You make hands-down the best painting tips videos I've seen to date. I don't have formal art training, and the theory you casually teach in your videos has been very, very helpful.
I swear, every single time I've thought "I wonder how to do X thing for model painting" I discover a Vincy V tutorial, and every time they work great for me.
Mars investigations? Awesome! We just got done rewatching the entire series with my 11 year old daughter. It’s now one of her favorite shows just like ours! Thanks for all these videos I’ve been watching a lot of them trying to get more confidence in trying out some layering and creating color blends. It’s stressful and fulfilling all at the same time.
Feels like a cleaner and more robust version of your "TMM with NMM techniques" video. Thank you for this. I am waiting until I'm closer to my next GT before I go back in with some fine lines of Molotow Chrome. That stuff really tops the cake
I have a 30k Iron Warriors army project lined up for some time in the next few years. My gameplan on it, is to start with VMC Steel, with a 45 degree spray of VMC Gunmetal, wash it down with Nuln Oil Gloss (VMC and gloss washes work really well, from what i've tested, and i'm going for speed), and then do a stippling with a brighter steel. The issue i run into with VMC and stippling/highlighting, is that its a very viscous paint, and it tends to bleed a bit too much for edge-highlighting and etc. Which is fine, because using like a scale 75 brighter silver for smaller details doesn't diminish that metal finish you're striving for by using VMC. The idea this video has brought to that formula, is using a sepia filter - i love that idea. Thank you!
This dropped just as I was losing my hobby mojo trying to get through the ‘ugly phase’ of TMM all over Jakkob Bugmansson. Thanks for giving me both the confidence and inspiration to push on through.
I really love the Vallejo Metal Color line ever since I first tried it. People can talk all they want about how miniature painting is about technique and not materials but at the end of the day it is clearly both, especially if you try to get things done efficiently. The Metal Colors truly feel like Hobby Cheating. 🤓
Thanks for this video! Can’t wait to try it out on some Zombicide: Invader pistols. I love your lessons because they marry a conscientiously pedagogical approach to high artistic standards. Many other TH-cam mini painters frequently tick one box or the other, but you tick both boxes consistently (nay, prolifically!).
I am finally getting to where I am regularly using wet blending, transparent paint/ink over a zenithal and as a filter, and oils as part of my painting process. This is in large part due to your influence over the years (as well as Ninjon and Marco Frisoni.) So thank you for all the work you do! You have made my hobby more enjoyable and my minis look better 🙂
Hey Vince, I acquired the Greenstuffworld metal pigments and theyre a blast to use. You can make all of the shades that the old vallejo liquid gold range with it, and ive even mixed the pigments with vallejo metal colour to make white gold with silver/chrome, One thing i recommend is getting Greenstuffworld's chrome metal paint, it acts like the molotow chrome ink, but thicker and mixing that with gold makes extremely shiny light hold/copper colours that would be good for highlighting gold.
I want to thank you for convincing me through a number of your videos to try the Vallejo Metal Color line of metallic paints. I have always been skeptical of most metallic brands on the market and have had a little but not great success with making my own. I finally pulled the trigger and got Vallejo silver, gun metal, chrome and steel. From the included agitators to the coverage to how they work well together and with other paints is great. Thanks again from this painting curmudgeon.
Vince seems to have way more knowledge of Metallica than other painters. Especially in the miniature scene. His style definitely matches up with mine when it comes to NMM vs TMM. I prefer the real shine that you get and what I saw on the video today is so cool. I never thought of painting with them this way.
Wow, popped on youtube for the AM lesson (I watch something on painting every morning like clockwork and owe much to Vince and Hobby Cheating) and I am about to actually just be painting all the steel on a 25-model commission project after coffee and youtube lesson. And this video's only been up a few minutes! Serendipity! Thanks, Vince--no doubt this video will feature all the sweet metallics I have picked up thanks to your reviews
And yeah, super useful to me this morning--I was contemplating how to sneak some color into my TMM reflections, and I am already trying to paint TMM in NMM techniques because of your previous videos. I'd be tempted to sneak some color into my matte black for this technique too. I am out of the habit of using black in my shadows, also from Hobby Cheating lessons.
Really like the detail on applying the filter to the "reflections". Makes me think much more about the "setting" I want my models to literally reflect. I have brown bases so the brown underside shade works, I am thinking of ambient lighting will be a CRT phosphor green (40k: mechanicus). I will overly simplify with the above/below reflections but will think about light sources a bit more for the character models. Another "ah-ha" moment, thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and skills for others. I know I've learned a great deal about painting techniques from you these past couple years.
Love this! I recently painted 2 units of old Empire Knights (knights panther and reiksguard) for WHFB and I used a lot your tmm techniques from earlier videos. I’m excited to experiment with reflections from the different color feathers on the Knights helmets especially on the the Reiksguard because their red/white/silver color scheme doesn’t pop as much as the blue/yellow/silver from the Knights Panther. As always fantastic content good sir! Keep it coming.
Going to be playing iron warriors (when I get around to setting up my painting booth lol) and bought some Metal Color Burnt Iron. Hopefully it's not too dark. But I can always mix the other metal colors into it!
Mix in a little bit of paint with your metallics to get different shades or tones(I like blues and purples). It's kind of hard to get the sharp contrast of OSL with TMM. But maybe I just suck
So in general, you can handle it a few ways. It follows the rules of normal OSL, it's actually best to separate the regular steel reflection with a shadow and then the OSL is buried in the shadow. This prevents matt OSL light from being up against reflective paint. If we are talking about a more subtle ambiance, then the color toning I did here would work for that as well.
Is there a general rule whether to start with your shadows and then move on to the highlights or vice versa? In your latest skin tutorial you said you go from low to high (and back and forth), and your video about if recipes matter points out that the order of layers matters. I already used the technique for highlighting reds etc. with an undercoat of a lighter color and it is amazing. Thanks, as always.
The answer is really dependent on the paint, the exact end you're going for and your own style. It's one of those things that there is no single answer. :)
Great video again. Would love to see your approach to painting a galvanised steel effect. This would probably be a dull matt colour with plenty of mottling to represent the crystallites.
@@VinceVenturella Cool thanks! Seen only two methods so far using steel/silver as a base then mottling with various grey paint or pigments; one of them finishing off with a dullcote.
