# \[Archive\] How to paint metals
**URL:** https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990
**Category:** \[Archive\] Modeling Ideas and Advice
**Created:** [7 May 2008 05:04 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990 "2008-05-07T05:04:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 05:04 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/1 "2008-05-07T05:04:59Z")
**Vexxus** :
For two days now I have stared at an assembled and primed Earthshaker model depressed at my painting skills with metals. I am in desperate need of tutorial type advice as well as essential tips for painting metals successfully. As it stands right now my methods are rudimentary… I prime black, dry brush light, dry brush concentrated, and highlight the metal with brush strokes.
Any words of wisdom?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 09:01 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/2 "2008-05-07T09:01:58Z")
**This\_Is\_My\_Boomstick!!** :
> For two days now I have stared at an assembled and primed Earthshaker model depressed at my painting skills with metals. I am in desperate need of tutorial type advice as well as essential tips for painting metals successfully. As it stands right now my methods are rudimentary... I prime black, dry brush light, dry brush concentrated, and highlight the metal with brush strokes.
>
> Any words of wisdom?
>
> **Vexxus**
for me i do
spray black
paint boltgun metal on the areas needed
water down some chaos black for shading around the rivets ect
water down some brown ink for wearing
clean up where needed with boltgun metal
and highlight with chainmail
possibly a mithil/chainmail mix for extreme highlighting
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 10:02 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/3 "2008-05-07T10:02:16Z")
**Obsidian** :
Hmm, I won’t go into how I do mine but my mate sebastian Archer has a very good and lengthy tutorial.
I don’t recommend it for army painting but the basics for metallics is there and I’m sure you can pick out some pointers from it!
Link: [http://www.mainlymedieval.com/ozpainters/viewtopic.php?t=878](http://www.mainlymedieval.com/ozpainters/viewtopic.php?t=878)
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 11:39 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/4 "2008-05-07T11:39:45Z")
**Thommy H** :
Here’s a really quick way to do rusty metal for units:
- Base coat in Calthan Brown (the Citadel Foundation paint - you can do it with normal paints, but you’ll need loads of layers since browns usually don’t cover that well).
- Paint with Boltgun Metal. You can drybrush if you want, but the key is to not be too neat so some of the brown shows through on the edges and stuff.
- Wash over in Chaos Black.
If nothing else though, you have to wash metallics with a darker shade instead of relying on normal layering to build up highlights from a dark basecoat. They’re really unforgiving in that respect.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 02:01 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/5 "2008-05-07T02:01:53Z")
**GRNDL** :
Really rusted metal
\* Lay down a scorched earth or bestial brown base.
\* While it is still wet, dab in some blazing orange here and there. Don’t cover it all.
\* Alternatively, wait till dry, then dab a dry brush, overloaded with blazing orange here and there. The aim here is to make concentrated but fuzzy patches of orange
\* Dry brush with your selected metal colour. Boltgun or Chainmail works best for most “mundane” metals.
Verdigrised Metal, method A
\* Paint metal as you normally would.
\* Mix up some hawk turqoise and ice blue paint to your choice in verdigris colour. (I lean more toward turquoise). Make this into a wash to the consistency of milk. If you paint this onto the back of your hand, it should fill in the grooves as well as lay colour on top.
\* Daub this liberally onto your metal.
\* When dry, it should look like a film of greenish milk has pooled over the metal.
\* Drybrush with the metal colour again.
\* Works best on copper, bronze, gold colours.
Verdigrised Metal, Method B
\* Paint scorched earth or bestial brown onto your model.
\* Dab an overloaded drybrush with hawk turquoise, here and there, over metal.
