Matching a paint scheme on a repeat commission order

Updated 4 October 2026

Repeat clients are the best kind of commission work: they already like what you do. But "can you paint another squad to match?" is harder than it sounds. The new models will sit right next to the old ones on the table, and small differences show.

How do you match a paint scheme on a repeat order?

Paint from the recipe you recorded and the client approved, not from memory. Check every paint on it still exists, and test any replacement on a spare model first. Ask the client for a daylight photo of the existing army, paint one test model, and compare it with the photo under the same light before you paint the rest. Match the varnish and basing too.

Why don't repeat commission orders match?

• Missing steps. Without a written recipe, the thinning ratio, the second wash, or which edges got highlighted are the first things you forget.
• Paints change. Ranges get reformulated and renamed. Citadel replaced its whole range in 2012 and reformulated its Contrast paints in 2022. Other brands change too.
• Pots vary. Two pots of the same paint bought a year apart can differ slightly, and an old pot that has thickened goes on darker and heavier.
• Your kit changed. A new primer, a different varnish, or an airbrush you didn't have last year all change the result.
• You got better. It sounds odd, but a much neater, higher-contrast new squad stands out next to the old one. Match the standard, not just the colours.

How to match an earlier scheme, step by step

1. Find the approved recipe and photos. This is the version the client signed off, not a later experiment.
2. Ask the client for a current photo. Daylight, plain background, one or two of the existing models. For a big or valuable order, ask them to post one model to you and send it back with the new ones.
3. Check your paints. Go down the recipe and make sure you have every paint, and that each pot is still in good condition. Note anything discontinued.
4. Test replacements before you use them. Paint the old and new paint side by side on a spare model or a plastic spoon, over the same primer, and compare in daylight. Note the replacement in the recipe.
5. Paint one test model. Compare it with the client's photo, or the original model, under the same light. Adjust before you batch-paint the rest.
6. Match the finish. Same varnish and sheen, same basing material and rim colour. These are often the most visible differences on the table.
7. Record what changed. If you swapped a paint or changed a step, save it as a new version of the recipe, and show the client the test model if the change is visible.

No recipe from the first order? Start one now with the paint recipe template. If anything visible changed, the test model approval guide covers getting the client's sign-off again.

What if a paint has been discontinued?

Look for the closest match in the same brand first: same-brand paints behave alike over the same primer. Brands and fans publish conversion charts, but treat them as a starting point, because two paints that look the same in the pot can dry differently. Always test before committing to a whole army, and if the difference is visible, tell the client before you paint, not after.

Make the next repeat order easy

The best time to prepare for a repeat order is when you finish the first one. Keep the recipe, the approved photos and the varnish details together, under the client's name, where you can find them in two years.

That is what Ordiminis is for: each client has their schemes, each scheme keeps every version with its photos and the date the client approved it, and the approved recipe prints as a desk card for the repeat order.