I have a topic I’d like to see next! There’s a lot of videos on metal, whether TMM or NMM, but I would love to see other reflective textures. How do you paint plastic, or shiny leather? I assume the technique is similar and mostly a question or where do you place the light, but I’d love to see you tackle that. Thanks!
Definitely a good tutorial, here--I usually do TMM painting and even though I'm trying to find the courage to attempt NMM, this was a great way to show that those principles can be applied to TMM. Being that I am all about wet blending at the moment, I'm keen to see about trying that out next time I paint metallic colors. Thank you, Vince!
Super insightful video as always Vince. Quick question: if we are highlighting/shading metal by mixing in acrylics with metal paints, would it help if those were Glossy (e.g. Glossy white Vallejo 70842), etc? I never found a good use for those glossy paints, was wondering if they would help retain the metal sheen.
IN general, it depends on your goals. If you are trying to shade, you want to stay away from gloss, as you are trying to dull the area to create a shadow where light isn't. Sadly, there isn't a great deal of use for very glossy paint really.
I would like you to know something. Long story short, I started painting again after a 20 year absence. It’s like starting over. I grew up admiring Shepard Paine and Bill Hiram. I don’t do war hammer type stuff, it’s mostly 54 to 120mm historical figures. I just spent 1500 dollars to get started again. I did that because my wife and I realized I need a creative outlet to balance a stressful job. Your channel has been an inspiration. It feels like a friend and instructor to me, especially having some idea of the work involved making videos. I don’t speak up often, but it’s important that you know the impact you’re having. Thanks.
Hey Vince Would love to see a tutorial on zenithal highlighting and shading with colors. For instance which colors are better to shade with and what color to highlight with to give the best contrast.
Hi Vince - Great video as usual. Do you have a technique for painting an enameled samurai armor look? Would love to see how you would approach this. thx Scott
Vince, That was a fabulous explaination of how to do a highly reflective metal,(SUGGESTION for another episode), I often come across miniatures with areas that arent well defined,poorly sculpted or just arent clear what you are looking at, how do you work with parts of a model that are like that.. Just a suggestion for another episode. Love your video series. wish I could get them on a usb stick to save :D
I have been experimenting with shooting a little green in de shadows (Ork Flesh Contrast) as a green reflection (of nature). Looking at the mini from a straight on angle it is hardly visible, but does create visual interest. Also I have found that a brown shadow can look a little too much like a copper/bronze/brass. Green doesn't have that issue. It does help if it is a natural looking green which I think Ork Flesh is. Have you tried something similar?
Yep, it's a wonderful effect, I have done it in a past video somewhere, but yep, cathing those environmental colors, especially in the lower area of the miniature can really help things sell.
Hello Vince, I just wanted to say I'd love love love to see how you would tune the process to paint significantly larger surfaces at higher scales (ex: a 1/10 bust with armor). Just in case you were missing inspiration for next Hobby Cheating topics! ;-)
Awesome. Just in time for me to paint my Skitarii... And AT battleforce. @vince Have you tried brushing with Model Air metallics? I've been finding them to go on nicer than Metal Color actually. Maybe it's the "new formula" but metal colors for me require a couple layers to get an opaque coat.
@@VinceVenturella I got the aircraft engine pack. Mostly using Exhaust manifold. Now, I have had better success mixing in gloss medium to keep it from separating... possibly I'm not agitating it enough before applying it.
I just ordered steel, dark aluminium and white aluminium upon recommendation. I'm doing some admech, so a lot of silver. might as well spring for the good stuff. ha ha. I don't have an airbrush yet though, but definitely would like to get one. I usually just like to use Vallejo Game Colour metallic paints, but apparently the metal colour stuff is the best.
Oh, this is going to be a whole new world for you. One note, as these will be different to your experience, they are very liquid, use a dry palette and after dipping your brush in, make sure to wick off the extra liquid into a piece of paper towel.
TMM paints have become better and better over the years (GW excluded) but they've somehow been stuffed in the corner with dry-brushing by the hobby zeitgeist. Oddly enough that corner probably gets more armies on table in a year than anything. It's great a talented painter and teacher continues to highlight how TMM can be so much more than base coat and wash. I'm a huge fan of your exploring colors series. The exploring purple video managed to get years of my disjointed observations to click in that rare moment of knowledge becoming understanding, thank you for that. Is there any chance you'd consider sharing your thoughts on exploring secondary colors and their interactions with your figures primary color ?
I love seeing the NMM approach to TMM, this is a great update to your previous videos on the topic. What do you generally recommend to use when thinning VMC? I've never tried thinning it out to glaze it. Also I've often found that it will quite quickly dry on my palette, so I assume that's a by-product of not thinning it. I live in the UK so it's not like I have to contend with a particularly hot, dry climate! Would flow improver be the answer here?
This was extremely helpful video and I'll be sure to use this tips to make my metallics look better,I had already used similar techniques with my TMM paints but this just helped me get better at it. However I do have some questions regarding the tone of steel and how the color changes when it ages. As you mention steel starts off as blue and then turns silvery as it ages which is why you highlight certain areas to look more blue,but does this sort of uneven aging actually make sense with armor that's being maintained religiously? Asking mostly because I'm trying to figure out the difference between painting bunch of blokes who have already been in a long campaign without much time for maintenance and soldiers who just dropped into a battlefield.
So weathering as a large concept is very deep. Even if maintained, battlefield maintenance and wear will often mean it just doesn't stay chrome and dulls soms, so in general, you have this big spectrum from parade armor to beaten and rusted, and the integration of either reducting the volume of the shine or integrating colors like browns will define that.
Thanks for this excellent guide! Somehow, I never thought of using matte black to shade TMM. I always thought you'd want to use a satin/semi-gloss to "unify" the sheen, but shadows should be matte, or at least less reflective because they're by definition not getting as much light. Derp. Have you ever used any of the Turbodork paints or have any thoughts about them? I'm about to start painting some Knights Excelsior and want to to give them an all over TMM scheme, even the bulk of the white armor.
