Orks are one of the most fun armies to paint in Warhammer 40,000 — and one of the most forgiving. Their chaotic, scavenged aesthetic means that inconsistent brushwork, rough highlights, and battle damage all enhance rather than undermine the final result. Orks also benefit from some of the fastest painting techniques available: drybrushing, washes, and large-batch methods all work extremely well on Ork models. This guide covers how to paint Orks from primer to basing.
Accuracy note: Paint names and techniques in this guide are current as of mid-2025. GW updates paint ranges regularly — cross-check paint names against the current Citadel Colour range before purchasing.
What Makes Orks Good for Beginner Painters
Orks reward imperfection in a way few armies do. Their lore establishes them as savage, ramshackle, and hastily assembled — so chipped paint, mismatched colours, rough weld marks, and visible wear are all consistent with the faction’s identity. Painting styles that would look wrong on Space Marines (sloppy edge highlights, uneven coverage) look intentional on Orks.
- Green skin is very forgiving — washes and drybrushing both work extremely well on the textured, muscular Ork skin
- Rusty metal requires less skill than clean metallic effects — sponge weathering and Typhus Corrosion are beginner-accessible
- Scavenged clothing and equipment has no defined canonical colour — you can paint each Ork differently with no lore inconsistency
- Large models (Nobz, Boyz, vehicles) give more surface to work with than Cadian infantry or Space Marine troops
| Product | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos Black Primer | Standard primer for Ork skin and equipment | Check price → |
| Citadel Paints & Tools Set | Starter paint collection | Check price → |
Ork Clan Colour Schemes
Ork clans in Warhammer 40k each have distinctive colour schemes and combat styles. Choosing a clan gives your army a cohesive look.
Goffs (Black and White)
The most aggressive Ork clan — their colour scheme is black armour and equipment with white check patterns on shoulder pads and banners. Goffs are the fastest clan to paint: black armour base coat, Nuln Oil wash, Leadbelcher drybrush for metallic wear. White checks can be painted as simple free-hand or approximated with a fine detail brush. Ideal if you want a stark, aggressive look and fast results.
Evil Sunz (Red)
Evil Sunz Orks paint everything red because they believe red vehicles go faster. Mephiston Red or Wazdakka Red for vehicles and armour, with black details. A highly visible, aggressive colour scheme. Evil Sunz are the most popular choice for Ork vehicle armies — a Trukk or Battlewagon painted in Evil Sunz colours is an iconic Warhammer image.
Bad Moons (Yellow)
Bad Moons are the wealthiest Ork clan, and their yellow-painted equipment reflects this. Flash Gitz Yellow or Iyanden Yellow Contrast over Grey Seer for equipment, with black checkers and red details. Yellow Orks create a striking visual contrast with the green skin. More visually complex than Goffs but very distinctive on the table.
Death Skulls (Blue)
Death Skulls paint their skin blue with warpaint — or more commonly, paint their equipment and faces blue. Caledor Sky or Teclis Blue for the blue accents. Death Skulls are looters and thieves, so their equipment is the most eclectic mix of scavenged colours — each model can have completely different equipment colours, unified only by the blue skin or warpaint accents.
How to Paint Ork Skin: Three Approaches
Method 1: Warpaint Green Contrast (Fastest)
Prime Grey Seer. Apply Warpaint Green Contrast (Army Painter) or Ork Flesh Contrast (Citadel) directly over the primer. The paint flows into skin recesses automatically. Apply a small amount of Ogryn Camo or Nurgling Green as a highlight on the most raised areas. Done. This method paints excellent Ork skin in 5–8 minutes per model — perfect for large mobs.
Method 2: Traditional Basecoat/Wash/Layer (Standard)
Prime Chaos Black. Basecoat all skin areas with Warboss Green (2 thin coats). Apply Biel-Tan Green shade to all skin areas. Highlight with Skarsnik Green on raised areas. Optional final highlight of Nurgling Green on the sharpest muscle tops and knuckles. This produces clean, saturated green skin that looks very traditional GW Ork. Takes 15–20 minutes per model for skin alone.
