How to Use Neon Red and Beherit Red on Miniature Cloth
By SCALE75 - HOBBIES & GAMES – SCALE75 - Hobbies & Games | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: How-to Guides
Layer Neon Red over Beherit Red to paint bright cloth that survives handling. A step-by-step method with checkpoints for wargame and display figures.
Quick answer
Use BEHERIT RED as the base coat on cloth that will be handled, then layer NEON RED in thin coats on the raised folds and edges for a bright accent. Keep the two reds separate: Beherit Red builds the durable mid-tone, Neon Red supplies the high-visibility highlights.
Why two reds belong on the same cloth
Cloth on miniatures rarely reads well as a single flat red. A mid-tone base gives the fabric body, while a brighter red on the raised folds suggests light catching the weave. BEHERIT RED and NEON RED split those jobs cleanly: Beherit Red is a satin acrylic formulated for wargame miniatures and resistant to handling, while Neon Red is a premium creamy acrylic with high coverage. Using the durable paint underneath and the brighter paint on top means your highlights are not the first layer to wear away.
The trade-off is that a satin base can make very thin Neon Red layers look slightly glossy until they dry. Work in thin coats and let each one dry fully before judging the color.
When to skip the two-red approach
If your figure is a display piece that will never be touched, you can reverse the order or use Neon Red alone for a more saturated cloth. If your cloth is deeply sculpted with many folds, a single mid-red plus a dark wash may be faster than layering two reds. The two-red method pays off most on capes, banners, tabards and sleeves that will be handled during games.
Step-by-step: painting red cloth with Neon Red and Beherit Red
- Prime and check the surface: Apply a thin, even primer and let it cure fully. Common mistake: spraying too close and filling the cloth folds with primer, which erases the texture you need for highlights. Hold the model at arm's length and build primer in light passes; if a fold looks filled, stop and strip before painting.
- Base coat with BEHERIT RED: Thin Beherit Red with water or medium to a milk-like consistency and apply two thin coats over the cloth, letting each dry before the next. Common mistake: one thick coat that pools in recesses and dries satin-glossy. Check that the primer is fully covered but the fold detail still reads; if not, add one more thin coat rather than loading the brush.
- Shade the deep folds: Apply a dark red or brown wash only into the deepest folds and let it dry completely. Common mistake: washing the entire cloth, which dulls the base and creates tide marks on flat areas. If a tide mark appears, reapply a thin layer of Beherit Red over the flat area once the wash is dry.
- Layer NEON RED on raised folds: Thin Neon Red and paint it in a narrow band along the highest folds and edges, building two or three thin layers. Common mistake: covering the whole cloth with Neon Red, which removes the mid-tone and flattens the shape. Leave at least half of the Beherit Red base visible between highlights so the cloth keeps depth.
- Accent the brightest points: Use undiluted Neon Red on the sharpest ridges and knots, keeping the brush nearly dry. Common mistake: flooding the accent so it spreads into the shaded folds. If the accent looks chalky, add a tiny amount of water to the brush and blend the edge while it is still wet.
- Seal and test the finish: Apply a matte varnish over the cloth once the paint is fully dry, then handle the figure as you would in a game. Common mistake: varnishing too soon, which traps solvent and can cloud the red. Wait at least 24 hours after the last paint layer before varnishing, and test a hidden area first if humidity is high.
Product facts
- BEHERIT RED: Satin finish acrylic paint in a 17ml pot, designed for wargame miniatures and resistant to handling. Use it as the base on cloth that will be touched often, because the finish is built to survive game-board handling.
BEHERIT RED - NEON RED: Premium creamy acrylic paint in a 20ml pot with high coverage, valid for brush and airbrush. Its coverage lets you place bright accents in fewer passes, but thin it for brush work so the creamy body does not fill fine cloth folds.
NEON RED
