Paining realistic guns/gunmetal
- Thread starter Wannabe
- Start date
Fizl
Secret Crocodile
Try using the same techniques that you would use on other areas. Metallics need watering down and layering/blending as much as any other colour. Washes and glazes are also your friend in order to set a nice tone (or a bit of rust) to the colour. Smoke glaze (vallejo or tamiya) are both good tools for the job
shaz
shaz
Tercha
New member
military hand weapons in reality tend to be a semi gloss black or camoflaged in the case of special forces, infantry heavy weapons a matt green, and larger weapons in theatre camoflage, there are of course variations to this.
it would be extremely unlikely for there to be any rust if the weapon is still in use, due to the cleaning and oiling.
sci fi / furture weapons would possibly be manufactured in pre coloured ceramic or advanced plastics, so you can paint them however you like
but black and a VERY light dry brush metalic should look good (realistic)
it would be extremely unlikely for there to be any rust if the weapon is still in use, due to the cleaning and oiling.
sci fi / furture weapons would possibly be manufactured in pre coloured ceramic or advanced plastics, so you can paint them however you like
but black and a VERY light dry brush metalic should look good (realistic)
airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
This is the method i use for gun metal.. (gw) 1:1 black:boltgun-metal. Devlan mud wash. Drybrush chainmail. Extreme highlight mithril silver. ...Seems to work pretty well.
That would work. Most modern weapons are no longer blued (a semi-gloss or gloss, near black)
Instead they are parkerized (a very matt black) or treated with a proprietary coating (glocks).
Some of the old guns were heat treated and showed some beautiful browns that would be very hard to reproduce:
Now, to make matters worse. Lots of the guns are coming with polymer parts. These can be in almost any color the manufacturer thinks will sell: dessert sand, olive drab, black (most common).
And there is a whole aftermarket for painting weapons with an epoxy based or thermosetting paints...
http://www.duracoat-firearm-finishes.com/
for an example of various finishes.
**
Get a set of small drills (drimell, etc.) and a pin vice and drill the barrels and flash suppressors out. At least rotate an Xacto in there and give the illusion of a real barrel. You don't have to go deep, just make it look like a hole instead of a solid.
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airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
The only coating I've found that will actually stand up to use is the duracoat or diamondcoat. They go on like paint via airbrush. Duracoat is like epoxy and cures (heat helps). Diamondcoat is a heat set compound (almost like electrostaic paint - but not quite that good).
None of them stay on sharp edges/wear points. Thus the chainmail/mitheril highlighting on the edges makes them look more real.
I don't know the fluff for the 40k, but I'd imagine that their guns are polymer/ceramic and have colors cast in them? Or they are repainted as you enter different theaters?
Might look cool: Blood Angel red gun with mostly worn off sand cammo or green cammo?
freakinacage
New member
the short answer is 'it varies'...but sm chapters stick to colours. no point in camo if you are a 2.5 metre 2/4 ton superhuman
If you are wary about going down the route of too bright metallics for your guns and wanting them to seem more realistic then it would be worth considering a technique that many scale military armour builders/painters use.
Once you have your weapon based in black you can either rub a lead pencil over the hard edges to give a soft metallic sheen to them where the corners are worn or shave the graphite and apply the powder with a brush all over the gun.
Instead of looking like it has obviously been painted with metallic paint it will end up with a much darker and light directional dependant metallic sheen.
Once completed you will need to seal the graphite onto your model or leave it till last and try not to touch it.
Another drawback with this method is that because the shine is dependant on the angle the light hits it you will have to fiddle around with the angle should you wish to take a nice pic of it. On the upside ... it looks great in real life.
Once you have your weapon based in black you can either rub a lead pencil over the hard edges to give a soft metallic sheen to them where the corners are worn or shave the graphite and apply the powder with a brush all over the gun.
Instead of looking like it has obviously been painted with metallic paint it will end up with a much darker and light directional dependant metallic sheen.
Once completed you will need to seal the graphite onto your model or leave it till last and try not to touch it.
