How would you paint "Blackened Metal"

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**Lance845**

I just ordered all the bits I need to build up a Kutlakh the Wold Killer.

When Kutlakh awoke from the Great Sleep, he was both more and less than he had been, though his eye lenses now blaze with an unhallowed cold light -- a gaze that even his fellow Necron Lords cannot easily meet. In battle he is a terrifying figure whose gilded android shell is blackened as if by fire and bedecked in the skulls and bones of his victims. The once proud aristocrat and glory-hungry general has now become a nightmarish and near-silent monster, the corroded engrams of his mind driven only by a burning desire to destroy the living and re-establish the rightful supremacy of his dynasty.

Ive got the skulls basing kit, some skulls on spikes I am going to add to his shoulders, and some skulls on chains I am going to hang about his waist if I can make it look good.

But how would you paint the "Blackened as if by fire"?

**Nevelon**

I might look into heat stress weathering. The kind you see on flamers/meltaguns. And probably top it off with a bit of soot/ash

**Lance845**

Nevelon wrote:
I might look into heat stress weathering. The kind you see on flamers/meltaguns. And probably top it off with a bit of soot/ash

Ive seen those, where the color shifts into those blue/orangey colors towards the tip. But it's not really described that way. Not his metal is under a ton of heat stress, but actually blackened. Which seems difficult to pin down without just painting it black (which sounds dull as dirt).

**John Prins**

Gunmetal paints from Reaper. Gunmetal Blue, Blackened Steel, Adamantium Black.

The helmet, pack, guns and detail are Gunmetal Blue highlighted with Blackened Steel. The base's edge is Adamantium Black. You could drybrush these colors on any other metallic to get a fire-blackened metal effect.

**Iron_Captain**

Metal with a black drybrush, so that it is black but the metal still shines through in places. That is probably how I would do blackened steel. Guess black with a metal drybrush could work as well? I haven't actually tried it myself yet. Will do once I get to painting my Warriors of Chaos one day.

**Lance845**

John Prins wrote:
Gunmetal paints from Reaper. Gunmetal Blue, Blackened Steel, Adamantium Black.

The helmet, pack, guns and detail are Gunmetal Blue highlighted with Blackened Steel. The base's edge is Adamantium Black. You could drybrush these colors on any other metallic to get a fire-blackened metal effect.

Awesome. Thats EXACTLY what I am looking for. The Maynarkh Dynasty has a bronze tone to their whole body. I think if I base gun metal, bronze it up, and then dry brushing some Adamantium Black or Blackened Steel over the not elaborate armor plating (so it's basically just his actual body that is blackened) it could look real good. I appreciate the color choices and picture.

**John Prins**

You're welcome!

Edit: So try to make an effect like the blackening is rubbing off, revealing the bronze beneath?

**Big Mac**

Lance845 wrote:
I just ordered all the bits I need to build up a Kutlakh the Wold Killer.

When Kutlakh awoke from the Great Sleep, he was both more and less than he had been, though his eye lenses now blaze with an unhallowed cold light -- a gaze that even his fellow Necron Lords cannot easily meet. In battle he is a terrifying figure whose gilded android shell is blackened as if by fire and bedecked in the skulls and bones of his victims. The once proud aristocrat and glory-hungry general has now become a nightmarish and near-silent monster, the corroded engrams of his mind driven only by a burning desire to destroy the living and re-establish the rightful supremacy of his dynasty.

Ive got the skulls basing kit, some skulls on spikes I am going to add to his shoulders, and some skulls on chains I am going to hang about his waist if I can make it look good.

But how would you paint the "Blackened as if by fire"?

Instead of using metallic as a base, use gradients of grey, with metallic highlight and sponge weathering effects, then use black dry powder on certain areas to enhance the black through burning effect.

**Lance845**

John Prins wrote:You're welcome!

Edit: So try to make an effect like the blackening is rubbing off, revealing the bronze beneath?

Possibly? Or just a fading from blackened to bronzed areas. Maybe il make it a little patchy? Unsure. Il do some experimenting with some spare bits.

**Dynas**

If you want black metal, then they have black steel vallejo I believe. It is basically black with metal flakes. If you want a charred metal look, then look at weathering

**Desubot**

like these guys but with with more browns, and purples.

But then if you are taking about blacked by fire then it also mean sooty which you can do with carbon powder pretty easily.

**Luciferian**

Secret Weapon Miniatures has a great selection of acrylic paints and pigments designed for weathering effects. They have a pigment called Exhaust Black which can be used to create the look of sooty carbon deposits, if that's what you're going for.

**SmallChanges**

I've done a few heat blackened engine exhausts for my X-wing models, starting from boltgun metal (or whatever it's called now), followed by a drybrush of scorched brown, followed by a lighter drybrush of black closer to the heat source. Could work for what you want, and it would give more interest than just black.

**Lance845**

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. My bits should be here by mid next week. Il post the model when I have it built and figure out from all these suggestions which method would work best. Again, if anyone has pics of their technique in action it helps a lot.

**Luciferian**

This is a heat-bluing effect done with a series of blue, black and purple washes over a gold or bronze:

http://tabletopstandard.com/2014/03/14/creating-a-heat-tint-or-steel-bluing-effect/

This is some sooty weathering using carbon pigment:

**Niiai**

Paint it all metal.

Mix nunl oil with latial medium, wash the whole model. Highlight with drybrush. Was the parts you want even more dark.