I’ve always felt that I’ve had an issue with metals. They have always been something (or at least it’s seemed to me) that doesn’t quite look right. Either they are ‘goopy’ looking, thick, or stick out on the model in a bad way. I also wanted to get away from the pooled wash/slathered on thick wash look.
So I went hunting on the webs and decided to try a couple of new things I found including dry brushing the metals on instead of painting them on like I do regular colors, making my own washes (not going quite like I had hoped) and using multiple washes/types on an area.My old way was to paint on the metals like any other color, coat it with some GW wash and then edge highlight it. When I started my Menoth, I experimented with some other methods, especially with regards to gold with some help from Plarzoid, that I believe bore some fruit. So Kallus here is a culmination of those efforts and my findings and observations.
What do you think so far? Am I on the right path? I do kinda wish I had done like a purple or blue wash or glaze on some of the inner parts as well just to give it that little extra…
Looks very good. Metal is very tricky to get right. I am a huge fan of NMM, when done right. I find what paint you use seems to be the biggest thing, as well thinning it properly.
Looks good. A HUGE improvement over my normal metals is moving over to Vallejo Model Air metals also. They don’t use the same bigger paint pigments and it goes on super smooth and with less coats compared to GW/P3/Vallejo Game Color. I will never go back to normal metals again.
I want to switch to the Model Airs but they are impossible for me to find, I can find the Model Colors and Game Colors easily around me! I love vallejo’s primer (although it chips too easy :/)
I don’t thin metalics with water, I use acrylic thinner. It allows it to go down smoother but without making it too watery (if that makes any sense). I’ve heard good things about Vallejo Model Air metals too, but haven’t had a chance to try them. Oh, if you do thin with water, you can always go back and apply a second or third thin coat to make the color solid brass/steel/whatever. I also basecoat the metal areas in black to help the metalics pop.
It’s more of a method of getting nice looking metals quickly but I generally basecoat with a very dark color like Tin Bitz or Boltgun Metal(Old GW colors) then drybrush up with 2 more colors and then apply 1 or 2 thin washes. The multiple drybrushes gets you some layers and the wash tones down the shine and the drybrushing.
I did some here on my Bane Knights: http://eclectic-gamer.com/2008/12/08/bane-knight-guide-part-1/
See, your metals look natural! I think the drybrushing is the way to go.
Look up automaton’s (Sebastian Archer) tutorial on metals. It reads simple but goes deep. (http://www.mainlymedieval.com/ozpainters/viewtopic.php?t=878)
If you have no access to VMA, look up Alclad or Mr. Color Super Metallic (Gunze Sangyo) paints. They may be available on model hobby stores. These are even better than VMA, but are not acrylics. Also, Vallejo makes alcohol-based metals that are also superior to the water-based ones. Actually, even cheap enamel metallics are better than acrylic metallics.
Wow, that’s a great tutorial and I followed something very similar on Kallus (just in not as many steps). Thanks for sharing that!