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I want to paint my Necrons in a dark metallic blue, but I'm having trouble finding a good tutorial that doesn't involve an airbrush. Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I'm aiming for a color similar to this image.

I didn't tried to follow this tutorial but I plan to use the airbrush one soon (airbrush version). I think it should work for the color you plan to use.

How about Vallejo Gunmetal Blue? I bought a bottle because I really liked the look of the colour, though I haven't used it yet.

Vallejo Model Air "Arctic Blue" as a base, highlight by mixing with a little silver, possibly shade with a blue ink in the recesses if you want it darker.

Gun Metal Blue is also an option to highlight but its not quite as "blue"

if you want a "metal" look chrome for a fine edge highlight in exposed areas?

All seeing skink did a thing like that

supposedly from a line called Aqueous Hobby Colour

alternatively you could go try a pearl or metallic medium.

No disrespect to all seeing skink, the model is good. Bit the picture on proven combatant is shaded is a wider specter of black and light/white blue.

Also the balance of yellow and black contrast more with itself an make it pop quite a lot. Blue yellow is a more distincy contrast then blue purple and white. All of those 3 colours er very quiet, yellow is a noicy colour. Yellow makes the proven combatan pop more.

The mtg card lends itself tonorganic forms. I think that colour scheme could be good on tyranids. Coloured metals with washes on them looks great on organic forms.

Silver underneath tamiya clear blue on top, very metallic and blue

I used GW metallics (Boltgun, Chainmail, and Mithril Silver) then glazed them with blue ink.

i have tried the way vulcan said it works really good, train colours is also good

Also gw has the tint paint set they can tint a whole pot of silver or leadbelcher blue metal.

In the old days the pure silver (chainmail?) used aluminium particles as pigment. (Paint is a combination of binding and pigment.)

The darker metals has just more dark pigment mixed into the pure aleminium. The golden paints etc are just mixed with gold etc. In theory you can buy 3 of the clear silver one and some blue paints you like and mix them up. However, remeber that they will shift brighter so you might wanne mix with darker colour.

I've found Gulliman Blue glaze over silvers works OK for Power weapons and lights and stuff. Used other Tamiya clears over the same silver for reds and yellows and it looks nice to me, but I've not done a whole model with either method.

craggy wrote:
I've found Gulliman Blue glaze over silvers works OK for Power weapons and lights and stuff. Used other Tamiya clears over the same silver for reds and yellows and it looks nice to me, but I've not done a whole model with either method.

That reminds me of a pic I found some time ago (not mine)...

Tamiya TS19 met blue rattlecan, gives you a result like this.

Coat d'Arms do the origi al GW metallic blue. I love that colour

If you highlight it with pure mithril or current equivalent you'd probably get close to the original drawing.

Oh, I forgot, I used Tamiya Metallic Blue on some Genestealers. Its very dark, could make a good basecoat, but not nice for showing up shiny detail. It worked ok for my purposes but seeing that step by step of the Alpha Legion Marines, I'll definitely second my suggestion of Guilliman Blue over a silver base.

The best metallics W/the most variety I've found & used is ladies nail polish( don't laugh) especially for airbrushing. Watch the tutorials on YouTube from Doctor Cranky. The tutorial is for painting model cars, but the concept is the same. Also you can find nail polish sometimes 2 for a $1.