Are Citadel Paints Acrylic

Yes, Citadel paints are acrylic. Every paint in the Citadel Colour range — from the dense Base coats to the flowing Shade washes, from the innovative Contrast formulas to the textured Technical effects — uses a water-based acrylic polymer binder as its core vehicle. Games Workshop confirms this directly. The phrase “All of our paints are non-toxic, water-based acrylic” appears on virtually every Citadel paint pot, product listing, and official description worldwide. There is no hidden enamel line, no secret oil-based formulation. The entire system is acrylic, designed from the ground up for use on plastic, metal, and resin miniatures.

This matters because acrylic paint behaves differently from enamel, lacquer, or oil paint. It thins with water. It dries quickly through evaporation. It forms a flexible, durable film that bonds to primer and holds fine detail without obscuring it. A miniature painter who understands that Citadel paints are acrylic knows exactly how to thin them, how to clean brushes after use, and how to layer colours without reactivating the paint underneath. That knowledge is the difference between a smooth, professional finish and a clogged, streaky mess.

The question “are Citadel paints acrylic” often comes from newcomers standing in a hobby shop, turning a pot over in their hand, wondering if they need special thinners or if water will do. The answer shapes every painting decision that follows.

What Makes a Paint Acrylic?

Paint, stripped to its essentials, contains three components: a pigment that provides colour, a binder that holds the pigment to the surface, and a solvent that carries both and evaporates during drying. The binder defines the paint family. Acrylic paint uses acrylic polymer resin as its binder — essentially liquid plastic that hardens into a durable, water-resistant film as the solvent evaporates.

The Science of Acrylic Polymer Binders

Think of acrylic polymer as a swarm of microscopic beads suspended in water. As long as the water remains, the beads float freely and the paint flows. When the water evaporates, the beads press together, interlock, and fuse into a continuous solid film. That film is flexible enough to survive temperature changes without cracking, yet tough enough to resist handling wear on gaming miniatures. It also seals the pigment particles inside, protecting them from moisture and oxidation.

The acrylic binder in Citadel paints gives them their characteristic behaviours. They dry to the touch within minutes. They form a matte to satin finish depending on the specific formulation. They resist reactivation by water once fully cured, which means a painter can apply a wet layer of Shade over a dry layer of Base without disturbing the colour beneath. That built-in resistance to lifting is one reason the Citadel system works so reliably.

Water-Based vs. Solvent-Based Paint Systems

Water-based acrylic paint uses water as its primary solvent. Cleanup requires nothing more than water and a paper towel. Fumes are minimal. The paint is non-toxic enough for use in a spare room or kitchen table — no spray booth or respirator needed for brush painting.

Solvent-based paints — enamels and lacquers — use mineral spirits or acetone-derived solvents. They produce strong fumes. They require chemical thinners for both mixing and cleanup. They dry more slowly, which can be an advantage for blending but a disadvantage for speed.

Citadel paints sit firmly in the water-based camp. Games Workshop describes every paint in the range as “non-toxic, water-based acrylic.” The safety data sheets list water as the main vehicle. The cleanup instructions tell painters to rinse brushes in water. The entire user experience — from opening the pot to washing up — is built around water as the working medium.

Here is how Citadel’s acrylic system compares to other paint families:

The Citadel Colour System — Acrylic Through and Through

Games Workshop organises the Citadel range not by colour family alone, but by functional paint type. Each type serves a specific stage in the painting process, and each type uses the same water-based acrylic foundation with a different formulation tweak. The system follows a logical workflow: Base, then Shade, then Layer, then finishing effects from Dry, Contrast, or Technical paints.

Base Paints

Citadel Base paints contain the highest pigment load in the range. They are designed to deliver opaque, even coverage over a primer coat in one or two passes. The acrylic binder is formulated with extra body to hold all that pigment in suspension without becoming pasty. Base paints set the foundation for every colour that follows. They dry to a smooth matte finish that gives Shade washes and Layer paints an ideal surface to grip.

