Colours

• Main armour or clothing colour
• Skin tone
• Brown for leather and wood
• Bone or ivory tone
• Dark neutral colour
• One metallic
• Speedpaint Medium

Recommended First Fanatic Colours

• Main shadow
• Main midtone
• Main highlight
• Black
• White or ivory
• Skin tone
• Silver
• Brown
• Wash

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Common Speedpaint Mistakes

Using a Dark Primer

Transparent Speedpaint needs a light surface to remain bright.

Applying Too Little Paint

An excessively dry application can create streaks rather than smooth contrast.

Applying Too Much Paint

Heavy pools can dry extremely dark and obscure the intended colour.

Overworking the Surface

Repeated brushing as the paint starts to dry can create uneven areas.

Ignoring Pooling

Use a clean brush to move excess paint away from flat panels and lower edges.

Painting Adjacent Areas Too Quickly

Wet colours can flow into each other. Allow nearby sections to dry when colour separation matters.

Expecting Every Colour to Behave Identically

Test unfamiliar colours because pigmentation and staining strength can vary.

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Common Warpaints Fanatic Mistakes

Applying Paint Too Thickly

Several thin coats usually produce a smoother result than one heavy layer.

Using the Paint Without Mixing

Shake the bottle thoroughly before use.

Choosing Highlights That Are Too Similar

Use the Flexible Triad system to create enough visible contrast.

Highlighting Every Edge Equally

Place the brightest highlights where light would strike or where the eye should focus.

Buying the Complete Range Immediately

Most painters need a focused set of colours for their current armies, not every available bottle.

Using One Paint Consistency for Every Technique

Basecoating, layering, glazing, and edge highlighting require different levels of thinning and brush loading.

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Recommended Buying Paths

Fast Army-Painting Setup

1. Choose a light primer.
2. Purchase Speedpaints matching the main army colours.
3. Add Speedpaint Medium.
4. Add black, white, and ivory Fanatic paints.
5. Add one Fanatic highlight for each major colour.
6. Add metallics and a suitable wash.

Traditional Painting Setup

1. Choose Fanatic Flexible Triads for the main colours.
2. Add black and white.
3. Add skin, bone, leather, and metallics.
4. Add one or two washes.
5. Add suitable primer and varnish.
6. Add selected Speedpaints later for fast secondary textures.

Board-Game Painting Setup

1. Prime the miniatures white or ivory.
2. Choose a versatile Speedpaint starter set.
3. Add Speedpaint Metallics.
4. Add one light Fanatic paint for corrections.
5. Add a black and an ivory Fanatic paint for details.
6. Finish the bases with simple texture products.

Display Painting Setup

1. Build around Fanatic Flexible Triads.
2. Add several neutral colours for mixing.
3. Add inks, washes, and metallics.
4. Use Speedpaints selectively as transparent glazes.
5. Add suitable mediums and varnishes.

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Speedpaint vs Fanatic Buying Tips

• Choose Speedpaint when completing models quickly is the main goal.
• Choose Fanatic when precise control is more important than speed.
• Use Speedpaint on textured and organic surfaces.
• Use Fanatic on flat armour and vehicles.
• Use a light primer beneath Speedpaint.
• Use almost any suitable primer beneath Fanatic.
• Keep a light opaque Fanatic colour available for Speedpaint corrections.
• Add Fanatic highlights to improve Speedpaint miniatures.
• Use Speedpaint Medium instead of heavily diluting Speedpaint with water.
• Use a wet palette for Fanatic.
• Use a well palette for Speedpaint.
• Test unfamiliar Speedpaint colours before batch painting.
• Choose Flexible Triads to simplify Fanatic colour selection.
• Buy paints for one planned project before purchasing a complete range.
• Combine both systems for the best balance of speed and finish.

Browse Speedpaint 2.0, Warpaints Fanatic, Speedpaint Metallics, washes, primers, brushes, and other Army Painter products at Tistaminis.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Verdict: Speedpaint or Warpaints Fanatic?

Choose Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 when speed is the priority. It is the better option for large armies, board-game miniatures, role-playing collections, textured creatures, cloth, leather, skin, fur, and other detailed surfaces.

Choose Warpaints Fanatic when control is the priority. It is better for smooth armour, vehicles, characters, edge highlighting, blending, correcting mistakes, and traditional display-quality painting.

Speedpaint helps a painter finish more models. Fanatic helps a painter control every stage of the result.

For most hobbyists, the strongest answer is not choosing only one range. Use Speedpaint to establish colour and shading quickly, then use Fanatic to correct mistakes, restore midtones, sharpen edges, and add final highlights.

A combined collection does not need to be large. Begin with Speedpaints for the primary army colours and add a few Fanatic shadows, midtones, highlights, metallics, black, white, and ivory.

This hybrid method delivers most of the time savings of one-coat painting without sacrificing the clean finish and control of traditional acrylics.

Browse Army Painter Speedpaints and Warpaints Fanatic at Tistaminis and select the paints that best match your project, available time, and preferred painting style.

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