Soft Black (AK17050) is a muted, neutral black tone within the QUICK GEN range, created for painters who want to build darkness with control rather than overwhelming depth. Unlike a pure, intense black, this colour provides a gentle, smoky character that is ideal for fabric, worn materials, muted armour and natural shading transitions. The sample tone shows a balanced mixture of dark grey and desaturated black, giving it versatility across both fantasy and historical subjects.
Soft Black is classified as a low coverage tone, allowing gradual colour development across surfaces. This transparency is particularly useful for artists who prefer smooth, atmospheric transitions without losing the underlying texture of the miniature. It flows easily into recesses and creates soft gradients that enhance dimensionality. The matte finish further emphasises sculpted details, making the colour suitable for cloth folds, weathered leather, stone textures and dull metals.
Features & benefits
Technical details
Applications & techniques
Soft Black excels in situations where a deep, solid black would be too heavy or visually flat. For cloth and uniforms, the colour creates a convincing fabric texture with soft shadows that don’t obscure the miniature’s detail. As a glaze, it works beautifully over greys, browns or greens to darken them while maintaining clarity. Painters often use Soft Black for worn boots, tactical gear, dusty cloaks, leather straps and any surface that benefits from controlled desaturation.
On fantasy miniatures, Soft Black is ideal for painting shadowed areas of capes, mystical energy transitions, soot effects or the muted underlayers of armour. In historic or military themes, it performs well on jackets, belts, holsters and mechanical elements that require a subdued tone rather than jet black. Because it is low coverage, the colour is easy to manipulate for gradual darkening, and multiple layers can be applied to increase intensity without creating abrupt shifts.
Practical tips
Set integration
Soft Black appears in the Dark Soldiers Set, a palette centred around desaturated colours, sombre tones and low-contrast shading. Within this set, Soft Black is used to unify colour transitions and provide atmospheric depth. It is especially important for painting dark uniforms, boots, straps and equipment, where subtle shading is more effective than stark black. The colour’s transparency helps achieve the understated gradients that are characteristic of darker military schemes.
The tone enhances the flexibility of the set by acting as both a shading tool and a muted midtone for blending. While darker blacks in the set are used for edges or recesses, Soft Black softens transitions and maintains the realism of materials. Many painters consider it an essential component when working with low-saturation palettes.
Conclusion
Soft Black (AK17050) is an essential tool for miniature painters who value nuance and subtlety in their shadows. Its low coverage makes it highly adaptable, allowing controlled layering, smooth glazes and atmospheric shading across a wide variety of surfaces. The muted tone delivers realism without overpowering detail, making it ideal for modern military themes, historical uniforms, fantasy cloaks, leather elements and muted environmental effects. With its matte finish and excellent flow, Soft Black offers a dependable, expressive and refinement-focused addition to any palette. Whether used for quick tabletop painting or more advanced display work, it provides depth, softness and clarity that help bring miniatures to life.