Layer Paints

Citadel Layer paints contain less pigment than Base paints and flow more readily from the brush. The acrylic medium is slightly thinner, allowing the paint to spread into a translucent film. This transparency is intentional. Layer paints build colour gradually, letting the painter work up from a mid-tone to a bright edge highlight without harsh transitions. The water-based formula makes it easy to feather edges with a damp brush.

Shade Paints

Citadel Shade paints are the thinnest formulation in the standard range. Games Workshop engineers them to behave like a controlled wash — the acrylic medium carries pigment into recesses and lets it pool there, staining the crevices dark while leaving raised surfaces relatively clean. The water-based formula includes flow improvers that break surface tension, a trick borrowed from traditional watercolour technique applied to three-dimensional miniatures. Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade are the most famous examples, often nicknamed “liquid talent” by the community.

Contrast Paints

Citadel Contrast paints represent a formulation breakthrough within the acrylic family. They combine the opacity of a Base paint, the flow of a Shade, and the tinting behaviour of a glaze into a single fluid. Applied over a light-coloured primer, Contrast paint settles thickly in recesses for shading, pulls thin over raised edges for highlighting, and stains flat surfaces with a uniform base tone — all in one application. The acrylic medium is carefully balanced to allow this controlled separation without the pigment breaking apart or clumping.

Dry Compounds

Citadel Dry paints contain less medium than other paints in the range. They are thick, pasty, and deliberately low in moisture. The formulation suits the drybrushing technique: the painter loads a brush, wipes off nearly all the paint onto a paper towel, then drags the nearly-dry bristles across raised textures. The acrylic binder grips instantly, leaving pigment only on the highest points. Fur, chainmail, rubble, and stone all benefit from this approach.

Technical Paints

Citadel Technical paints are the experimental arm of the acrylic range. They create speciality effects that go beyond colour: crackle textures like Mordant Earth, corrosion effects like Typhus Corrosion, gemstone glazes like Waystone Green, blood spatter with Blood for the Blood God, and snow effects with Valhallan Blizzard. Every Technical paint uses the same water-based acrylic foundation. Some contain textured particles. Others include gloss-enhancing additives. But the binder that holds everything to the model remains acrylic.

Air and Spray Paints

Citadel Air paints are pre-thinned acrylic formulations designed for airbrush use. They share the same pigment colours as the brush-on range but arrive at a lower viscosity that flows through an airbrush nozzle without clogging. They require no additional thinning, though painters can adjust with water or acrylic medium if desired. Cleanup remains water-based — no harsh solvents required.

Citadel Colour Spray primers complete the system. These aerosol cans deliver acrylic-polyurethane primer in a format that provides both a bond coat for the miniature and a uniform base colour for the paint layers to follow. The propellant and solvent system in the can differs from the pot formulations, but the paint film that dries on the model is fundamentally acrylic.

Pot Sizes and Formats

Every paint type in the Citadel range uses the same pot design with a flip-top lid, but the fill volumes vary by formulation. Shade and Contrast paints come in larger pots because painters tend to use more of them per session. Technical paints that create thick textures also need extra volume.

Chemical Composition — What Is Actually Inside a Citadel Pot

The safety information on every Citadel pot reveals the preservatives used. The most commonly listed ingredients include a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (often abbreviated as CIT/MIT), along with 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (BIT). These are isothiazolinone biocides — preservatives that prevent bacteria and fungi from growing in the water-based paint during storage. They are standard across the paint and coatings industry and appear in many household products. The label warning “May produce an allergic reaction” refers to the possibility of skin sensitisation from these preservatives with prolonged or repeated exposure, not to any inherent toxicity in the acrylic binder or pigments themselves.

The exact pigment composition varies by colour — titanium dioxide for whites, iron oxides for reds and browns, carbon black for blacks, and various synthetic organic pigments for the vibrant blues, greens, and purples that define the Warhammer palette. All sit suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion that Games Workshop formulates in partnership with its manufacturing partners.