Another drawback with this method is that because the shine is dependant on the angle the light hits it you will have to fiddle around with the angle should you wish to take a nice pic of it. On the upside ... it looks great in real life.
luckycharms
New member
I've carried a Glock for 10years and when first purchased the upper(slide) and lower (handgrip) pretty much matched. As the years went by and the in and out of the holster and exposure to the weather the slide has turned and dark gray with wear showing on the edges and anwhere metal moves against metal IE the hole in the slide where the barrel protrudes, the handgrip being a poymer has pretty much stayed the same color just wear in the form of small nicks and the like.
Carried the M16 A1/2/3 for thirteen years. Had pretty much the same result, the plastic/ polymer would remain dark unless exposed to a heat source, open flame, and the metal would turn a dark gray from the matte/ pakerized black. Metal would begin to show at points of friction or impact such as the magazine well and the ejection port cover. Older weapon systems M60/ M2 MG would be a medium gray on the metal components and the plastic/ polymer on the M60 was black. No plastic on the Ma Deuce though
If the enviornment is adverse enough even with daily cleaning and light coatings of oil the older weapon systems would begin to show rust on the metal after being stored for 12+ hours in the arms room. In desert or dusty regions that light coating of oil would attract dust and dirt like metal shavings to a magnet.
In order for a weapon to be all rusted up and dirt covering it overall would constitute negligence boardering on suicidal for the operator of the weapon system. If weapon was rusted up/ dirty that would run the serious risk of a minor or major malfunction when you need it. So it would be very rare to see a front line weapon system all rusted or dirty.
Carried the M16 A1/2/3 for thirteen years. Had pretty much the same result, the plastic/ polymer would remain dark unless exposed to a heat source, open flame, and the metal would turn a dark gray from the matte/ pakerized black. Metal would begin to show at points of friction or impact such as the magazine well and the ejection port cover. Older weapon systems M60/ M2 MG would be a medium gray on the metal components and the plastic/ polymer on the M60 was black. No plastic on the Ma Deuce though
If the enviornment is adverse enough even with daily cleaning and light coatings of oil the older weapon systems would begin to show rust on the metal after being stored for 12+ hours in the arms room. In desert or dusty regions that light coating of oil would attract dust and dirt like metal shavings to a magnet.
In order for a weapon to be all rusted up and dirt covering it overall would constitute negligence boardering on suicidal for the operator of the weapon system. If weapon was rusted up/ dirty that would run the serious risk of a minor or major malfunction when you need it. So it would be very rare to see a front line weapon system all rusted or dirty.
Since posting my last comment I found bottles of liquid graphite in my local art supplies store and it is better still as compared to edging things with lead pencil.
It dries to a satin finish and void of brushstrokes. Once dry it is permanent and buffable giving the edges and worn areas a realistic shine. DRawback is the speed it dries at so you need to work fast.
The brands in my local store are Monte Marte and Derivan Matisse and it comes in half a dozen tinted colours. The blue one looks almost identical to the gunmetal on the barrel of a .22 rifle and 2 air pistols I placed next to it.
It dries to a satin finish and void of brushstrokes. Once dry it is permanent and buffable giving the edges and worn areas a realistic shine. DRawback is the speed it dries at so you need to work fast.
The brands in my local store are Monte Marte and Derivan Matisse and it comes in half a dozen tinted colours. The blue one looks almost identical to the gunmetal on the barrel of a .22 rifle and 2 air pistols I placed next to it.
R
Roy Rogers
Guest
UK James has it perfect. Gunmetal, wash devlan mud, or badbab black, then a very light drybrush of chainmail, highlight mithril silver. I have had excellent results with this technique. Its fast too!
In addition to what has been posted above, metallic pigments might be worth looking into.
I recently picked up the Mig brand metallics and they are surprisingly good for getting a realistic look. At this point, I've only brushed them on and used them in Dorland's, but they seem to have good potential.
I recently picked up the Mig brand metallics and they are surprisingly good for getting a realistic look. At this point, I've only brushed them on and used them in Dorland's, but they seem to have good potential.
