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Can anyone recommend a good metallic black? I have tried to make one with black and pearl
Medium but it’s more leather because it’s ends up with a Matt sheen rather than metallic

mrFickle wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good metallic black? I have tried to make one with black and pearl
Medium but it’s more leather because it’s ends up with a Matt sheen rather than metallic

Have you tried a glossy black undercoat (with something like Tamiya X-1 black) followed by a mix of black paint and metallic medium? I've had semi-decent results myself this way.

 tauist wrote:

mrFickle wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good metallic black? I have tried to make one with black and pearl
Medium but it’s more leather because it’s ends up with a Matt sheen rather than metallic

Have you tried a glossy black undercoat (with something like Tamiya X-1 black) followed by a mix of black paint and metallic medium? I've had semi-decent results myself this way.

Where can I buy a metallic medium?

Drybrush a silver over black? Or use a black ink over a dark silver.

Using a bright base metallic like runefang, a quick wash over of black contrast actually does this pretty well.

It’s not pure black, but it’s a very dark grey with a metallic sheen.
You could add a second coat of contrast to darken it but it may lose its metallic look if it’s too heavy.

There are two paints you could try. Firstly Scale 75 Black metal. It is a really dark shade with a slight bluish tint to it, maybe hit it with a wash of black ink?
Also Wargames foundry has a paint set called Blackened barrel A B and C. Again a black ink wash may well get the result in what you are looking for. Humbrol used to do a metallic black which was good, but it was enamel.

mrFickle wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good metallic black? I have tried to make one with black and pearl
Medium but it’s more leather because it’s ends up with a Matt sheen rather than metallic

Try using the "Deathshroud Clear(Air)" paint from GW over top of Iron Warrior(base) paint.

I'm sure there are other alternatives of a 'tint' like what the Clear Air paints are, but I haven't really looked into it. The Clear Air paints were used by GW's painters for this model:

See how the gold banding on the armor and spear has an almost green tint to it? That's the Mortarion Green Clear(Air) paint applied to kind of 'glaze' the edges. With Deathshroud over top of a dark metal like Iron Warrior, you should get a black metal look.

Interesting thanks I was trying to get an old brass look with a green was over gold and it looked great wet but once dry the green has gone

The Army Painter's Rough Iron is pretty damn dark and close to being black.

P3's new Boiler Black is fantastic.

Has anyone tried GSW metallic pigments? Apparently you run them on but on insta there was an example of using them for metallic black armour

try grinding up a soft graphite pencil & using your fingertip to rub the dust over a matt black base coat. polish with a Q-tip / ear bud.

mrFickle wrote:

 tauist wrote:

mrFickle wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good metallic black? I have tried to make one with black and pearl
Medium but it’s more leather because it’s ends up with a Matt sheen rather than metallic

Have you tried a glossy black undercoat (with something like Tamiya X-1 black) followed by a mix of black paint and metallic medium? I've had semi-decent results myself this way.

Where can I buy a metallic medium?

Vallejo item 70.521 is a metallic medium
Item 71.073 is metallic black

I get my paints through Michigan Toy Soldiers but anyone that carries Vallejos full line would do.


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If it was me I'd lay down something like Golden's Carbon Black which already has a high gloss and then either a mix of that paint with a metallic medium or something like this lots of folks poo poo these cheap non miniature paints but they work for some effects and the metals are especially good; worn penny is one of my favorite coppers including fancy paints.