Slight Tangent: Vince have you tried the AK interactive 3rd Gen Metals, Darkstar Molten Metals. Just you always go back to the vallejo metal colour range I sometimes wonder how all the different metal paints compare. Generally, the older vallejo metals and games workshop ones most people know are horribly glittery. But you have the scale75 metallics which are supposedly like the old early 90's GW metallics. Then you have the green stuff world ones you tried recently with the metal pigment you can add to a binder of your choice.
@@VinceVenturella I recently got them but I hadn't tried them yet. It's tricky because someone gets a new set and tells you how wonderful they are, but they usually are comparing them to GW metallics, to which just about any made for purpose miniature metallics made in the past 10 years are going to be superior. For me, I suppose it answers the age-old question: 'If my house is going to collapse from owning too many paints, which brand of metallics should I get rid of first?'
Great video as ever 😊. Future hobby cheating, can you explain how you would tie in an army's colour scheme on a unit that commonly has very different colour to the major force. I'm wanting to paint my troggoths a blueish colour yet my grots are red,purple and yellow. Pretty close to the box art. Hope this makes sense and thanks for the great content.
Which Airbrush do you use / can you recommend for a User after the first trash Airbrush who wants to get a solid one which will last? A follow up question: what do you have to consider when buying a compressor?
Another Great Video Vince!!! Question: Do you think what you show in this video would work for doing something like the Greenwich Armor style for Henry VIII? They "Blued, Browned, or Russeted" the actual steel to give it high contrast patterns with other steels or gilding. I was thinking of adding a knight model to my Salamanders and the large panels of armor had me thinking they'd be a great opportunity to learn and work on fine detail/freehand. The the major pallette elements I'm thinking of so far are gold, black, and a "greened" steel. Thank you again for taking the time to teach.
It would certainly work yes, you will want to mess with if it's better to glaze over with the color or mix, as it will give slightly different effects.
Thanks, as always, for the great video. I'm going to go try this pretty much right now. How, though, would you approach a very long cylinder using this technique, specifically a banner pole that's going straight up?
So with a long cylinder, you have two sides that are bright, opposed by two sides that are shadowed (effectively, the direct light and the bounce light on the opposite side, then shadows away from the light.)
It is, it's funny, it's one of those things I just don't think should be painted very often, because it's so difficult, I was just contemplating it the other day. I will see what I can do. :)
love your videos vince. Besides the point do you know a good primary cyan and magenta for mixing with CMY colorwheel ? I can only get my hands on Vallejo, reaper, scale75 and AK paints and I have a hard time finding fitting ones. Would appreciate !
Great video Vince! You're crushing it. I wanted to use some of this as the basis for a candy coat stormcast scheme. Do you have any tips for success for drybrushing Vallejo Metal Color to pick out the sharper edges or should I stick to edge highlighting? I tried drybrushing VMC a few times and didn't really get the effect I was hoping for.
Awesome video. Now that I can paint my metallic, I have a dumb question. How do I finish it? Do I varnish? Do I leave it without varnish? Obviously with TMM, I shouldn't apply matt varnish, but I often find gloss to be terrible too as it becomes too glossy. Satin isn't much better And with the way you done here with mixing in black, neither matt nor gloss varnish seem appropriate. So how do I finish it?
Thanks. This will change how I paint. I confess I often paint the metallic first because usually when it's warranted, it tends to be a large part of the figure. It is an artificial sense of accomplishment when suddenly over 50% was "done"
I am well aware that this video is rather old at this point, but I'd like to ask - inks straight out of a bottle tend to be heavily saturated and opaque - do you use any sort of medium (or water) to thin them down before using them as a filter? It's not shown on the video so I was wondering if all you do is just unload excess ink onto a tissue.
So the purpose of using the black paint with metallic paint is to darken the paint but preserve the shine of the peak points? And I'm guessing a wash wouldn't work to preserve that shine?
You are correct, we need to control the light from the viewers perspective. Where the light isn't reflecting and create the illusion of shadow and limited reflection.
Question Vince, to make a good metallic brass colour? would i just use the cold gold GSW metal pigment? or would i have to make it more yellow or brown? because brass has always been a difficult colour for me to distinguish in acrylic paint from yellow gold.
Does highlighting metals with white (non-metallic) ever work? I suspect not, as it would be out of sync with the "midtone" level reflections, but I'd love to hear if it can actually be done.
It can work, but mostly for photographs, Banshee did it on his collusus mini if you want to see an example. In person, it can be a little jarring, but it can work if you mix just a little into the silver.
Hi Vince, great video!! I have a few noob questions. The inks would go after or before an oil wash? Also, would it be necessary to use a metal varnish before and after the oil wash? Thanks a lot :)
Hi, is ok to just drop the metal color in the airbrush or I need to put flow improuver or someting? I notice metal paint dry fast and I dont want to have a hard time cleaning the airbrush tip
Great tutorial once again Vince! Question: did you chose a relatively matt ink that on purpose? Was think that a more glossy ink (like artists inks) would preserve the shine more.
I chose matte inks intentionally to reduce the shine. If you are dealing with creating the shadow, you want to reduce the shine away, so that you are holding the shadow stable regardless of the light. :)
@@VinceVenturella I tried your method yesterday and found the same thing. Had to use matt varnish to dull it down, because the shadows kept reflecting light in a unrealistic kind of way.
Ah awesome, this came a lot sooner than I was expecting and was just what I needed. A quick question though, do you think there are any changes or additions you could make that would suit the classic chaos warrior style of armour, that being very dark and very worn, without it losing a lot of the contrast? Great video and I'm sure I'll these techniques on my minis
@vince Have you had any issues with the Vallejo Metal Colors separating? I've been noticing my lighter colors (chrome/silver/aluminum) becoming almost unusable. The pigments are coagulating and separating and even after using a mixing ball and lab grade mixer I cant get them them to go back. When I put them on a pallet they almost seem to foam up and in the airbrush they basically clog right away. This doesn't seem to be happening to my darker colors (gun metal/steel). I thought my paints might be getting old even though they are maybe 1-2yrs old, so I bought new ones and even after a few months the lighter colors get the same issue. I'm trying to figure out if this is a me problem and if it is what the hell I can do to prevent it or fix my current paints
I can honestly say I've never run into that. I have a vortex mixer and have an agitator in there, but I don't know, it's never happened to me, that's really strange and I have some bottles that are like 5 years old.
