Vallejo Squidmar Color The Essentials 74303 is a miniature paint set with 30 bottles of 18ml. paint, Sona miniatures and QR-code access to tutorials. Its selection of 30 colours provides a focused starting palette for varied miniature projects and includes four HIPS miniatures.
Squidmar Color was developed by Vallejo with Emil Nyström and Lukas Holmström of Squidmar Miniatures. Its colour system centres on strong contrast, vibrant hues and intuitive mixing. The new range features colours and formulations developed specifically for it. The set provides a coherent palette for wargaming miniatures, role-playing characters and display pieces, with opportunities to explore different techniques as your painting develops.
The included figures come from the Sona fantasy universe. Atle, Prince Tharkos, Severin the Vigilant and Kripdhûn are the four HIPS miniatures that provide painting subjects. HIPS is the plastic used to produce those four figures. You can connect the palette to a complete project, seeing how colours interact on faces, clothing and equipment rather than relying entirely on separate colour tests.
Tutorials are accessible through a QR code. Use that guidance to choose an approach and apply the paints to a miniature. If you are starting the hobby, work on one figure before beginning several projects at once. Experienced painters can use a tutorial to explore colour combinations, then translate the same relationships into a different character or an existing army scheme.
The Essentials is intended as a focused introduction to the new colour system. Its 30 colours are selected to support a wide variety of miniature projects within one set. Use the selection to learn a manageable palette and mix intermediate shades yourself. This puts the emphasis on understanding the colour relationships needed for your project rather than searching for a separate colour for every small transition.
How do you use this paint set? Start with a primed miniature and choose one small feature to test the palette. Shake each bottle thoroughly and place the required colours on your palette. Decide on a base colour, a shadow and a highlight first. Make intermediate mixes before painting the whole figure. This shows how the hues relate on your undercoat and how much contrast your project needs.
Work from larger forms towards smaller accents. A broad base coat establishes the main colour of the feature. Add shadows in less illuminated areas and highlights on projecting parts. Let the layers dry, then reduce the area covered by each step as you move towards the light. This approach helps explain the miniature’s volume and prevents every detail from receiving the same amount of emphasis.
For smoother transitions, mix an intermediate shade between two palette colours. Test that step beside the existing paint. A glaze uses a thin transparent layer instead, adjusting a transition or the colour impression of a surface. Keep little paint on the brush and avoid pools. These methods let you use a focused set in several ways without needing a separate bottle for every intermediate step.
Choose the viewing direction and light source before refining the miniature. A pleasing palette transition also needs to make sense on the model’s sculpted form. Place the brightest accents deliberately. Occasionally view the figure from gaming distance to check that its main shape remains clear. On a display piece, return afterwards to the smaller details and more subtle transitions that reward closer inspection.
For each project, decide which feature deserves the most attention. Give that area clear colour contrast and keep surrounding parts quieter. Across an army, repeat the decision while allowing individual faces and accessories their own variations. Record useful mixing ratios so that you can return to the same style later. Follow the product label when working with the paints and assess test mixtures before committing to an important detail.
Find the order you'd like to withdraw
Enter your email address and order number.
Check your mailbox
If your details match an order, you'll receive an email with a link to view and manage it.
