Gold NMM

[Deadite]

Yeah, yeah, I know. It\'s been asked a hundred times before.

But I just can\'t seem to get this down. Maybe it\'s just me, but my \"gold\" just looks like a yellow-ish brown. I can\'t figure out what I\'m doing wrong.

I\'ve read through most applicable articles here on coolmini and other resources and just can\'t seem to get the technique down.

I start with Snakebite leather (or Bestial brown... for darks) as a basecoat.
I then add some Bleached Bone to the Snakebite and get a Yellow-ochre type color. that is applied as a highlight.
then I thinly add some bleached bone as a final highlight.

Now that\'s just the quick 3-step summary. I actually use a number of layers in between.
I\'ve added some yellow to the mix, but that just makes it look like a dirty yellow.
I\'ve gone with more white in the mix, just looks more tan.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Phix]

Snaekbite leather is brown based on yellow, the same bleached bone. Try to use more red and orange. I always started with bestial brown, or I mix it with red gore, and for last highlights I used a little bit Fiery orange or Blood red, then Yellow, maybe mixed with bubonic brown(then optionally lightened with white)

 

[Dragonsreach]

Try a basecoat of Vomit Brown washed over with highly diluted Snakebite Leather. Then re-highlight with Vomit Brown.
Gradually add Bleached Bone to the Vomit Brown and work up in very thin layers until I\'s almost pure Bleached Bone.
Skull White is then the Sparkle points..(Sorry Flare!).

Hope this helps.

 

[Klute]

snakebite leather basecoat.
thinned spearstaff brown layered up to thinned sunburst yellow,layered up to thinned sun yellow and white mix.

Wash this with very thin brown ink then touch up if needed.

this gives you the metal base colours,now determine the light reflections and apply thinned light grey up to pure thinned white.

This was how I did my Celestine mini which gave a nice antique gold effect ( thats what I think anyway!)

I think by your description its the light reflectins that are lacking.My nmm never looks right until these are applied.

 

[Deadite]

Thanks guys for the response thus far. every little bit is helpful.

Klute - your effect is pretty much what I\'m getting...but to me, it\'s still looks a bit...brown. Not really gold like at all.

I dunno, probably just me. I\'ll add a few more highlights and light sources, maybe even a touch more yellow and see what I get.

If there\'s more advice, please share. I\'m a sponge for this kind of information.

 

[supervike]

I have this problem too....

I posted a mini a while ago with my first attempt at a gold NMM.

I too have the same \'yellowish-brown\' problem.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/29629

But PetetheMighty and Zaphod both left a very helpful comment.

Hope that helps...

 

[Trevor]

I think NMM always looks a bit unrealistic. The severe gradations seems to be the key, I\'ve been wandering round looking at metal objects and I have to say that the NMM technique doesn\'t seem to really replicate what I\'m seeing. But done well it can still look cool and good.

 

[Deadite]

Trevor - Agreed. However, I sometimes tend to think that the bright gawdiness of some metallics really just isn\'t appropriate on some aspects of models.
I.e. Confrontation models (or any models smaller than 28mm) really don\'t look that good with any/a lot of metallics on them (certain parts are ok...). However, GW models can look relatively decent with nothing but metallics on them.
Just an opinion I suppose.

 

[Badaab]

I use a little different approach to painting up NMM gold, and, although my silver still needs a bit of refining, I think I\'ve gotten the gold down pretty good.

Here\'s my basic recipe:
-GW Snakebite Leather or Vallejo Game Color (VGC) Cobra Leather
-wash of GW Brown Wash, GW Flesh Wash, and Future Floor Finish/Water mixutre (FFF)
-the color from step one again, leaving the shading wash in the recessed areas.
-Highlight by adding Vallejo Model Color (VMC) Dark Flesh to the base color until you reach almost pure Dark Flesh.
-Add in some GW Bleached Bone or VGC Bonewhite, and apply a few small highlights. Keep this mix around, because you\'ll need it again.
-glaze using FFF and GW Snakebite Leather or GW Flesh Wash. If you find your color is too yellow or brown at this point, you can also use GW Vermin Brown or VGC Parasite Brown to glaze with.
-Highlight again with the last mix of paint you used.
-Now add in a little VMC Ivory, and apply the final highlight.

I hope that helps some... if you need examples, have a gander at my gallery, or over at my Pbase site.

**EDIT** I suppose I should include a link to my site: http://www.pbase.com/badaab

-Joe

 

[Chrispy]

I used mainly Flesh Colors for my Griffon Lancers. The dark areas are Mahogany brown, the other areas are a mix of this and Flat Flesh, hightlighted with Light Flesh. I use this because Vallejo paint are too Yellow imho, so I use brown.... But that\'s another story..

Now, on my Necron Lord I went with a brassy-ier kind of gold, which was English Uniform, Goldbrown, and Iraqui Sand.

I\'m currently making a \"Green Gold\" that looks good next to a dark blue for my Warriors of Blood, and I\'ll let you know how that comes out..

Hope this helps!

 

[WurzagUdUraZahuba]

Originally posted by Dragonsreach
Try a basecoat of Vomit Brown washed over with highly diluted Snakebite Leather. Then re-highlight with Vomit Brown.
Gradually add Bleached Bone to the Vomit Brown and work up in very thin layers until I\'s almost pure Bleached Bone.
Skull White is then the Sparkle points..(Sorry Flare!).

Hope this helps.

Thanks Pal. I\'ve been looking for a basic NMM gold primer using GW paints. Couldn\'t ask for it Your clearly an excellent painter #69 so I know it\'s a prove technique. I know, I know... It\'s not the paint it\'s how you use them, but thanks anyway.

btw your khorne warriors in the June WD were awesome.

 

[baretul]

Arkaal (former rackham painter) uses greenish colors to shade nmm gold. If i remember right he often uses green ochre from vallejo model color line. Here are copule of examples:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/52035
http://www.coolminiornot.com/49452

 

[Chrispy]

On the Confrontation.fr forums, Ark gave the exact colors:

Green Ochre 914 , Light Yellow 949, White 951
I don\'t think Green Ochre is THAT green.. he also uses it in his flesh colors, like Kassar and I\'ve heard it one of the colors for drunes..
At this time, I\'ve picked out the green gold colors I want to use, and they are (more or less): WWII German Camo Beige, Dark Yellow and German Yellow.. I hope I have the elveses done by next week, I just have NMM and their heads to do!