Thanks Vince! Incidentally, I've just tried today the recipe you suggested for antique gold pigments in Vallejo Metal Color gold and I loooove it. So, of course, I have a question: do you have a recommendation for steel metal pigments to do the same thing with our "grey" metals? :-)
I've found with Vallejo Metal Colors you don't really need it, they hit the same shine alone, but if you want to take it to 1000, then Molotow Liquid Chrome is the answer. I had a product review in the list.
@@VinceVenturella But it's not an acrylic, right? I purchased some based on your review, too. :-) Well I guess you don't feel the need for anything "intermediate" between VMC and Liquid Chrome, then. Alright, makes sense. Thanks!
I've been working on this using VMC Dark Aluminum as the base, Silver and White Aluminum as highlights and mixing in black for the shade as suggested, and part of the problem that I'm having is that the smoothness of the transitions varies substantially based on the lighting. If I put in enough contrast to be noticeable under soft lighting, then the transitions look really stark under more intense lighting. If I make it blend better under intense lighting, then the contrast is gone under softer lighting. Any idea what might be going on here?
So it's always tough. Two potential solutions. First, you may want to try to wet blend it out, that can help remove those. Beyond that the lines are easy to see sometimes as you mention, and really glazing is the best way to advoid it. A light glaze of the shadow color that is feathered out at the edge can solve that.
What medium do you use to thin true metallics? I've tried water but it tends to break up the cohesion of the paint...would gloss or metallic medium be better?
Honestly just water, but the key is the right metallics. It's vallejo metal color or nothing when it comes to steel metallics, as I showed in a recent comparison video.
Up until now I've refrained from using metallics on the airbrush for fear of clogging it with the metal particles, or facing a difficult cleaning process. Is there any reason to that or is it not a real issue?
Basically the same, I would just expand the black areas, shring the highlights and mix in a little of the steel to the black to give those areas a slight shine.
So in general, it's hard to do a true reflection with TMM, because the matte paints won't reflect and it will be clearly distinct from the metal. If you are trying to do a true reflection (like a mirror), you basically have to do NMM, now if you want a color, as in a hazy reflection, the same ways I show the integration of color here can be used to do that.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
You're one of the few hobby tutors that give TMM the time and care it deserves, really appreciate it.
I love TMM and I think there is so much it can do, glad to help as always. :)
I agree. I much prefer using TMM, but want to improve. I feel that no one is using TMM, and your videos on the topic are invaluable Vince! Cheers!
You make hands-down the best painting tips videos I've seen to date. I don't have formal art training, and the theory you casually teach in your videos has been very, very helpful.
Great to hear! I very much apprecaite that. :)
Best painter tip channel and guidance on the internet, no joke
Thank you, that means a great deal. :)
I swear, every single time I've thought "I wonder how to do X thing for model painting" I discover a Vincy V tutorial, and every time they work great for me.
Mars investigations? Awesome! We just got done rewatching the entire series with my 11 year old daughter. It’s now one of her favorite shows just like ours! Thanks for all these videos I’ve been watching a lot of them trying to get more confidence in trying out some layering and creating color blends. It’s stressful and fulfilling all at the same time.
Truly one of the best shows of all time. My wife and I just did a rewatch as well.
Feels like a cleaner and more robust version of your "TMM with NMM techniques" video. Thank you for this. I am waiting until I'm closer to my next GT before I go back in with some fine lines of Molotow Chrome. That stuff really tops the cake
It's really great for sure. Good talk today buddy.
Vince, your narration is great. Clear, concise, detailed. Thanks for the videos, they are very helpful!
Glad to help!
Still one of the best TH-camrs on tutorials. You are a great teacher, Vince!
Glad you think so! Always happy to help. :)
I have a 30k Iron Warriors army project lined up for some time in the next few years. My gameplan on it, is to start with VMC Steel, with a 45 degree spray of VMC Gunmetal, wash it down with Nuln Oil Gloss (VMC and gloss washes work really well, from what i've tested, and i'm going for speed), and then do a stippling with a brighter steel. The issue i run into with VMC and stippling/highlighting, is that its a very viscous paint, and it tends to bleed a bit too much for edge-highlighting and etc. Which is fine, because using like a scale 75 brighter silver for smaller details doesn't diminish that metal finish you're striving for by using VMC. The idea this video has brought to that formula, is using a sepia filter - i love that idea. Thank you!
Glad to help as always.
I love the real world examples. You should definitely continue to add them in the future when applicable/possible. Thank you for the video.
Thank you! Will do!
This dropped just as I was losing my hobby mojo trying to get through the ‘ugly phase’ of TMM all over Jakkob Bugmansson. Thanks for giving me both the confidence and inspiration to push on through.
Awesome, happy to help as always. :)
How you can have so much out there and still find a way to come up with new stuff so frequently is mind blowing to me. Thank you Vince, you rock!
Thank you, always happy to help. :)
I really love the Vallejo Metal Color line ever since I first tried it. People can talk all they want about how miniature painting is about technique and not materials but at the end of the day it is clearly both, especially if you try to get things done efficiently. The Metal Colors truly feel like Hobby Cheating. 🤓
Totally agreed.
Thanks for this video! Can’t wait to try it out on some Zombicide: Invader pistols.
I love your lessons because they marry a conscientiously pedagogical approach to high artistic standards. Many other TH-cam mini painters frequently tick one box or the other, but you tick both boxes consistently (nay, prolifically!).
I am finally getting to where I am regularly using wet blending, transparent paint/ink over a zenithal and as a filter, and oils as part of my painting process. This is in large part due to your influence over the years (as well as Ninjon and Marco Frisoni.) So thank you for all the work you do! You have made my hobby more enjoyable and my minis look better 🙂
Wonderful! Always happy to help. :)
Hey Vince, I acquired the Greenstuffworld metal pigments and theyre a blast to use. You can make all of the shades that the old vallejo liquid gold range with it, and ive even mixed the pigments with vallejo metal colour to make white gold with silver/chrome, One thing i recommend is getting Greenstuffworld's chrome metal paint, it acts like the molotow chrome ink, but thicker and mixing that with gold makes extremely shiny light hold/copper colours that would be good for highlighting gold.
