Tutorial - TrueMetallicMetal (TMM)

Since I had to do the backside of my Troll's axe at the end I thought I might give it a try and take some step-by-step pictures of my painting. Unfortunately some pictures turned out quite blurry but I hope that the progress is still recognizable during the different steps.

Dilution:

Basecoat: 1 : 1 Paint : Water
Everything else: 1 : 2 Paint : Water (unless otherwise stated)

Let's go!

1. Silver-TMM

Basecoat was done with Coat'd'Arms Gunmetal(this one's an equivalent to GW Boltgun Metal).

Shadows:

For the first shadow I picked a green color P3 Ordic Oliveand started glazing it towards the shadows starting about in the middle of each part. I will be reworking the midtones later on so don't worry about starting the shadows in the middle.



Ok, this one looks weird but it will come out nicely at the end. :D

Next I used a mix of P3 Cygnar Blue Base : P3 Exile Blue ( 1 : 1 ) . Again, glazing towards the shadows and leaving a bit of the green untouched. I also try to make the paint more opaque in the deeper shadow areas.



To intensify the shadows, my next mix consists of P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple ( 1 : 1 )and like before leaving a bit of the previous layer untouched I start glazing towards the deeper shadows.



Ok, enough of those funky colors. :D It's time to move towards black for the deepest shadow. For the next shadow I used P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple : P3 Coal Black ( 1 : 1 : 1 )and concentrating more and more on the deepest shadows.

Note:The name P3 Coal Black is a bit irritating since it's not really a black, not at all. It's more like Vallejo Model Colour's Dark Sea Blue maybe even a bit brighter.



For the last shadow I added some GW Chaos Black to the previous mix P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple : P3 Coal Black : GW Chaos Black (1 : 1 : 1 : 1) and glazed it on the very end where the deepest shadow would lie.



Highlights:

First thing I do before I start with the actual highlights is bringing back some of those metallic pigments as well as the midtone. For this I use the basecoat color Coat'd'Arms Gunmetaldiluted with a ratio of about 1 : 4 with water. I glaze 1(-2) thin(!) coats over the entire area (yes also shadows!) and then, with the same diluted paint, start to bring back the midtones and soften transitions.



Slowly taking shape… :D

Now highlights. For the first highlight I use a mix of Coat'd'Arms Gunmetal : Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silver (this one's an equivalent to GW Mithril Silver) (1 : 2). Like with the shadows I glaze it upwards moving my brush towards the highlight areas.



Followed by pure Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silverleaving some of the previous layer untouched.



To increase the shine and contrast for the top highlight I used a mix of Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silver : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1-2) and glazed it in as a final "bright spot" / highlight.



Not done yet – still missing edge highlights and scratches. :)

For the edges I actually use pure VMC Metal Medium but it's quite exhausting to paint it pure over dark layers of paint to really get the full effect and bright edges. Therefore I "pre-prime" the edges with the following mix P3 Morrow White : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1-2). Due to the white paint and already some metallic pigment in it, it will be much easier to apply the VMC Metal Medium in the next step (and actually see it shine).



As you can see although I mixed some VMC Metal Medium to my white paint those edges aren't really shiny (yet) but I will deal with it now. Using only VMC Metal Mediumand going over all the edges I previously "pre-primed".



Here we go shiny edges. Now onto the scratches. Like with the edges I first pre-painted the highlights with P3 Morrow White : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1-2)and then going over all lines again with pure VMC Metal Medium. I started with the white highlights and not with the black actual scratches because this way it is often easier for me to make the white lines real thin by painting over it later with my black color.



And finally the scratches with pure GW Chaos Black(undiluted!).



That's it for the Silver TMM part – now the Golds.

I also reglazed the deepest (last) shadow in between to cover some of those metallic pigments that were shining through from glazing Gunmetal over the entire area.

2. Gold-TMM

It's more or less the same for the Gold as it was for the Silver so I will keep the descriptions rather short.

Basecoat was done with GW Shining Gold.

Shadows:

I applied the first shadow using GW Snakebite Leatherand again starting about in the middle and pulling my brush towards the shadows.



Next I applied some GW Snakebite Leather : GW Scorched Brown (2 : 1)leaving a bit of the previous layer untouched.

Unfortunately it's quite difficult to see the difference in the next steps until the last two shadows are applied. Anyway technique's the same always leaving a bit of the previous layer untouched and moving the brush towards the shadows.



Continued work on the shadows with GW Snakebite Leather : GW Scorched Brown (1 : 1)



Pure GW Scorched Brown



For the last shadow I added some black and applied it to the deepest shadow parts, GW Chaos Black : GW Scorched Brown (1 : 2)



Highlights:

First thing I did was bringing back some metallic pigments as well as the midtones and softening of the transitions (like described in the silver part). Glazed 1(-2) times over the whole area with some diluted GW Shining Gold(diluted 1 : 4 with water) and then worked on bringin back the midtone and softening transitions.



Followed by adding highlights moving my brush towards the light / brightest spots with

- GW Shining Gold : GW Auric Armour Gold (1 : 1) - GW Auric Armour Gold





The last highlight was done with a mix of GW Auric Armour Gold : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1)concentrating on the brightest spots.

Edges were done the exact same way like in the silver part. Pre-priming with P3 Morrow White : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1-2)and then going over with pure VMC Metal Medium.



Colors Overview:

TMM - Silver:

Basecoat:Coat'd'Arms Gunmetal

Shadows:
1.) P3 Ordic Olive
2.) P3 Cygnar Blue Base : Exile Blue (1 : 1)
3.) P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple (1 : 1)
4.) P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple : P3 Coal Black (1 : 1 : 1)
5.) P3 Exile Blue : P3 Beaten Purple : P3 Coal Black : GW Chaos Black (1 : 1 : 1 : 1)

Highlights:
1.) Coat'd'Arms Gunmetal : Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silver (1 : 2)
2.) Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silver (Mithril Silver)
3.) Coat'd'Arms Enchanted Silver (Mithril Silver) : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1-2)

TMM - Gold:

Basecoat:GW Shining Gold

Shadows:
1.) GW Snakebite Leather
2.) GW Snakebite Leather : GW Scorched Brown (2 : 1)
3.) GW Snakebite Leather : GW Scorched Brown (1 : 1)
4.) GW Scorched Brown
5.) GW Chaos Black : GW Scorched Brown (1 : 2)

Highlights:
1.) GW Shining Gold
2.) GW Shining Gold : GW Auric Armour Gold (1 : 1)
3.) GW Auric Armour Gold
4.) GW Auric Armour Gold : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 1)

Edges (Silver & Gold):
1.) P3 Morrow White : VMC Metal Medium (1 : 2)
2.) VMC Metal Medium


That's it. :)

Hope you enjoyed this little Step-by-step.

Cheers
p1per