Army Painter Releases John Blanche Masterclass Volumes 3 and 4: Spectral, Visceral

Two new Masterclass paint sets promise a focused route to John Blanche’s signature grim/gothic palette, splitting his tonal language into a cool spectral pack and a warm visceral pack. Army Painter announced on January 27, 2026 that Volumes 3 and 4 will expand the Masterclass series and ship on February 21, 2026, with preorders including a free Dipit brush with qualifying orders.

Each volume bundles Warpaints Fanatic and Speedpaints, curated to cover the practical needs of table-top painters. Volume 3 centers on cool, spectral tones - think desaturated blues, purples and green-leaning greys for ghostly glazes, ethereal highlights and cold metal accents. Volume 4 takes the opposite tack with warm, visceral tones - ochres, sanguine reds and earthy browns aimed at fleshy hues, rust, blood-soaked grime and soot-streaked weathering. The split gives painters a ready-made palette depending on the atmosphere they want to sell on a miniature.

Practical value is immediate. Speedpaints provide rapid base coverage for undercoats and mid-tones, while Warpaints Fanatic offer paints for controlled layering and blending needed to build Blanche-style moods. Use the spectral set for ghost-light effects, luminescent robes and corroded patinas, and use the visceral set for bruising, exposed muscle, rusted armour and warm dirt. For painters tackling commission work or narrative warbands, having two complementary, themed packs reduces the decision overhead when matching a character palette to a story or table-top scene.

Community relevance reaches beyond individual projects. Volume 3’s cool focus supports horror, spectral units and arcane effects that are common in gothic conversions, while Volume 4 answers demands for gritty, lived-in realism on infantry, creatures and weathered terrain. The curated nature of the sets also makes them useful for workshops, club nights and demo tables where a consistent, limited palette helps students learn contrast, temperature and mood quickly.

Collectors and John Blanche fans get a practical tool rather than a simple vanity release. The Masterclass expansion formalizes a two-pronged approach to Blanche’s aesthetic, and the inclusion of both Warpaints Fanatic and Speedpaints acknowledges different workflows - slow layering versus quick tabletop-ready approaches. Check preorder terms for the Dipit brush qualification, and mark February 21, 2026 as the day those two palettes land. For painters looking to push atmosphere and narrative on their miniatures, these sets provide a shortcut to Blanche-tinged gloom and grime.