Yep, I have it, I am going to play around with it and do a review sometime.
I want to thank you for convincing me through a number of your videos to try the Vallejo Metal Color line of metallic paints. I have always been skeptical of most metallic brands on the market and have had a little but not great success with making my own. I finally pulled the trigger and got Vallejo silver, gun metal, chrome and steel. From the included agitators to the coverage to how they work well together and with other paints is great. Thanks again from this painting curmudgeon.
Always happy to help and welcome to the light side. ;)
Thank you Vince !
You are an excellent teacher you have the ability to explain difficult concepts and ideas in a simple clear and easy fashion.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, thank you. The direction to ‘slap’ paint on very much speaks to my painting style 😃
Glad it was helpful!
Vince seems to have way more knowledge of Metallica than other painters. Especially in the miniature scene. His style definitely matches up with mine when it comes to NMM vs TMM. I prefer the real shine that you get and what I saw on the video today is so cool. I never thought of painting with them this way.
Wow, popped on youtube for the AM lesson (I watch something on painting every morning like clockwork and owe much to Vince and Hobby Cheating) and I am about to actually just be painting all the steel on a 25-model commission project after coffee and youtube lesson. And this video's only been up a few minutes! Serendipity! Thanks, Vince--no doubt this video will feature all the sweet metallics I have picked up thanks to your reviews
And yeah, super useful to me this morning--I was contemplating how to sneak some color into my TMM reflections, and I am already trying to paint TMM in NMM techniques because of your previous videos. I'd be tempted to sneak some color into my matte black for this technique too. I am out of the habit of using black in my shadows, also from Hobby Cheating lessons.
Awesome, happy to help as always. :)
Really like the detail on applying the filter to the "reflections". Makes me think much more about the "setting" I want my models to literally reflect. I have brown bases so the brown underside shade works, I am thinking of ambient lighting will be a CRT phosphor green (40k: mechanicus). I will overly simplify with the above/below reflections but will think about light sources a bit more for the character models. Another "ah-ha" moment, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Love this one, very to the point, especially as I'm working on the TMM with VMC on an AT Warhound. Great ideas to try out for me - thanks Vince!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and skills for others. I know I've learned a great deal about painting techniques from you these past couple years.
Glad to help :)
Love this! I recently painted 2 units of old Empire Knights (knights panther and reiksguard) for WHFB and I used a lot your tmm techniques from earlier videos. I’m excited to experiment with reflections from the different color feathers on the Knights helmets especially on the the Reiksguard because their red/white/silver color scheme doesn’t pop as much as the blue/yellow/silver from the Knights Panther.
As always fantastic content good sir! Keep it coming.
Happy to help as always. :)
Going to be playing iron warriors (when I get around to setting up my painting booth lol) and bought some Metal Color Burnt Iron. Hopefully it's not too dark. But I can always mix the other metal colors into it!
100%
Mind if I ask how you'd handle bright OSL reflections on TMM? 🤔
Mix in a little bit of paint with your metallics to get different shades or tones(I like blues and purples). It's kind of hard to get the sharp contrast of OSL with TMM. But maybe I just suck
realy interested in this as well!
You need to make a blood sacrifice to whatever god your model believes in.
So in general, you can handle it a few ways. It follows the rules of normal OSL, it's actually best to separate the regular steel reflection with a shadow and then the OSL is buried in the shadow. This prevents matt OSL light from being up against reflective paint. If we are talking about a more subtle ambiance, then the color toning I did here would work for that as well.
As always, great video, thx! I like how you present your knowledge:)
Video idea: the ultimate guide to understanding volumetric highlights and shadows
Sounds good! I'll add it to the list.
@@VinceVenturella Awesome, thank you :)
Thanks Vince, you're a legend
Is there a general rule whether to start with your shadows and then move on to the highlights or vice versa? In your latest skin tutorial you said you go from low to high (and back and forth), and your video about if recipes matter points out that the order of layers matters. I already used the technique for highlighting reds etc. with an undercoat of a lighter color and it is amazing. Thanks, as always.
The answer is really dependent on the paint, the exact end you're going for and your own style. It's one of those things that there is no single answer. :)
Great video again. Would love to see your approach to painting a galvanised steel effect. This would probably be a dull matt colour with plenty of mottling to represent the crystallites.
I'll look into it. :)
@@VinceVenturella Cool thanks! Seen only two methods so far using steel/silver as a base then mottling with various grey paint or pigments; one of them finishing off with a dullcote.
I have a topic I’d like to see next! There’s a lot of videos on metal, whether TMM or NMM, but I would love to see other reflective textures. How do you paint plastic, or shiny leather? I assume the technique is similar and mostly a question or where do you place the light, but I’d love to see you tackle that. Thanks!
Great suggestion! I'll add it to the list.
Cool video and it even answered my questions about grey knights effects, while I was typing the comment. :D
Glad I could help!
Definitely a good tutorial, here--I usually do TMM painting and even though I'm trying to find the courage to attempt NMM, this was a great way to show that those principles can be applied to TMM. Being that I am all about wet blending at the moment, I'm keen to see about trying that out next time I paint metallic colors. Thank you, Vince!
Glad it was helpful!
Super insightful video as always Vince.
Quick question: if we are highlighting/shading metal by mixing in acrylics with metal paints, would it help if those were Glossy (e.g. Glossy white Vallejo 70842), etc?
I never found a good use for those glossy paints, was wondering if they would help retain the metal sheen.
IN general, it depends on your goals. If you are trying to shade, you want to stay away from gloss, as you are trying to dull the area to create a shadow where light isn't. Sadly, there isn't a great deal of use for very glossy paint really.
I would like you to know something. Long story short, I started painting again after a 20 year absence. It’s like starting over. I grew up admiring Shepard Paine and Bill Hiram. I don’t do war hammer type stuff, it’s mostly 54 to 120mm historical figures. I just spent 1500 dollars to get started again. I did that because my wife and I realized I need a creative outlet to balance a stressful job. Your channel has been an inspiration. It feels like a friend and instructor to me, especially having some idea of the work involved making videos. I don’t speak up often, but it’s important that you know the impact you’re having. Thanks.
That's wonderful to hear, so glad to help as always. :)
Time to go upgrade the steel armour on my stormcast, thanks for the great advice
No problem 👍
That video couldn't have come at a better time, I was about to start a necron army.
Awesome, always happy to help. :)
Hey Vince
Would love to see a tutorial on zenithal highlighting and shading with colors. For instance which colors are better to shade with and what color to highlight with to give the best contrast.
So I talk about it in the Exploring Color series, but I will add it as a potential future topic.
@@VinceVenturella thank you. As I find your explanations to be very informative and practical.
Hi Vince - Great video as usual. Do you have a technique for painting an enameled samurai armor look? Would love to see how you would approach this. thx Scott
Great suggestion! I'll add it to the list.
Vince, That was a fabulous explaination of how to do a highly reflective metal,(SUGGESTION for another episode), I often come across miniatures with areas that arent well defined,poorly sculpted or just arent clear what you are looking at, how do you work with parts of a model that are like that.. Just a suggestion for another episode. Love your video series. wish I could get them on a usb stick to save :D
It's tough, I will say that, I generally stay await from them, but I will add it to the list.
always good watching your vids
Glad to hear it :)
Inspiring and timely! Wonderful!
Thank you so much!
I have been experimenting with shooting a little green in de shadows (Ork Flesh Contrast) as a green reflection (of nature). Looking at the mini from a straight on angle it is hardly visible, but does create visual interest. Also I have found that a brown shadow can look a little too much like a copper/bronze/brass. Green doesn't have that issue. It does help if it is a natural looking green which I think Ork Flesh is. Have you tried something similar?
Yep, it's a wonderful effect, I have done it in a past video somewhere, but yep, cathing those environmental colors, especially in the lower area of the miniature can really help things sell.
Hello Vince, I just wanted to say I'd love love love to see how you would tune the process to paint significantly larger surfaces at higher scales (ex: a 1/10 bust with armor). Just in case you were missing inspiration for next Hobby Cheating topics! ;-)
It's a great idea. I'll add it to the list
Awesome. Just in time for me to paint my Skitarii... And AT battleforce.
@vince Have you tried brushing with Model Air metallics? I've been finding them to go on nicer than Metal Color actually. Maybe it's the "new formula" but metal colors for me require a couple layers to get an opaque coat.
Interesting, I have some of the new formula but haven't seen the issue, which ones are you using.?
@@VinceVenturella I got the aircraft engine pack. Mostly using Exhaust manifold. Now, I have had better success mixing in gloss medium to keep it from separating... possibly I'm not agitating it enough before applying it.
I just ordered steel, dark aluminium and white aluminium upon recommendation. I'm doing some admech, so a lot of silver. might as well spring for the good stuff. ha ha. I don't have an airbrush yet though, but definitely would like to get one.
I usually just like to use Vallejo Game Colour metallic paints, but apparently the metal colour stuff is the best.
Oh, this is going to be a whole new world for you. One note, as these will be different to your experience, they are very liquid, use a dry palette and after dipping your brush in, make sure to wick off the extra liquid into a piece of paper towel.
@@VinceVenturella thanks for info. so should I still thin before use?
@@VinceVenturella thanks. so I probably don't need to thin it then before applying, just for regular coverage?
TMM paints have become better and better over the years (GW excluded) but they've somehow been stuffed in the corner with dry-brushing by the hobby zeitgeist. Oddly enough that corner probably gets more armies on table in a year than anything. It's great a talented painter and teacher continues to highlight how TMM can be so much more than base coat and wash.
I'm a huge fan of your exploring colors series. The exploring purple video managed to get years of my disjointed observations to click in that rare moment of knowledge becoming understanding, thank you for that. Is there any chance you'd consider sharing your thoughts on exploring secondary colors and their interactions with your figures primary color ?
Sounds like a great topic, I will add it to the list. :)
I love seeing the NMM approach to TMM, this is a great update to your previous videos on the topic. What do you generally recommend to use when thinning VMC? I've never tried thinning it out to glaze it. Also I've often found that it will quite quickly dry on my palette, so I assume that's a by-product of not thinning it. I live in the UK so it's not like I have to contend with a particularly hot, dry climate! Would flow improver be the answer here?
In general, honestly I use water, but I always keep it in the little cups of the dry palette, because it will dry out quickly.
This was extremely helpful video and I'll be sure to use this tips to make my metallics look better,I had already used similar techniques with my TMM paints but this just helped me get better at it.
However I do have some questions regarding the tone of steel and how the color changes when it ages. As you mention steel starts off as blue and then turns silvery as it ages which is why you highlight certain areas to look more blue,but does this sort of uneven aging actually make sense with armor that's being maintained religiously? Asking mostly because I'm trying to figure out the difference between painting bunch of blokes who have already been in a long campaign without much time for maintenance and soldiers who just dropped into a battlefield.
So weathering as a large concept is very deep. Even if maintained, battlefield maintenance and wear will often mean it just doesn't stay chrome and dulls soms, so in general, you have this big spectrum from parade armor to beaten and rusted, and the integration of either reducting the volume of the shine or integrating colors like browns will define that.
@@VinceVenturella Aight thanks for the help!
Thanks for this excellent guide!
Somehow, I never thought of using matte black to shade TMM. I always thought you'd want to use a satin/semi-gloss to "unify" the sheen, but shadows should be matte, or at least less reflective because they're by definition not getting as much light. Derp.
Have you ever used any of the Turbodork paints or have any thoughts about them? I'm about to start painting some Knights Excelsior and want to to give them an all over TMM scheme, even the bulk of the white armor.
Haven't used them so unfortunately, I can't say.
Slight Tangent: Vince have you tried the AK interactive 3rd Gen Metals, Darkstar Molten Metals. Just you always go back to the vallejo metal colour range I sometimes wonder how all the different metal paints compare. Generally, the older vallejo metals and games workshop ones most people know are horribly glittery. But you have the scale75 metallics which are supposedly like the old early 90's GW metallics. Then you have the green stuff world ones you tried recently with the metal pigment you can add to a binder of your choice.
Well, someday, I will make the big metal comparison video, I have tried the AK Interactive, I don't really like them.