Historically, HMG Limited in Manchester, UK, manufactured Citadel paints. The exact supply chain has evolved over the decades as the range expanded, but the core acrylic chemistry has remained consistent since the brand’s full transition away from enamels in the late 1980s.

How Citadel Acrylics Compare to Other Miniature Paint Brands

The miniature painting hobby supports several major acrylic paint ranges. Each uses water-based acrylic chemistry, but formulation philosophy, bottle design, and price per millilitre set them apart.

Citadel stands apart through its functional paint system. No other major brand organises paint by the job it does. A painter following a Warhammer tutorial simply reaches for the Base, Shade, or Layer paint the guide calls for, confident that the paint will behave as expected. That integration between product design and instructional content is Citadel’s strongest advantage. Vallejo, Army Painter, and Pro Acryl all produce excellent acrylic paint — and many painters mix brands freely within a single project — but none of them replicate the end-to-end system approach that Games Workshop has built around its miniatures, its paint names, and its painting guides.

Why Acrylic Matters for Miniature Painting

The choice of acrylic chemistry shapes every aspect of the miniature painting experience.

Fast drying means a painter can apply a Base coat, wash it with Shade, and start highlighting with Layer paint all within the same evening. Enamel painters wait hours or days between coats.

Water cleanup means no chemical solvents at the painting desk. A cup of water, a paper towel, and a brush soap like Masters Brush Cleaner handle everything. Fumes are minimal enough for indoor work without special ventilation.

Layering without reactivation means the acrylic film, once dry, resists the water in the next coat. A painter can apply wet Shade over dry Base without the colours mixing into mud. That physical property — the cured film’s resistance to water — is what makes the Base, Shade, Layer workflow possible.

Flexibility in the cured film means paint moves with the miniature as it expands and contracts with temperature. Rigid enamel films can crack on flexible plastic or resin models. Acrylic films stretch.

Non-toxic formulation means younger hobbyists can paint safely, and adults do not need to worry about solvent exposure during long painting sessions. The isothiazolinone preservatives do carry a sensitisation warning, so painters with known allergies should wear gloves, but the overall hazard profile is far gentler than enamel or lacquer alternatives.

Common Misconceptions

Several myths about Citadel paints persist in hobby circles. Clearing them up saves money and frustration.

“Citadel paints are enamel.” No. This confusion traces back to the early Citadel paint sets from the 1980s, which did include enamel options. Games Workshop transitioned fully to acrylics decades ago and has not sold enamel paints under the Citadel brand since. Every pot on a current store shelf contains water-based acrylic.

“You need special thinner for Citadel paints.” Water works. The paints are water-based acrylic. Tap water thins them effectively for brush painting. Distilled water avoids any risk of mineral content affecting the paint film. Dedicated acrylic mediums like Lahmian Medium or Contrast Medium offer more control for specific techniques, but water alone handles basic thinning.

“Citadel paints are just repackaged craft acrylics.” No. Craft acrylics use coarser pigment grinds and thicker binders designed for canvas or wood. Citadel paints — like Vallejo, Army Painter, and Pro Acryl — use finely ground pigments and carefully balanced acrylic mediums formulated specifically for the fine detail and smooth finish required on 28 mm to 32 mm miniatures. Using cheap craft paint on a miniature is like painting a watch face with a wall brush.

“You cannot mix Citadel with other acrylic brands.” You can. All major miniature paint brands use water-based acrylic chemistry. Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter, and Pro Acryl mix freely. The acrylic polymer binders are compatible. A painter might prefer Citadel Base colours for foundation coats while reaching for Vallejo for specific historical tones. The only caution is finish consistency — mixing a satin Citadel paint with an ultra-matte Scale75 paint will yield an intermediate sheen.

Conclusion

Citadel paints are acrylic. The entire range — Base, Layer, Shade, Contrast, Dry, Technical, Air, and Spray — uses water-based acrylic polymer as its binder. Games Workshop abandoned enamels decades ago and built the Citadel Colour system around the fast drying, water cleanup, and layering compatibility that only acrylic chemistry provides.

