The Allure of Metallics
Metallic paints hold a special allure: the shimmer of polished armour, the gleam of a knight’s sword, and the lustrous sheen of a dragon’s hoard.
Using metallics can really add depth and realism to your miniature so they stand out on the battlefield or in the display case. Yet, achieving a finish that truly sparkles without looking garish remains a challenge for many.
In this article, we’ll demystify metallics paints and give you 5 tips for mastering metallics using the new Warpaints Fanatic Metallic paints!
Warpaints Fanatic Metallics – Painting Metallics Has Never Been Easier
Understanding Traditional Metallic Paints
Why is it that traditional metallic paints can be tricky to work with?
To answer that question, we must start by looking at the paints’ composition.
At their core, metallic paints differ from their matte counterparts by including actual metallic flakes or pigments. These particles reflect light, mimicking the properties of metals. This reflective quality is what gives metallic paints their unique appeal.
However, as the metallic flakes are heavier and less uniform than traditional coloured pigment and thus require a less viscous gel-based medium, the result is often a paint with a thicker consistency. This makes it harder to apply smoothly and with less coverage than their non-metallic counterparts, requiring multiple layers to achieve an opaque and even finish.
How Warpaints Fanatic Metallics Differ From Traditional Metallic Paints
While traditional metallics paints can be difficult to work with, the new Warpaints Fanatic Metallics have been re-designed and re-formulated to overcome these “traditional” problems.
Rather than using either mica or aluminium flakes, the Fanatic Metallics utilise a specialised blend of aluminium flake and mica, our proprietary Alcrylic Alloy technology, for the best combination of coverage and sheen.
Furthermore, Fanatic Metallic paints don’t require a gel-based medium, so they behave more like standard acrylic paints.
This combination of Alcrylic Alloy technology and use of medium makes the Fanatic metallic paints flow smoother, cover better, apply more naturally, and make them more shimmery than traditional metallic paints. This is especially noticeable when painting with paints where you traditionally need to apply multiple layers to achieve great coverage, like gold.
5 Tips: How to Paint with Metallics
How do you paint with metallics? And what should you keep in mind to achieve the best results? To make painting with metallics easier, here’s 5 tips from our studio painters.
- Tip 1: Thin your Metallics with a bit of clean water. However, be careful if you use a wet palette because if you are too rough with the paint on the sheet, it can tear the sheet and contaminate the foam.
- Tip 2: Metallics work best in combination with our Warpaints Fanatic Washes, as the metal pigments can run into the recesses, and the reflectiveness will benefit from being toned down in the shadowed details from the Wash.
- Tip 3: Always clean your rinse cup after using washes or have a separate one just for Metallics so you do not contaminate your future steps. In addition, clean your brushes thoroughly so you don’t risk transferring metallic flakes to non-metallic paints.
- Tip 4: Choose the right basecoat: Grey metallics like Shining Silver and Cobalt Metal work nicely over a black basecoat. Yellow-shade metallics like Greedy Gold and Tainted Gold work nicely over deep browns, reds, and purples as basecoats. Ruddy metallics, like True Brass and Weapon Bronze, also benefit from the same colours but also work well over deep turquoise. However, due to their different formulation, our Speedpaint Metallics benefit from a lighter-white basecoat.
- Tip 5: Mithril is the recommended final highlight for grey-shade metallics. Where True Brass is the recommended final highlight colour for yellow-and-ruddy shade metallics.
See the Fanatic Metallics Introduction Video
Do you want to see Bo, Thomas, and Adam explain the R&D behind the all-new Warpaints Fanatic Metallics formula? Then check out the video above!