@@VinceVenturella I recently got them but I hadn't tried them yet. It's tricky because someone gets a new set and tells you how wonderful they are, but they usually are comparing them to GW metallics, to which just about any made for purpose miniature metallics made in the past 10 years are going to be superior. For me, I suppose it answers the age-old question: 'If my house is going to collapse from owning too many paints, which brand of metallics should I get rid of first?'
Great video as ever 😊. Future hobby cheating, can you explain how you would tie in an army's colour scheme on a unit that commonly has very different colour to the major force. I'm wanting to paint my troggoths a blueish colour yet my grots are red,purple and yellow. Pretty close to the box art. Hope this makes sense and thanks for the great content.
I will add it to eh list and see what I can do.
Which Airbrush do you use / can you recommend for a User after the first trash Airbrush who wants to get a solid one which will last?
A follow up question: what do you have to consider when buying a compressor?
Iwata HP-CS, it's my go to 2nd airbrush recommendation and a product I have loved for about 8 years now.
Great video! Question: could you use a sepia/blue wash for the filter stage instead of ink?
Yes you can!
Another Great Video Vince!!! Question: Do you think what you show in this video would work for doing something like the Greenwich Armor style for Henry VIII? They "Blued, Browned, or Russeted" the actual steel to give it high contrast patterns with other steels or gilding.
I was thinking of adding a knight model to my Salamanders and the large panels of armor had me thinking they'd be a great opportunity to learn and work on fine detail/freehand. The the major pallette elements I'm thinking of so far are gold, black, and a "greened" steel.
Thank you again for taking the time to teach.
It would certainly work yes, you will want to mess with if it's better to glaze over with the color or mix, as it will give slightly different effects.
@@VinceVenturella thank you very much sir.
To make glazes with vmc, are you mixing vmc with vallejo glaze medium or is there a specific method? Thanks for all of your amazing work Vince!
Nope, just water, it thins down nicely with a little practice. :)
Thanks, as always, for the great video. I'm going to go try this pretty much right now. How, though, would you approach a very long cylinder using this technique, specifically a banner pole that's going straight up?
So with a long cylinder, you have two sides that are bright, opposed by two sides that are shadowed (effectively, the direct light and the bounce light on the opposite side, then shadows away from the light.)
Would love to see a video for an ‘inner fire’, I suppose it’s just glow/osl effects
It is, it's funny, it's one of those things I just don't think should be painted very often, because it's so difficult, I was just contemplating it the other day. I will see what I can do. :)
love your videos vince. Besides the point do you know a good primary cyan and magenta for mixing with CMY colorwheel ? I can only get my hands on Vallejo, reaper, scale75 and AK paints and I have a hard time finding fitting ones. Would appreciate !
So Scale 75 makes some solid Cyan and Magenta in their Artist HBA line. Kimera makes a wonderful magenta. That's where I would look.
@@VinceVenturella thank you very much ! much love
Thanks Vince!
Happy to help. :)
Great video Vince! You're crushing it. I wanted to use some of this as the basis for a candy coat stormcast scheme. Do you have any tips for success for drybrushing Vallejo Metal Color to pick out the sharper edges or should I stick to edge highlighting? I tried drybrushing VMC a few times and didn't really get the effect I was hoping for.
Sure, soft make-up brush and wipe WAY MORE than you think, basiclly until you think there is NOTHING left, it will still catch on the edges.
@@VinceVenturella Ok so fairly standard procedure. Maybe I didn’t use a makeup brush last time. Thanks Vince!
Awesome video. Now that I can paint my metallic, I have a dumb question. How do I finish it? Do I varnish? Do I leave it without varnish? Obviously with TMM, I shouldn't apply matt varnish, but I often find gloss to be terrible too as it becomes too glossy. Satin isn't much better And with the way you done here with mixing in black, neither matt nor gloss varnish seem appropriate. So how do I finish it?
I don't varnish metals at all. My general tactic is that I paint all the matte paints, varnish, then apply the metal paints.
Thanks. This will change how I paint. I confess I often paint the metallic first because usually when it's warranted, it tends to be a large part of the figure. It is an artificial sense of accomplishment when suddenly over 50% was "done"
I am well aware that this video is rather old at this point, but I'd like to ask - inks straight out of a bottle tend to be heavily saturated and opaque - do you use any sort of medium (or water) to thin them down before using them as a filter? It's not shown on the video so I was wondering if all you do is just unload excess ink onto a tissue.
It’s definitely thinned, often quite a bit, but it just depends on the purpose
@@VinceVenturella Thank you for the answer. What would you recommend for thinning inks? Just regular water?
@@danielkaras90 Yep, just water is fine.
So the purpose of using the black paint with metallic paint is to darken the paint but preserve the shine of the peak points? And I'm guessing a wash wouldn't work to preserve that shine?
You are correct, we need to control the light from the viewers perspective. Where the light isn't reflecting and create the illusion of shadow and limited reflection.
Vince opens with a still from a John Boorman classic, what's not to like after that?
That's what I am saying. :)
Question Vince, to make a good metallic brass colour? would i just use the cold gold GSW metal pigment? or would i have to make it more yellow or brown? because brass has always been a difficult colour for me to distinguish in acrylic paint from yellow gold.
Metallic brass is tough, GSW makes a decent pigment, but I still add a little black or brown.
Very good! I've been working on this for a while and this video has made my experiences 'click'.
Glad it helped!
Does highlighting metals with white (non-metallic) ever work?
I suspect not, as it would be out of sync with the "midtone" level reflections, but I'd love to hear if it can actually be done.
It can work, but mostly for photographs, Banshee did it on his collusus mini if you want to see an example. In person, it can be a little jarring, but it can work if you mix just a little into the silver.
Just in time for when my Baratheon Kingsman come in the mail tomorrow!
Awesome, happy to help. :)
I spend more time watching vinces vids than I spend with my actual family. Pray for me
I see no issues here. :)
I've been searching and searching for a tmm blending tutorial with vallejo metal color tytyty
Happy to help. :)
Hey Vince have you tried the "New Formula" Vallejo Metal Colours and if so, what are your thoughts?
Haven't tried them yet, I will next time I replace a bottle.
Hi Vince, great video!! I have a few noob questions. The inks would go after or before an oil wash? Also, would it be necessary to use a metal varnish before and after the oil wash? Thanks a lot :)
After, and you don't need a varnish, but you do need to let the oils completely cure.