\* Drybrush with chosen metal colour.[/align]
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [7 May 2008 09:12 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/6 "2008-05-07T09:12:10Z")
**Kera foehunter** :
are you trying to do non -metalic metals ?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 May 2008 01:30 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/7 "2008-05-08T01:30:05Z")
**wallacer** :
Anyone who paints metal needs to own a pot of Tamiya smoke. There is no better way to shade metallic areas on a miniature.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 May 2008 02:53 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/8 "2008-05-08T02:53:04Z")
**Theory\_Man** :
Basically
Prime white
Paint Silver
mix up a mixture of black paint and a gloss medium (1:1) and paint over
take a paper towel or napkin (or Q tip) and remove extra paint
gives you a greasily dirty oily look
[attachment=464]
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 May 2008 03:15 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/9 "2008-05-08T03:15:33Z")
**Vexxus** :
All: Thanks for all the tips guys, time to go watch the tutorial above!
Kera: Nope!
I can use as extensive and complex a method as possible, because it is only for one model 🙂
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 May 2008 08:55 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/10 "2008-05-08T08:55:02Z")
**Kera foehunter** :
wallacer. i heard about tamiya smoke . so do you use it at a finsh coat .
can you show a figure with it and one with out it sounds cool
PLEASE PLEASE !!!
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [8 May 2008 11:27 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/11 "2008-05-08T11:27:11Z")
**wallacer** :
> can you show a figure with it and one with out it sounds cool
> PLEASE PLEASE !!!
>
> **Kera foehunter**
The only one I could find is below (I don't have any "before" pictures, unfortunately, but i'm sure you know what boltgun metal and chainmail look like on a figure anyway). The swivel gun has had a (not very much watered down) wash of smoke over boltgun metal, and the rocket and other chainmail painted parts on the other figures were GW Chainmail with properly watered down Smoke (I water it down 50/50 although some people I know dilute it even more than that).
Also the metallic parts on this:
And the Hell Cannon:
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [9 May 2008 11:02 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/12 "2008-05-09T11:02:29Z")
**Obsidian** :
The above has no Smoke, the below has.
Pics are not very comparible as the second one has been taken with a bad cam (it’s not that shiny in rl) but I think it shows the difference a bit…
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [9 May 2008 01:34 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/13 "2008-05-09T01:34:02Z")
**Sojourn** :
@Obsidian… Awesome. love the rusty look coupled with the gold-ish sheen.
Vex, you tried any method yet? result?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [9 May 2008 10:28 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/14 "2008-05-09T10:28:25Z")
**Kera foehunter** :
Thanks guys for the demo !! So can you get tamiya at hobby stores or have to buy it on line?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [11 May 2008 08:11 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/15 "2008-05-11T08:11:27Z")
**wallacer** :
> Thanks guys for the demo !! So can you get tamiya at hobby stores or have to buy it on line?
>
> **Kera foehunter**
Most hobby stores in New Zealand seem to stock Tamiya paints (including smoke) as they seem to be used by the remote controlled car guys and the model building people.
Not sure about West Virginia (I think that's where you live) but I daresay there's probably some store there that sells it.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [16 May 2008 09:05 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/16 "2008-05-16T09:05:17Z")
**Kera foehunter** :
wow you still remember !!! the have rc car shops here
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [18 May 2008 09:33 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/17 "2008-05-18T09:33:55Z")
**AGPO** :
@ Obsidian - What is the steed model used for that Centigor? It looks awesome
@ Vexxus - Use Charadon Granite as your basecoat. This reflects light better than any other citadel paint I’ve used and will show you where to highlight most effectively. From the blend your way through codex and then fortrress grey before giving it a wash of codex and Charadon (I use excess paint for this and do it by eye so no proportions I’m afraid). Easiest way of doing NMM and itlook great
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [18 May 2008 12:23 UTC](https://discourse.chaos-dwarfs.com/t/archive-how-to-paint-metals/7990/18 "2008-05-18T12:23:14Z")
**Obsidian** :
It’s the body of the Pegasus from Balthasar Ghelt. That was my first major conversion actually, I broadened the horse’s body and resculpted some parts around the waist.
I knew I succeeded when someone in the shop asked when that new model would come out! :cheers: