Citadel Layer paints are the highlight range in the Citadel system: thinner, lighter-toned colors applied over a Base coat to build up gradual highlights toward a model's raised edges. The full swatch-by-swatch color list, sortable and shown at actual measured color, lives on the Citadel Layer range page. This guide covers what the range is for and how to use it, since a color list on its own does not tell you how the paints actually behave.
What Layer paints are for
Layer paints exist to build highlights, not to serve as a first coat. They are formulated thinner than Base paints specifically so they can be applied in successive thin coats, each one covering a slightly smaller area toward the highest points of a model, building a gradient from base tone to bright highlight. Applied full strength straight from the pot as a first coat, most Layer colors will look patchy and uneven, because that is not the job they are built for.
How Layer differs from Base
The distinction trips up a lot of new painters because both ranges produce opaque, flat-finish colors and sit next to each other on the shelf. Base paints are formulated for maximum single-coat opacity, meant to be your first color over primer. Layer paints are thinner by design, meant to be built up gradually rather than covering fully in one pass. A useful rule: if you are laying down the first color on bare or primed plastic, reach for Base. If you are adding a lighter tone on top of a Base coat that is already dry, reach for Layer.
Names worth knowing
A handful of Layer colors show up constantly in painting guides and army-specific tutorials because they cover common neutral tones every painter reaches for. Ushabti Bone and Ulthuan Grey are two of the most commonly used Layer highlights, a warm bone tone and a cool pale grey respectively, both frequently used as highlight colors over darker base tones on armor and cloth. Fenrisian Grey and Administratum Grey are two more staple grey tones, one cooler and one warmer, both common as either a mid tone or a highlight depending on how much they are thinned.
One color that gets searched alongside the Layer range but does not actually belong to it is Corax White, which is a Base paint, not a Layer color, despite frequently being used as the top highlight in a grey or bone color scheme. It is worth knowing that distinction, since buying it expecting Layer-range thin coverage will be the wrong expectation for how it is formulated.
How to use the full color list
The Citadel Layer range page shows every color in the range as an actual swatch rendered from its measured hex value, sorted alphabetically, with each color linking through to its cross-brand equivalents. A Citadel Colour Essentials Set(affiliate link) is the standard way to get a working spread of Base and Layer colors together rather than buying pots one at a time off the full list. That page is the reference; this guide is the context for what to do once you have picked a color off it. If you are converting from another brand and already know a Vallejo or Army Painter color you like, the Citadel to Vallejo conversion chart and Army Painter to Citadel chart will point you toward the closest Layer or Base equivalent depending on finish.
FAQ
How many Citadel Layer paints are there?
The Layer range spans dozens of colors covering the full spectrum, from warm bone and flesh tones through greys, blues, greens, and reds. The complete, current list with swatches is on the Layer range page.
What is the difference between Citadel Layer and Contrast paints?
Layer paints are opaque highlight colors applied thin and built up gradually over a Base coat. Contrast paints combine a base color and a shading effect in one coat over a light prime. They solve different problems and are not interchangeable steps in a paint job.
Is Ushabti Bone a Base or a Layer paint?
Ushabti Bone is a Layer paint, commonly used as a highlight over darker bone or brown base tones on armor and robes.
Is Corax White a Layer paint?
No, Corax White is a Base paint. It is often used as a top highlight in grey and bone color schemes, which is why it gets searched alongside Layer colors, but it is formulated and sold as part of the Base range.
Can I use Layer paints as a first coat over primer?
You can, but most Layer colors will need two or three coats to reach full opacity since they are formulated thin. A Base coat first, with Layer colors reserved for highlights, will get you a cleaner result with fewer coats overall.