Metal

[silasvb]

is there anyone out there who can help me with painting metal. I am a OK with doing chainmail as you can simply layer it with different metalic paints but i have a big problem with plate mail.
When trying some knights i gave up and just left it black with a very light code grey highlight.
recently i have been using non metalic paints to represent laquers but its only a temporary solution.
Any help???????????

 

[FreakShow]

If I understand you correctly, you\'re having a problem with getting highlights on larger, flatter plates of armor?
One method is underpainting, this really only works if you thin your paints. Underpainting involves painting the areas of the armor that would be reflecting more light a lighter color and leaving the shadowy areas darker (i.e. paint it grey or white where you want the highlights, black where you want it to be darker). After you underpaint, you can then add thinned down layers of the metallic paint of your choosing.
You can also use lighter and darker metallic paints to highlight the same way that you would highlight with non-metallic paints, using brighter metals to highlight darker ones. I find that it is useful to do a wash of very thinned down black paint (very thinned, almost transparent, just enough to shade the metallics) to cut down on shine while retaining the metallic qualities.
I hope that helped...

 

[silasvb]

thankyou very much for this advice.

 

[funnymouth]

freak show hit it on the head. underpaint! warm colors for warm metal, cool colors for cool metal. darker shades to shade, lighter shades to hilight. once the underpaint is done start applying the metallic base very thinly, so that the undercoat still comes through. then i like to shade and hilight using washes of different metallics, or inks. ideally it should be painted with similar patterns to that of nmm. lets see some pics!

 

[Bobbo]

I like this idea, I will definitly give it a try on my black orcs, i\'m trying to get a very, very dark metallic color ( almost black ) and i\'ve been having some difficulty shading it. One question though, when underpainting should I put black in the recesses and up to white for the highlights or only a grey ?

 

[demonherald]

Depends on the finish you want. Try getting a couple of spare bits or models for experimenting on.

 

[silasvb]

I\'m going to get a block of empine infantry as most of my painting is really dark and murky.
I\'m going to try painting them really bright with shining armout and swords.
chers

 

[FreakShow]

Glad I could help .

 

[Bobbo]

I finished the metal on a black orc using underpainting and it looks great but im not going up to pure white again for the underpainting because it leaves a \"chalky\" metallic color. This technique is awesome and I will use it extensivly when painting flat pieces of plate armor or anywhere I have trouble highlighting large pieces of metal.

Thanks Again

 

[Dragonsreach]

@Silasvb: One of the greatest exponents of painting Metallics is Jakob Nielsen.
His work is carried out via washes of inks and paints.
His website has a very good (if not the best ) tutorial(s) about painting metallics.

http://www.jrn-works.dk

 

[generulpoleaxe]

hell yeah, i ahve started to use jacob\'s metalic methods as well as some of dragonreach\'s ideas for metalics.

much easier than underpainting and far more effective.

 

[silasvb]

@dragonsreach. cheers for the tutorial link.
its a great help.

 

[Dragonsreach]

You\'re welcome.

Jakob is not only a great painter, but an all round nice bloke as well.

If only he were Short, Fat, Balding, Ulgy and with no Personal Hygiene or Dress Sense we wouldn\'t be jealous. lol