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Title pretty much says it all, does anybody have any tips for painting the trademark metallic blue-green of the Alpha Legion without using an airbrush, as it's not an option for me right now? Also, are the airbrush paints sold by forge world (particularly looking at the clear Calth Blue to paint over metallic) usable with a brush without too much extra bother? Advice of any kind appreciated.

The options i can see are,

Mix silver into the blue or green, base coat with that, then glaze over a green or blue leave some areas the original color.

Base silver, mannually paint thinned tamya green or blue clear though because they are alcohol based i dont know if you can do it with hairy stick.

IF you want to be very experimental

Tamiya metallic blue or green spray paint over a good primer, then tamiya clear blue or green spray paint in a zenith pattern



i cannot confirm how well tamiya spray paint works.

I got a pretty nice blue-green metallic with this little mix of paints I did. Something to note, if you get the two Fluid versions of the art paints, they come out pretty smooth in application, so you might not need to thin AS MUCH.

The stormraven got a basecoat of VMC Prussian Blue for an on-colour basecoat.

After that I took three paints - VMC Gunmetal Blue, Golden Arts Iridescent Pearl Fine, and Golden Arts Interference Green Fine. They are mixed at 1:1:1 ratio. Mix them together nice and smooth, and apply by brush.

The Pearl serves to lighten up and shine up the Gunmetal Blue, and what the Interference Green does is at certain angles it reflects the green shade from its translucent flake material.

Anyways, that's how I did what I did.

You can buy metallic turquoise from warcoulours that works really well if you paint it over a steel or silver base colour. The turquoise pretty much is a perfect mach you just have to paint two or maybe three thin layers.

You can buy metallic turquoise from warcoulours that works really well if you paint it over a steel or silver base colour. The turquoise pretty much is a perfect mach you just have to paint two or maybe three thin layers.

I looked them up and that looks like it could be exactly what I'm looking for, do you have any pictures of it used on a model? Also, how much would they charge for delivery? (I'd only be looking at a few pots).

I got a pretty nice blue-green metallic with this little mix of paints I did.

Thanks, and that does look really good, but sourcing and mixing three paints like that seems like a great deal of effort for a legion sized force.

Can't quote the first poster, thanks for the advice, I might grab some of that spray.

Maybe expensive solution but GW\s tint's(maybe you can find cheaper similar stuff elsewhere) might do the trick. They used exactly alpha legions as an example of how to use the tints.

Most general online hobby sources have Vallejo Model Colour, and then it's just the Golden Arts paints.

I get your feeling though, that's why I plan to do that with just my Elite forces - I'm essentially doing a large broad stroke of infiltrated/corrupted SM units from across the board - I'll do this paint over things like Grey Knights, Deathwatch, Primaris Marines..

Maybe expensive solution but GW\s tint's(maybe you can find cheaper similar stuff elsewhere) might do the trick. They used exactly alpha legions as an example of how to use the tints.

Really tempted by this, it looks great in the video, but since I don't come from an artist background, I can't see myself using the set for anything else than this...

 SpaceOstrich wrote:

Maybe expensive solution but GW\s tint's(maybe you can find cheaper similar stuff elsewhere) might do the trick. They used exactly alpha legions as an example of how to use the tints.

Really tempted by this, it looks great in the video, but since I don't come from an artist background, I can't see myself using the set for anything else than this...

Yeah the set is pretty damn solution for this but then again unlikely this is GW unique invention so maybe there would be similar idea from another manufacturer that would archieve similar effect?

Can't understand why they don't sell those bottles individually. Would be tempted to try alpha legion myself with that if they did!

tneva82 wrote:

 SpaceOstrich wrote:

Maybe expensive solution but GW\s tint's(maybe you can find cheaper similar stuff elsewhere) might do the trick. They used exactly alpha legions as an example of how to use the tints.

Really tempted by this, it looks great in the video, but since I don't come from an artist background, I can't see myself using the set for anything else than this...

Yeah the set is pretty damn solution for this but then again unlikely this is GW unique invention so maybe there would be similar idea from another manufacturer that would archieve similar effect?

Can't understand why they don't sell those bottles individually. Would be tempted to try alpha legion myself with that if they did!

Yeah they do a brilliant job in the video, although I'd want to add a little more blue and green.

if you want a premade met blue then as far as i know the only way is tamiya and acrylic.

ts19 is the rattlecan spray and x13 is the brush version of the ts19.


i have used the ts19 on other models and it is a solid semi dark met blue.

Just use all the same paints as you would for the airbrush with a brush . I use airbrush paints and Tamika clear with a brush all the time .