Understanding that Citadel paints are acrylic gives a painter the foundational knowledge to thin them correctly with water, clean brushes without solvents, and layer colours without fear of reactivating the paint underneath. It explains why the Base-Shade-Layer workflow functions so predictably across thousands of Warhammer tutorials. It removes the intimidation factor for newcomers who worry about needing special chemicals or expensive thinners.

A pot of Citadel paint and a cup of water are enough to start. Everything else — the speciality mediums, the wet palettes, the airbrush thinners — builds on that simple, durable, water-based acrylic foundation.

Key Takeaways

• Every Citadel paint is water-based acrylic, confirmed by Games Workshop on every product listing and pot label. No current Citadel Colour product contains enamel, lacquer, or oil-based binder.
• The entire range thins and cleans up with plain water, though distilled water and dedicated acrylic mediums offer more control for advanced techniques.
• Citadel organises its acrylics by function — Base, Layer, Shade, Contrast, Dry, Technical, Air, and Spray — creating a system where each paint type serves a specific role in the painting workflow.
• Acrylic chemistry is what makes the Base-Shade-Layer system work, because cured acrylic film resists reactivation by the water in subsequent coats.
• Citadel acrylics mix freely with other water-based acrylic brands like Vallejo, Army Painter, and Pro Acryl, giving painters complete flexibility in their colour choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Citadel paints acrylic or enamel?

All current Citadel paints are acrylic. Games Workshop transitioned away from enamel formulations in the late 1980s. Every Citadel Colour product sold today — from Base and Layer to Contrast and Technical — uses a water-based acrylic polymer binder. There are no enamel Citadel paints in production.

Can I thin Citadel paints with water?

Yes. Water thins Citadel acrylic paints effectively for brush painting. Most painters add a drop or two of clean water to their palette until the paint reaches a milk-like consistency. For long-term storage or airbrush use, distilled water avoids introducing minerals that might affect the paint film. Dedicated acrylic mediums like Lahmian Medium offer more controlled thinning without reducing binder strength.

What is the difference between Citadel Base and Layer paints?

Citadel Base paints contain more pigment and provide opaque coverage in one or two coats. They form the foundation of the colour scheme. Citadel Layer paints contain less pigment and flow more readily, making them ideal for building up highlights through translucent layers. Both share the same water-based acrylic chemistry.

Are Citadel Contrast paints acrylic?

Yes. Citadel Contrast paints use a specially formulated water-based acrylic medium that allows the pigment to separate controllably during drying. The paint pools in recesses for shading and pulls thin over raised edges for highlighting, all within a single application. Contrast paints thin with water or Contrast Medium and clean up with water like any other acrylic.

What is the shelf life of Citadel acrylic paints?

Citadel acrylic paints can last for many years — in some cases over a decade — when stored properly with the lid tightly sealed and the pot kept in a cool, dark place. The water-based formula does slowly lose moisture through imperfect seals, but dried paint can often be revived with a few drops of water and thorough stirring. The acrylic binder itself remains chemically stable over extended periods.

How do I clean brushes after using Citadel acrylic paint?

Rinse brushes in clean water immediately after use. For deeper cleaning, use a dedicated brush soap like Masters Brush Cleaner or the Citadel brush cleaning pot. Do not let acrylic paint dry in the bristles — once the polymer binder cures, it becomes water-resistant and difficult to remove. Swirl brushes gently rather than mashing the bristles against the bottom of the water cup.

Are Citadel Air paints different from regular Citadel acrylics?

Citadel Air paints are pre-thinned versions of the standard Citadel colours, formulated to flow smoothly through an airbrush without additional dilution. They share the same water-based acrylic chemistry, the same pigment colours, and the same pot design. The only difference is lower viscosity. You can also thin regular Citadel paints with water or airbrush thinner for airbrush use, but the Air range offers plug-and-play convenience.