Blue Black (AK17051) is a cool, deep blue-black shade in the QUICK GEN line, designed for painters who want rich, atmospheric shadows without resorting to pure black. The tone shown in the sample leans toward midnight blue with a desaturated black core, giving it a dramatic mood that fits both modern and fantasy miniatures. This makes Blue Black a strong choice for artists who enjoy creating contrast with personality and nuance.

As a high coverage paint, Blue Black provides impressive opacity in a single coat. It settles smoothly into recesses while keeping raised areas readable thanks to its matte finish. This behaviour makes it ideal for fast shading workflows as well as controlled detail painting. Painters often rely on Blue Black as an alternative to black when they want more interesting depth and colour variety in their shadows.

Features & benefits

• Deep blue-black tone for cool atmospheric shading.
• High coverage for fast, reliable opacity.
• Matte finish that enhances sculpt readability.
• Excellent for armour, military gear, cloth and NMM.
• Ideal alternative to pure black for richer contrast.
• Works for both speedpainting and advanced shading styles.

Technical details

• Volume: 18ml.
• High coverage acrylic paint.
• Water-based formula.
• Matte finish.
• Optimised for brush; suitable thinned for airbrush.

Applications & examples

Blue Black shines in projects where a painter wants strong, cool shadows that hold visual interest. In science-fiction models, it performs excellently for weapons, armour plates, tactical gear and stealth materials. For fantasy miniatures, it creates expressive shadows on cloaks, robes, creature hides and magical metals. The coolness of the tone makes it ideal for low-light, grimdark or atmospheric palettes. Additionally, it works well as a glaze for unifying steel, mithril or cold NMM highlights.

• Shading for uniforms, tactical vests and armour.
• Dark cloth and magical fabrics.
• Cool NMM base tone for steel and enchanted metals.
• Rocks, pavement and misty scenic elements.
• Deep shadows for nighttime or low-light settings.

Included in the US Uniforms set

Blue Black is included in the US Uniforms Set, where it serves as a key structural colour for shading troops and their equipment. Its cool tone harmonises with olive uniform greens and warm leather accents, providing a balanced shadow that grounds the entire palette. Painters often rely on Blue Black to quickly achieve clear separation and depth when working on squads or large batches of infantry. Its inclusion in this set highlights its versatility and reliability for military and realistic themes.

Comparable tones

In other paint systems, Blue Black corresponds to the darkest cool blues used for subtle shadowing. The QUICK GEN formulation, however, makes it stand out due to its strong coverage, smooth flow and matte finish. This combination enables both expressive and efficient shading, and helps painters achieve crisp, readable silhouettes. It pairs especially well with greys, cold blues and other black-adjacent tones.

Whether you are painting historical U.S. troops, futuristic soldiers, undead armour plates or moody fantasy characters, Blue Black offers a refined and atmospheric dark tone. Its depth, coverage and ease of use make it a valuable addition to any palette. Painters of all skill levels benefit from its versatility, especially those seeking cool, expressive and distinctive shadow tones.