Solved: Darken metal after the fact: shade or thinned black?

[Miek]

Hi,

 

Quick question: I'd like to darken a part of my mini that's already been painted with leadbelcher plus zenithal silver. I want the overall piece to become darker, not just the recesses. I'm "afraid" a nuln oil shade would simply darken the recesses and make the rest loose its shine, but otherwise not really darken non-recessed areas. I'm thus considering doing a chaos black wash over the piece.

 

Which option (or mix of both, or other suggestion) would be best for the overall darkening I'm describing?

 

I'd like the end result to look like dark metal, not sparkly grey. Hum perhaps I should mix leadbelcher with black and redo the base coat?

 

Thanks!

Edited September 8, 2020 by Miek

[Xenith]

Dont use chaos black unless massively thinned with lahmian medium.

GW "Washes" can actually be used like glazes and they will colour all the surface they are placed on. If you want a change in tint not shading effect, apply a thin coat of nuln over the whole area.

Same applies to contrasts, which act like really thick glazes - if you put on enough to cover the surface, but not so much that it pools in recesses to shade, you'll get the effect you want.

All my metals from here on in will be leadbelcher, basilicanum grey wash.

These bases and the reiver blades are both basilicanum over leadbelcher. Nuln will be the equivalent to 2x coats of basilicanum.

Chapter Icons:

Edited September 8, 2020 by Xenith

[Miek]

Awesome, thanks Xenith!

 

Sweet bases BTW.

[Lovecraft0110]

If you have an airbrush, I have a faster, semi-transparent option for you, let me know.

[Miek]

I do have an airbrush, what's your trick?

[Fajita Fan]

I don't use an airbrush but thinned contrast gray with contrast medium makes a nice armor wash for me that tints the surface.  Just don't overload the brush so it pools all over the place.  

 

[Bung]

I do have an airbrush, what's your trick?

Something like Tamiya Clear Smoke sprayed over your Metals, probably.

[Closet Skeleton]

Nuln oil dulls metal but there is a gloss nuln oil that basically just collects in the recesses and keeps the metal shiny. Quickest way for a decent looking steel on small detailed areas is one coat of leadbelcher over a white undercoat and then a coat of nuln oil gloss.

 

Contrast Black Templar works like nuln oil but even darker.

 

If I want to do gunmetal quickly I do undercoat (colour doesn't matter its not the 90s) -> leadbelcher -> nuln oil -> leadbelcher highlight -> runefang steel edge or other silver highlight

 

Agrax earthshade is good to swap the nuln oil for if you want a grimey look.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Closet Skeleton

[Lovecraft0110]

I do have an airbrush, what's your trick?

Try spraying an enamel wash (I use Ammo Black or Dark Wash), slightly thinned with odorless thinner or white spirits. Instead of settling in the recesses, it will act as a filter and change the tone of the metals. You can see an example here (check time stamps):

 

[Sky Potato]

Basilicanum grey over Ironbreaker comes out very nicely. Using Leadbelcher as the base for the contrast paint was a little too dark.

[Bung]

 

I do have an airbrush, what's your trick?

Try spraying an enamel wash (I use Ammo Black or Dark Wash), slightly thinned with odorless thinner or white spirits. Instead of settling in the recesses, it will act as a filter and change the tone of the metals. You can see an example here (check time stamps):

 

 

Thats what i thought you do. Spraying some sort of filter to dull the metals.

But as there are alot of acrylic options i didnt think about enamel washes.

[Lovecraft0110]

 

 

I do have an airbrush, what's your trick?

 

Try spraying an enamel wash (I use Ammo Black or Dark Wash), slightly thinned with odorless thinner or white spirits. Instead of settling in the recesses, it will act as a filter and change the tone of the metals. You can see an example here (check time stamps):

 

Thats what i thought you do. Spraying some sort of filter to dull the metals.

But as there are alot of acrylic options i didnt think about enamel washes.

Yeah, the main advantage is that you can blend or remove them at will afterwards, even like 24h later. On my recent Arquitor Bombard, I actually let it cure for 48h...and then I scraped it off the edges of the mortar with a pair of pliers, revealing the shiny metals (alclad laquer) underneath! I had never done it before, it was just a mad idea...but it worked a treat.

[Miek]

Nice, so many things to try, thank you all!