Hi, is ok to just drop the metal color in the airbrush or I need to put flow improuver or someting? I notice metal paint dry fast and I dont want to have a hard time cleaning the airbrush tip
A few drops of thinner/flow improver (my pre-mix is 80/20) should always go in the airbrush before anything else.
Great tutorial once again Vince! Question: did you chose a relatively matt ink that on purpose? Was think that a more glossy ink (like artists inks) would preserve the shine more.
I chose matte inks intentionally to reduce the shine. If you are dealing with creating the shadow, you want to reduce the shine away, so that you are holding the shadow stable regardless of the light. :)
@@VinceVenturella I tried your method yesterday and found the same thing. Had to use matt varnish to dull it down, because the shadows kept reflecting light in a unrealistic kind of way.
Ah awesome, this came a lot sooner than I was expecting and was just what I needed. A quick question though, do you think there are any changes or additions you could make that would suit the classic chaos warrior style of armour, that being very dark and very worn, without it losing a lot of the contrast? Great video and I'm sure I'll these techniques on my minis
I might expand the black more, shrink the volume of the highlight but keep a slight amount of metal paint it the black for a very subtle reflection.
Great as always
Thank you! Cheers!
Great vid as always! Do you have any suggestions for painting silver? How bright should the bright parts go and how dark should the shadows go?
I will say what I did here is basically how I would paint silver. I might expand the volumes of the bright silver a little, but basically this.
I often Prime with white - should i undercoat the metallic colors with black beforehand?
It won't matter as much with Vallejo Metal color, but with any other metallics, a gloss or satin black is generally your best bet.
@vince Have you had any issues with the Vallejo Metal Colors separating? I've been noticing my lighter colors (chrome/silver/aluminum) becoming almost unusable. The pigments are coagulating and separating and even after using a mixing ball and lab grade mixer I cant get them them to go back. When I put them on a pallet they almost seem to foam up and in the airbrush they basically clog right away. This doesn't seem to be happening to my darker colors (gun metal/steel). I thought my paints might be getting old even though they are maybe 1-2yrs old, so I bought new ones and even after a few months the lighter colors get the same issue. I'm trying to figure out if this is a me problem and if it is what the hell I can do to prevent it or fix my current paints
I can honestly say I've never run into that. I have a vortex mixer and have an agitator in there, but I don't know, it's never happened to me, that's really strange and I have some bottles that are like 5 years old.
Great work!
Thanks!
You mentioned that Vallejo Metal Colors can be thinned and used as a glaze. What do you thin it with?
Just water.
Thanks Vince! Incidentally, I've just tried today the recipe you suggested for antique gold pigments in Vallejo Metal Color gold and I loooove it. So, of course, I have a question: do you have a recommendation for steel metal pigments to do the same thing with our "grey" metals? :-)
I've found with Vallejo Metal Colors you don't really need it, they hit the same shine alone, but if you want to take it to 1000, then Molotow Liquid Chrome is the answer. I had a product review in the list.
@@VinceVenturella But it's not an acrylic, right? I purchased some based on your review, too. :-) Well I guess you don't feel the need for anything "intermediate" between VMC and Liquid Chrome, then. Alright, makes sense. Thanks!
@@docbun Vallejo Metal COlors (what I used here) is acryllic.
I've been working on this using VMC Dark Aluminum as the base, Silver and White Aluminum as highlights and mixing in black for the shade as suggested, and part of the problem that I'm having is that the smoothness of the transitions varies substantially based on the lighting. If I put in enough contrast to be noticeable under soft lighting, then the transitions look really stark under more intense lighting. If I make it blend better under intense lighting, then the contrast is gone under softer lighting. Any idea what might be going on here?
So it's always tough. Two potential solutions. First, you may want to try to wet blend it out, that can help remove those. Beyond that the lines are easy to see sometimes as you mention, and really glazing is the best way to advoid it. A light glaze of the shadow color that is feathered out at the edge can solve that.
how would you varnish this type of mixed gloss/satin/matte surface? without ruining the effect too bad
I wouldn’t varnish it at all. :)
Vince, would you say you can use this approach when painting metallic paint mixed with acrylics?
Yep, I assume you mean regular matte paints (as these are all acrylics), but yes.
What medium do you use to thin true metallics? I've tried water but it tends to break up the cohesion of the paint...would gloss or metallic medium be better?
Honestly just water, but the key is the right metallics. It's vallejo metal color or nothing when it comes to steel metallics, as I showed in a recent comparison video.
Up until now I've refrained from using metallics on the airbrush for fear of clogging it with the metal particles, or facing a difficult cleaning process. Is there any reason to that or is it not a real issue?
It's very much an issue with many metallics not made for airbrush, but with the Vallejo Metal Color you see here, it's no problem at all.
Great content as usual Vincy V!
Thank you, much apprecaited. :)
Thanks vince great video. How would you alter this approach for a black metallic armour?
Basically the same, I would just expand the black areas, shring the highlights and mix in a little of the steel to the black to give those areas a slight shine.
@@VinceVenturella thank you vince nave a wonderful Sunday
Great video vince 👏
Thanks 👍
How would you paint a reflection of an object on TMM?
So in general, it's hard to do a true reflection with TMM, because the matte paints won't reflect and it will be clearly distinct from the metal. If you are trying to do a true reflection (like a mirror), you basically have to do NMM, now if you want a color, as in a hazy reflection, the same ways I show the integration of color here can be used to do that.
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
Thank you 👍
You and your puns 7:06 lol
Great vid!
Thanks! 😁
My fav youtuber
Thank you, that means a great deal to hear. :)
Your Metal Color glaze is made using just water, or something fancier?
Just water.
@@VinceVenturella Thanks, Vince!
I still get confused every time i see the real you talk, as I always associate your voice with your logo bird 😂
That's funny, maybe I should just animate him. :)
I wonder, any reason for painting in glove?
I wipe on my hand and don't want paint on my hand, also, just to make sure I don't touch the model and wipe oils on it.
Vinsee vee is very clever! He a reelie good paynter 🥰🐶
I tryee. ;)
@@VinceVenturella u a good boy! 🥰🐶