How to Paint Slaaneshi Pastel Colours
How to Paint Pastel Hedonites of Slaanesh
Learn how to paint pastel Hedonites of Slaanesh using simple layering techniques to create a cohesive and striking Warhammer Age of Sigmar army.
This step-by-step painting guide shows you how to paint soft pastel colour schemes for the Hedonites of Slaanesh using a simple and repeatable method:
Basecoat → Shade → Highlight → Second Highlight
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A consistent selection of pastel colours used throughout an army helps bring everything together visually, even when each model features a different arrangement of tones.
Soft, almost ethereal shades such as pale blues, pinks, yellows, and light greens create a striking sense of contrast when set against the warped forms, exposed flesh, and clawed details associated with Slaanesh.
When painting Hedonites of Slaanesh, I draw inspiration from the earliest interpretations of the faction in the late 1980s Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, where these lighter, more vibrant colours played an important role in shaping their look.
Essential Paints for Painting Pastel Slaanesh Miniatures
To achieve smooth pastel colours, paint quality and preparation are critical. These are the key paints used throughout this Slaanesh painting guide:
- Army Painter Matt White – A smooth, non-chalky white perfect for mixing pastel tones
- Contrast Medium – Reduces intensity when thinning Contrast paints for softer shading
- Lahmian Medium – Improves the flow of the paint while keeping strong recess shading
For best results, apply all colours over a clean light undercoat: Matt White Spray or Wraithbone. This ensures your pastel colours remain bright, smooth, and vibrant.
Easily find the tools, paints and materials used in this guide →Pastel Colour Recipes for Hedonites of Slaanesh
Each colour recipe below follows the same method, making it easy to batch paint units while maintaining consistency across your Warhammer Age of Sigmar Slaanesh army.
How to Paint Pastel Pink
- Basecoat: Emperor’s Children mixed with Army Painter Matt White.
- Shade: 1:2:2 mix of Volupus Pink, Contrast Medium, and Lahmian Medium
- Highlight: Fulgrim Pink
- Second Highlight: Fulgrim Pink plus Army Painter Matt White.
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| Fiend of Slaanesh |
How to Paint Pastel Green
- Basecoat: Sybarite Green mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Shade: 1:2:2 mix of Aethermatic Blue, Contrast Medium, and Lahmian Medium
- Highlight: Sybarite Green mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Second Highlight: Add more Army Painter Matt White to the previous mix
How to Paint Pastel Blue
- Basecoat: Lothern Blue mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Shade: 1:2:2 mix of Talassar Blue, Contrast Medium, and Lahmian Medium
- Highlight: Lothern Blue mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Second Highlight: Add more Army Painter Matt White to the previous mix
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| The Dread Pageant |
How to Paint Pastel Yellow
- Basecoat: Yriel Yellow mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Shade: 1:2:2 mix of Iyanden Yellow, Contrast Medium, and Lahmian Medium
- Highlight: Yriel Yellow mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Second Highlight: Add more Army Painter Matt White to the previous mix
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| Fiend of Slaanesh |
How to Paint Pastel Purple
- Basecoat: Genestealer Purple mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Shade: 1:2:2 mix of Shyish Purple, Contrast Medium, and Lahmian Medium
- Highlight: Genestealer Purple mixed with Army Painter Matt White
- Second Highlight: Add more Army Painter Matt White to the previous mix
Key Tips:
- Keep the painting clean, changing regularly to avoid contaminating different colours
- Keep mixes consistent when batch painting - use a wet palette
- Do not use a wet palette with the contrast paints, as it disrupts the properties of the paint.
Final Thoughts on Painting Hedonites of Slaanesh
Painting Hedonites of Slaanesh miniatures in pastel colours creates an alien, dreamlike aesthetic with an entrancing quality that draws the eye. The contrast between soft tones and unsettling details makes this one of the most distinctive Warhammer painting schemes you can achieve.By repeating colours, maintaining clean blends, and following this simple process, you can build a cohesive, eye-catching force suitable for both tabletop and display.
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