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Okay, so ive probably read every thread on vallejo metallic medium on the internet, and haven't figured this out yet.

Ive tried mixing the paint, this unacceptably makes my reds pink, if I add enough red to "un pink" it, there isn't enough metallic.
I've heard of adding this as a semi transparent overcoat, however even with light drybrushing, the paint doesn't seem to go on translucent enough, it just looks like I drybrushed some mithril silver overtop, giving a sort of spotty metallic/red finish instead of a 'sheen" like ive heard described. I was going to go blackred -> metallic drybrush -> brighter metallic drybrush -> thick red wash , but again the red doesn't look "right" without so much wash I might as well have started with just boltgun and red washed it to red.

It just goes on too thick.
My next idea was to water this down either with medium or gloss finish and see if an outer shiney/metallic coat might give me the effect I want, I mean ive been playing with this stuff for a week and haven't made much progress, I just want a light metallic sheen on some model parts without the grey mithril/boltgun/whatever overpowering the color.

whats the trick with this stuff?

To achieve the effect your looking for I think you will need to use an airbrush, you could then get the coats thin enough to work.

The other option is to try and use a "clear" product like Tamiya Clear Red or some other such thing....but then again, brushing it on wont give the same effect as an airbrush would.

The reason why your metallic medium is turning your red pink is because the medium itself almost acts like a pigment in that it will lighten the color. One last option you could try is mixing in a dark red w/ a bolt gun color and see what you get.

Ashton

ive tried playing with mixing boltgun/red and it turns into what I call "puke red" I can't quite get the right balance, it either ends up a brownish puke red (since i use dark red as the base) or some funky shade of pink, ive gone back and forth with too much/too little red over and over, not so much.

I just ordered my last try, some reaper metallics from thewarstore, my final attempt is going to be reaper metallic -> possibly lightening with metallic medium -> possibly some clear red overtop if it isn't "red" enough

if that doesn't work im going to set a big red paint fire in my backyard and pick a color that I actually know how to paint

I do have a 9 dollar airbrush I used for basecoating some tyranids, its aweful, but did the job for base coating but it does spray really thinly so maybe i'll try to get some clear airbrush red to reduce the workload of the 5-10 coats of red required to get the color where i want it.

Testor makes a car model paint that is a metallic red, they also do a red flake color that may work for what you are going for.

Thanks for the assist guys, I was hoping I was just using this stuff incorrectly in some way rather than it being a bust! >.<

One theory I am yet to test is basecoating in boltgun metal, and inking the whole thing in red. Shame GW doesn't make inks anymore, I miss the overpriced inks, but they were really easy to get and knew what you wanted.

And I know what you are going througgh with the red wash, you get a nice metallic pink.

winnertakesall wrote:One theory I am yet to test is basecoating in boltgun metal, and inking the whole thing in red. Shame GW doesn't make inks anymore, I miss the overpriced inks, but they were really easy to get and knew what you wanted.

And I know what you are going througgh with the red wash, you get a nice metallic pink.

ive actually done this with baal red, it took about 30 coats, but eventually i got the color I wanted
my goal is to get this color in 3 or 4 coats, are there aftermarket inks that are perhaps possible.

the red I was looking for was just a dark, mechanite-ish metallic red, however I did stop when i reached a dark purple that also looks pretty awesome.

Use a darker red...

I've used the metalic medium before. It works well.

Take a look at this red;



That is a custom red that I made using Alcad II lacquers and various red clear coats...this was the color I was going to try and achieve with those GK paladins that we talked about.

Ashton

Yeah, thats about right, =/ its unfortunate I cant comission you.