How to Paint Color Attributes in Blender Vertex Paint

Painting color attributes in Blender allows you to store color data directly on a 3D model's vertices rather than using external image textures. To do this, select your mesh, ensure a Color Attribute is added under the Object Data Properties tab, switch to Vertex Paint mode, choose your desired color, and paint directly onto the model. This guide covers the exact steps to create, paint, and display vertex color attributes in Blender.

Step 1: Prepare Your Mesh

Vertex painting relies on geometry density, meaning more vertices result in higher detail.

  1. Select your 3D object in Object Mode.
  2. Ensure the mesh has sufficient geometry (add a Subdivision Surface modifier if necessary and apply it).

Step 2: Create a Color Attribute

In modern versions of Blender, vertex colors are managed as Color Attributes.

  1. Go to the Properties panel on the right side of the screen.
  2. Click on the Object Data Properties tab (green triangle icon).
  3. Expand the Color Attributes section.
  4. Click the + (plus) button to create a new attribute.
  5. Choose your settings:
    • Domain: Choose Point (per vertex) or Corner (per face corner for sharper color edges).
    • Data Type: Choose Color (standard high precision) or Byte Color (lower memory usage).
  6. Click OK.

Step 3: Switch to Vertex Paint Mode

  1. Select your object in the 3D Viewport.
  2. Click the Mode dropdown menu in the top-left corner of the Viewport (where it currently says Object Mode).
  3. Select Vertex Paint.

Step 4: Paint the Model

  1. Open the Tool settings panel on the left (press T if hidden) or the sidebar on the right (press N).
  2. Click the color picker box to select your desired paint color.
  3. Left-click and drag on the mesh to apply color to the vertices.
  4. Adjust brush properties such as Radius, Strength, and Blend Mode in the top bar as needed.

Step 5: Preview Color Attributes in the Viewport

If the painted colors do not appear on your model:

  1. Click the Viewport Shading dropdown menu (downward arrow next to the shading spheres in the top-right corner of the 3D Viewport).
  2. Under the Color section, select Attribute.

Step 6: Use Color Attributes in Shading (Optional)

To render the painted attributes using the Cycles or EEVEE render engines:

  1. Switch to the Shading workspace.
  2. Add an Attribute node (Shift + A > Input > Attribute).
  3. Type the exact name of your Color Attribute into the Name field on the node.
  4. Connect the Color output of the Attribute node to the Base Color input of your Principled BSDF shader node.