True Metallic Metal (TMM): Steel

Following another suggestion, I have prepared a small tutorial on painting metals, with a focus on steel. If there is a specific tutorial you’d like to see that I haven’t covered yet on the blog, feel free to drop me a message! You can also check out the second part of this post, which covers painting leather, here. Additionally, I’ve recently written an article on painting TMM gold, which you can find here.

Painting metals can be challenging for some. Many metallic acrylic paints have low coverage when thinned even slightly with water. Conversely, if not thinned, these paints can become too thick and create undesired textures. Moreover, the metal flakes used to simulate a metallic surface can lead to undesirable effects, especially if the flakes are too large. It is crucial to handle brushes and water carefully when working with metallic paints, as the water used for cleaning brushes or thinning paints can become contaminated with metal flakes, potentially ruining other paints if reused. Another tricky aspect is applying shades and highlights with metallic colors, which we will address in this tutorial.

Last year, I participated in an exciting project with my friends from Modelbrush, where we aimed to paint an entire Age of Sigmar army within a year. I chose to paint a “horde” army (Legions of Nagash), which required me to find faster painting techniques for my miniatures. This project was a great experience as it pushed me to experiment with various methods I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. For instance, I used intense washes (such as Citadel’s Contrast paints) for the first time and began incorporating the airbrush more heavily. I also developed a quick technique for painting metallic parts using Citadel’s washes or Shades.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend participating in a painting league or project like this—they can be incredibly instructive! Later in the fall, I decided to revisit my old Mordheim miniatures, which are fully armored, and further refined this technique.

While my approach is far from perfect (it never will be!), the following lines will outline my method for painting “true metallic metals” (as opposed to “non-metallic metals,” where we use non-metallic paints to simulate metal). Please note that this is just one of many possible recipes. I encourage you to explore various methods through Google and YouTube until you find what works best for you. Practice is the best teacher!

True metallic metal

Start by applying a primer coat. I used AMMO’s One Shot Grey Primer because this color is easy to cover with any paint, offering a perfect starting point. At this point, I usually paint the base.

Paint all the metallic parts of the miniature with a steel color. I used Steel IONIC-0174, but any medium steel or iron shade will work. For contrast, I painted the war hammer with Brass IONIC-0180. Thin your acrylic paints with a little water and apply up to three thin layers for a smooth, even finish. This helps avoid unwanted texture. Be sure to use a separate cup of water for cleaning brushes used with metallic paints to prevent contamination.

Apply an acrylic wash to add depth. We can apply a black wash (50% Black IONIC-0172 + 50% water, or Nuln Oil (Citadel)) for the steel and a brown wash (50% Black Brown IONIC-0160 + 50% water, or Agrax Earthshade(Citadel)) for the brass. Once dry, you can add a second layer for more contrast in certain parts. I did this basically on the war hammer. The effect is already pretty striking at this stage

To enhance contrast even more, try the following techniques:

• Outlining: use black paint and a fine brush to outline the edges of all metallic parts and details. This helps define the metal areas more clearly.

• Glazing: Apply thin, semi-transparent layers of paint (thinned about 1:5 with water) to deepen shadows. Start the black glaze in lighter areas and pull it toward darker areas to create smooth transitions. For example, darken the lower parts of the breastplate and the upper sections of the tassets (the metal skirt) to add depth.

Next, add highlights using a light metallic color. We use Silver IONIC-0175 (or Light Metal A.MIG-0621 from the range Dio Dribrush of AMMO, which has a fine pigment that is great for detail work, but it requires more thinning). Apply silver highlights along the edges of the armor by running the brush horizontally along the edges to create thin, clean lines. For extra depth, apply a silver glaze in the opposite direction of your earlier black glazing: start from the dark area and blend toward the lighter edge. If needed, begin from a mid-tone instead of the darkest shadow.

Weathering is optional, but it adds realism to the model. To simulate scratches on metallic armor, use a thin brush and thinned Silver IONIC-0175 to paint fine, sharp lines. Keep it subtle: less is more. Continuous scratches that span multiple armor panels can suggest movement or combat damage and help tell a story. For the brass war hammer, start with scratches in pure brass, then add a mix of brass and silver for extra variation and depth.

To create a rust effect, thin a red-brown paint like Burnt Umber IONIC-0161 with about 10 parts water to make a light filter. Apply this filter sparingly over the armor to gently change the color. It is better to add a second thin layer if needed than to use paint that’s too thick. For the brass war hammer, you can also use a turquoise color to simulate rust.

The rust effect is very subtle: before (left) and after rust (right):

Summary:

This is the list of paints used in the tutorial to paint TMM:

• Black IONIC-0172
• Black Brown IONIC-0160
• Brass IONIC-0180
• Burnt Umber IONIC-0161
• Silver IONIC-0175
• Light Metal A.MIG-0621
• Steel IONIC-0174

You can get all the paints mentioned above at AMMO by Mig Jimenez website with 10% off using the affiliate code: Heresy10Ionic

This completes the metallic painting process. The miniature is not yet finished, though. Next time, we will cover painting different types of leather: black, dark brown, and light brown (click here). Or, if you prefer to paint TMM gold, check this another post (here).