Sons of Horus metallic green technique... has anyone tried this?

[GraveRisen]

http://z15.invisionfree.com/The_Great_Crusade/index.php?showtopic=1828

The technique looks sound, But there's a problem.... I'm low on dark angels green and mithril. Are Caliban green and ... whatever new "mithril" silver good replacements you think?

EDIT:

So it works. Kinda. Turned out a bit too green for me, but I'm going to correct it on the next try with some incubus base mixed with the base layers

Lessons learned:

- Make sure the highlights are fairly smooth and well defined before the washes (not hard even with drybrushing). Beyond that it's near impossible to fix up the blending

- First drybrush cover fairly liberally, second and third be a lot more careful with.

- Do the washes right the first time!! Going back over again with the wash messes it up. Needs to be done in one shot primarily, then a second wash in the extreme shadows.

 

[me_in_japan]

I'd imagine so. Any dark green and pale silver should do the job fine. Incidentally, if you want a really good pale silver, Vallejo Model Air do a color called Aluminium which is the brightest, most intense silver I've ever seen.

 

[Kalidane]

Has Mithril really gone? I've apparently blocked that out entirely. Fingers crossed I'll still be oblivious after a nap.

Anywho that VMA Aluminium will be a sweet base for something like this. Being so clean and smooth means you can really do whatever you want with it.

There is a great tutorial on some forum (can't find it so far) showing a very similar technique on 'Marines from not long after the release of the now-retired GW washes. I'll keep hunting that. You may prefer those results.

Don't forget using controlled application of glazes from a de-loaded brush to build up shadow/contrast.

My first play with this was in the blue family. This WIP is just many layers of super thin blue and super thin black over a mithril base. Each layer dries quickly so it's pretty easy work.

View attachment 16461

 

[RuneBrush]

GW had a way in their latest magazine - paint grey, drybrush with their "Necron Compound" (basically mithril but as a drybrush paint) and then glaze over with the green glaze. Which I personally think could look naff if you're not excellent at drybrushing

All of the metallics have an identical equivalent in the new range of Citadel paints - in fact there are actually some new metallics that are very good too (Ironbreaker & Balthasar Gold)

 

[Elric2k]

I have actually found the best thing for colored metallics is mixing your color with VMC metal medium. Its basically a very bright white looking metal paint (not silver or gold) and it makes beautiful colored metallics. I'e made blue, green, orange and purple. You want to use a very dark color if you go this route, because the metal medium is very bright.

 

[GraveRisen]

You know what... give me a few hours, trying this tonight.

 

[GraveRisen]

First try! A little too green so I think I might use some more incubus base in with the next try. I'll update the first post with lessons I learned

 

[Kalidane]

How do you feel about the level of contrast?

 

[marjedi]

FW has guides up on their site on how they painted the 4 legions featured in the first book.

 

[GraveRisen]

FW has guides up on their site on how they painted the 4 legions featured in the first book.

Seriously??? Well I know what I'm doing tonight

 

[Bloodhowl]

Under Horus Heresy:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/News/Downloads.html

 

[Shawn R. L.]

It would be interesting to sand it REAL GOOD and fine....almost to a polish then put a clear wash over it.

 

[Kalidane]

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=151098

Finally found it. Linky to metcalfedans Viva Metallica guide and discussion.

Hope that's of use to ya

 

[Wyrmypops]

Things I've found with painting coloured metallics;
Really have to factor in the "metallic" nature of the paints.
How they work with other paints in regards to loss of pigmentation.
How washes on top tint but also dull the metallic flecks.
How the dark/light contrast works with metallics.

Considering the inherent values of a metallic fleck (being a kinda light grey), adding them to a paint will result in a lighter and less colour saturated version.

When we a paint a non-metallic texture we enjoy a simple dark to light series gradients for the contrast. That isn't so simple with metallics involved, as the flecks reflect light. Ideally, the dark parts of gradient shouldn't just be darker but also have less metallic flecks on show. This can be broached by starting with less metallic flecks in the mix in the darker tones, or a medium basecoat benefitting from inks to shade the recesses while also covering and dulling the metallic flecks.

If going for smooth transitions from layering/blending, then the Model Air paints are ideal. The Model range has the superior metallics of the various paint ranges, and the Air line being in a consistency for airbrush use makes them useful for layering. You can do thin coats without having to dilute them for particularly smooth transitions.

Am doing some red metallics myself. An excuse to use the Model Air Metallic Red I picked up. Experimented a bit, to see how it mixed with non-metallic reds, how various washes played over it, and how adding silver for final highlights would play out.
Have gone with a solid red basecoat.
Then to move on to applying the metallic red on top, leaving the basecoat in the lower 30-40% without metallic flecks so as to remain dark by not having them present reflecting light. A couple of stages of that for a gradual transition.
Some inks (often thinned) applied. With brush control rather than slapped on like a wash. They'd further shade the recesses but also pull the transitionary stages together.
Finish off with a Metallic Red and Silver mix for the highlights, and pure silver for the extreme highlights.