Author Topic: Painting battle worn metal (Read 6930 times)

CM Dante · « **on:** June 08, 2004, 03:12:38 PM »

Hey all,

Been a while but I'm back with another little painting guide (yay!)

Anyway, the focus this time is on battle worn and weathered metals. The reason I've decided to post this is because, for a while, I struggled to get good looking metals that looked realistic and maintained a "gritty battle worn" look. As I was painting my chaos knights up recently (boo hiss!

) I stumbled upon a good way to achieve this look.

Prime

I always (ALWAYS!) prime in black and when doing metals it really makes sense.

Basecoat

Base all the areas you want to be metal with boltgun metal. You might need to water it a little to get good coverage but this varies.

Wash

This is the stage where you get the beginning of the nice "gritty" effect. Mix flesh wash and black ink about 2 parts flesh wash to 1 part black ink. Then dilute this with about 2 parts water and apply to all the metal areas.
If it begins to pool too much around certain areas just soak a little of the mix off with the tip of a clean brush.

Stipple

Currently your metal will be looking quite dull and rusted and altogether not very realistic but bear with me. What you want to do here is stipple chainmail onto the metal areas. For those who don't know what I mean, stippling involves getting the paint on your brush (usually a small drybrush is best) and wiping most of it off as you would for drybrushing. However, instead of running the flat of the brush along the surface, you want to lightly stab at the surface with the tip of the brush (best done with an old brush).

Highlight

The final step is to highlight the very edges of the armour and any bolts etc. with mithril silver using a fine detail brush.

If you find the metal is a little too bright you can always put a very thinned down wash of the ink mix used earlier over the area.
Also you might consider giving the lower edges of armour (greaves, feet etc) a light stippling of graveyard earth for a muddy look.

Now that your done you can sit back an admire your lovely battle weathered mini's!

Sorry I don't have any pics to accompany this article at the moment but I hope to get some examples up by the end of the week.

Any comments, criticisms, feedback?

Cheers,

Dante

rufus sparkfire · « **Reply #1 on:** June 08, 2004, 03:29:19 PM »

I like the article Dante, it sounds like it would give an interesting effect. However, I REALLY need to see some pictures! Get the camera!

Heiglot · « **Reply #2 on:** June 08, 2004, 03:44:50 PM »

Yes! Maybe I can get some better armour and metal parts on my minnis now.

Nice article, remember those pics! And don't tell me your not at home.

queeksays: seems to be a double post problem today.

CM Dante · « **Reply #3 on:** June 08, 2004, 05:12:40 PM »

Quote

Nice article, remember those pics! And don't tell me your not at home.

You know me too well my friend! :tongue:

I'll try and get them up on thursday when I should be home (also my birthday funnily enough!)

Cheers,

Dante

Heiglot · « **Reply #4 on:** June 08, 2004, 07:18:31 PM »

Sorry queek, I noticed too but I couldn't delete it.

Maybe turn on edit and delete function?

Also Dante what's this for a little B-day present? (Can't give you anything else.)

Well, I only have to paint some shades or hightlights on the waves.

I know that I painted it gold but it was the only colour that I thought would fit.

Also on the other side the image will be repeated.

And there's a pelican (if that's what it's called in english) on the top of the banner pole.

What the banner is for is still a secret. Whole project will be up in maximum 8 weeks, due to moving. (Yes it's the banner form the bretonnian men-at-arms boxed set.)

Benedictus · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2004, 12:07:54 AM »

[If the animal you mean is the bird from Finding Nemo, yes, it's a Pelican.]

Nice work, Dante. I'll try that on the mortar I'm painting up soon.

Pido · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2004, 06:17:49 AM »

Well, a nice guide. However, I like a dark look in my army very much, and therefore banned Chainmail and Mithril Silver out of my army. I only use Boltgun Metal and other metals like Tin Bitz, Dwarf Bronze and gold. To get that dark, filthy look, I usually just drybush Boltgun Metal over a black coat. I've tried some other things, but I just don't like it, altough just drybrushing with BM is very easy as well..

CM Dante · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2004, 02:12:35 PM »

Thanks for the input guys!

@ Pido - the finish on the models I have used this technique on isn't that bright as the inks dull the shiny metal colours down a fair bit.

As for the pics, as it stands they could be up by later on tonight so keep your eyes peeled!

Cheers,

Dante

CM Dante · « **Reply #8 on:** June 10, 2004, 02:19:56 AM »

As promised, here are two (very VERY poor quality! sorry about this) pics of the finished metal.
http://groups.msn.com/CMDantesGalleries/paintingmetalexamples.msnw?Page=Last

As for the pic quality, you will have to excuse me as I don't have access to good lighting so will try again tomorrow using daylight. Sadly I haven't been able to get any good photos of any of the models I've painted recently. While they are all chaos I hope you guys wouldn't mind me posting them in the SOC section?

Cheers,

Dante

Heiglot · « **Reply #9 on:** June 10, 2004, 03:50:54 PM »

Nice Dante, it look a bit Nurglish though with the green there. Or is that the light?

Anyways, without the green effect and if it would be more brown'ish or grey'ish it would look much better IMO.

CM Dante · « **Reply #10 on:** June 10, 2004, 05:37:58 PM »

Thats just the light, no idea how it happened but it looks odd!

In reality there is no green on it.

Cheers,

Dante

Heiglot · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2004, 07:52:53 PM »

The powers of Nurgle is taking over your lamp, camera, minnis and colours!

Send in the Demon hunters!!

Heiglot · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2004, 07:54:49 PM »

Happy Birthday by the way. Forgot it in previous post and no edit button here sorry folks.

Get any WH?

queek · « **Reply #13 on:** June 10, 2004, 08:17:34 PM »

Heiglot, try it now.

(the edit button, that is)

Heiglot · « **Reply #14 on:** June 11, 2004, 09:53:12 AM »

Works queek just no point of editing an old post now.

May I ask why some forums doesen't have edit and delete options?

queek · « **Reply #15 on:** June 11, 2004, 03:41:48 PM »

the forum settings. Not sure why, but they were set up with those features disabled. I turned them on on this forum yesterday, so we should be good to go for the future.

Are there other forums that the edit button isn't enabled for normal users? If so, which ones?

Heiglot · « **Reply #16 on:** June 11, 2004, 04:44:35 PM »

Well queek Count's tavern didn't have an edit button. The forums I dont know about are: Rules and Regulations, Latest News, Market place, yeah that's it. You or some others have to check them as I haven't posted in those forums.

Good to help the site.

CM Dante · « **Reply #17 on:** June 11, 2004, 08:25:42 PM »

Thanks Heiglot!

Yeah I got some more chaos warriors from a friend to add to the horde.

As for the witch hunters, its too late for them! Embrace the darkness!

Cheers,

Dante

queek · « **Reply #18 on:** June 11, 2004, 09:39:52 PM »

Quote from: Heiglot

Well queek Count's tavern didn't have an edit button.

well, it should now.

News:

Author Topic: Painting battle worn metal (Read 6930 times)