Method 3: Highlight Drybrushing (Batch-Painting)
Prime Chaos Black. Basecoat skin with Warboss Green. Apply Agrax Earthshade wash to all skin. Drybrush with Skarsnik Green. Final drybrush with Nurgling Green. This method works beautifully for large mobs — you can drybrush all 30 Boyz in a single pass. The drybrushed highlights catch every muscle and knuckle automatically without needing to pick out individual raised surfaces.
How to Paint Ork Metal: Rusty Equipment
Ork metal should never look clean and shiny — it should look rusted, battered, and repaired repeatedly. The key steps:
- Basecoat metal areas with Leadbelcher. A clean silver metallic base. Apply thin coats for good coverage.
- Wash with Nuln Oil. Apply Nuln Oil over all metal. This darkens the silver significantly and fills recesses with shadow.
- Apply Typhus Corrosion selectively. Dab Typhus Corrosion (a textured rust paint) onto bolt heads, joints, scratched areas, and any area that would gather rust. You do not need to cover the entire surface — patches and spots of rust are more realistic than overall coverage.
- Drybrush Ryza Rust over Typhus Corrosion areas. The bright orange-brown brings rust to life on the textured Typhus Corrosion surface.
- Drybrush Leadbelcher lightly over the whole metal area (optional). A very light final drybrush restores some shine to the most raised points, suggesting wear patterns where the rust has been rubbed off.
Batch Painting Orks: How to Paint 30 Boyz in a Weekend
Ork armies require large numbers of models — 30 Boyz is a standard unit size. Batch painting (moving all models through each stage before proceeding to the next) dramatically reduces total time compared to completing each model individually.
- Prime all 30 models. One pass from each side with spray primer. Allow to fully dry.
- Base coat all skin. Work through all 30 models applying Warboss Green to all skin areas before moving on.
- Base coat all metal. Leadbelcher on all bolters, choppas, armour plates, and metal equipment across all 30 models.
- Base coat clothing and leather. Rhinox Hide or Doombull Brown across all cloth/leather elements on all models.
- Wash all 30 models. Apply Nuln Oil over metal and Agrax Earthshade over skin/leather. The washes can be applied model-by-model quickly once you have a consistent process.
- Highlight skin (all 30). Drybrush Skarsnik Green across all skin areas — a single pass per model is sufficient for tabletop quality.
- Add rust to all metal. Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust on all 30 models.
- Paint eyes, teeth, and details. Individual details last — Flash Gitz Yellow for eyes, Ushabti Bone for teeth.
- Base all 30. Texture paint, drybrush, tufts.
- Varnish. Spray all 30 with matte varnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour is Ork skin?
Standard Ork skin is a mid-to-dark green. The official GW approach uses Warboss Green as the base, Biel-Tan Green shade, and Skarsnik Green highlights. Some painters prefer a lighter, more yellow-green (using Elysian Green or Ogryn Camo), and some prefer darker, dirtier skin with more brown in the mix. All are valid — Ork skin colour varies within the lore.
How many Orks do I need to paint for a starter army?
A Combat Patrol-sized Ork force typically contains 20–30 Boyz plus a character (Warboss, Painboy) and possibly a vehicle or heavy support unit. The Ork Combat Patrol box is the most cost-efficient way to start and contains a balanced selection pre-curated for introductory games.
Can I use Contrast paints for Orks?
Yes — Contrast paints work extremely well for Orks. Ork Flesh or Militarum Green Contrast over Grey Seer primer produces fast, effective skin in a single coat. The textured, muscular Ork skin models are ideal surfaces for Contrast paints to flow into recesses and create natural shading. Contrast is particularly effective for batch painting large Ork mobs quickly.
What is the easiest Ork scheme to paint?
Goffs (black armour, white checks) are the fastest full scheme to paint — black armour requires minimal highlighting and the white check pattern can be simplified or skipped for speed. For skin, the Contrast method (Ork Flesh over Grey Seer) is the fastest approach. A table-quality Ork Boy using these techniques takes under 20 minutes per model.