Iron Father Rik Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi guys, I'm currently working on five Hammernators for my April UK ToS GT army, where I am taking my Sons of Medusa. I converted their storm shields from tau gun drones, to look like greek hoplite shields, but with a more futuristic feel. I'd green-stuffed over them to smooth and round them out, though as it turns out now I'm trying to paint them, it's not as smooth as it looked when I put it on. Anyway, my idea was to paint the shields like they were reflective and mirrored, taking inspiration from the Medusa myth where the hero, Perseus, used a mirrored shield to fight the gorgon. My question is how on earth do I go about painting the shields (which are round and curved) to look effectively like they are reflective? I've tried painting them silver, using boltgun metal, chainmail and mithril silver in various layers with some washes, and it just doesn't look right at all, or all that good quite frankly. So, does anyone have any tips or ideas about how to achieve this effect reasonably easily? These aren't Golden Daemon standard models, this is only a tabletop standard army, and to try to paint them too well would look out of place with the rest of the army (which isn't badly painted though). So in essence I'm looking for a simple, but effective method. I'd considered painting them in greys and then using some gloss varnish to shine them up. Alternatively, with gloss varnish they needn't necessarily be silver shields, any colour can become reflective and mirror like. So, I appeal to you brothers and sisters of the forum, how can I create a mirrored look on my shields? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boltergeist Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 The only way to really do it is to paint it using sky-earth non-metallic metallics. Basically you paint an irregular horizon line across the middle and fade sky blue down to near white at the horizon line, then brown at the line down to greyish at the bottom of the shield. CMON has a couple of good tutorials on it, one of which is here: http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1191...ecting-on-senmm This probably isn't the answer you were looking for, but other than that there's no quick and easy way to create that effect. Gloss will just make the piece glossy but not truly seem reflective. I won't lie, it's very. very hard to make it look right, but I don't know of another solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand-Redemptor Ezkallon Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 This is just what I would do, instinctively, from what you've said. I would mix mithril silver with skull white until I liked the colour, then paint the shields, then paint gloss varnish over it. Not exactly reflective, but prolly the best I'd get. You could also try mixing gloss varnish with a mithril silver... That's what I'd do... might look pretty cool if you did it with gold instead too... But then again, I'd probably do what you did and ask for help and then do it boltergeist's way :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfinger Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Check out this product, it is called "Alcad" It is by far the BEST metallic paint I have ever used, their "chrome" paint in particular might give you the look you are going for. The only thing is it needs to be applied via airbrush. Ashton Link to product http://www.alclad2.com/ Link to a review http://www.swannysmodels.com/Alclad.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemal Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 The ALCAD looks good - it certainly gives a far suprior finish to many other vareties of metallic. There are other alternatives as well - using tin foil with special glue and buffing with qtips or micro-grit sand paper, or even polishin the bare metal itself if teh sheidls are metal and then applying a lacquer can be effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanhausen Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 The first idea that came to my head was NMM chrome... but that is quite a hard technique and certainly competitin level. And since the shields will be a focal point, I'd say its an all in bet: you either kick a$$ or looks lame. Just for the record, any AB paints can also be use with conventional brushes. For example, Vallejo's Air Model Silver is EXTREMELY reflective... and might just do the trick (kind of). If you're a decent painter and have patience, I'd give it a shot, with pure silver in the center and then shading to light grey in the shield rims. I'd love to see a pic of the final product! Also for the record, remeber that Perseus' shield might have been bronze :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Also for the record, remeber that Perseus' shield might have been bronze :cuss Yeah, that had crossed my mind too, but I haven't used bronze colours anywhere else in the army, just silver metallics, so I'm going to stick to that. I'm going to try the SENMM idea one of the guys and see how it looks. I'll post pics up here once I'm done. I'm fairly confident I can pull it off, it'll just take some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewielight Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Awesomepaintjob.com or lOok him up on youtube. He has some stuff that was awesome. Trying to see if I can link it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hi guys. I tried the SENMM technique suggested above on one of the terminators. Here is the result, please let me know what you think, and if it achieved the desired effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterdyne Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 It's no GD winner, but it carries the effect off well enough. Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanhausen Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I like the round shield... though I would add a spike in the centre (used when charging). I don't like how the "mirror" turned out :P It reminded me of one of those paintings on the wall you see at turistic places. Have you tried out simply going with silver/chainmail shading? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boltergeist Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Looks good, but I do have a couple of suggestions: First, make the horizon line straighter. It should be irregular, but as it stands it looks like it's reflecting mountains and that's much harder to get looking right. Second, improve the contrast of the horizon line; it should fade to near white and be touching near black, then blend away from there. That will help the illusion of distance. Third, add a pure white glare line across the top rim of the shield, and also one somewhere in the blue area to suggest the sun. To me NMM is all about getting the highlights/glare right. All that being said it's good work. SENMM is a tricky technique, but you seem to be on the right track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 I like the round shield... though I would add a spike in the centre (used when charging). I'm not going to do that. It's meant to be a hoplite style shield as the ancient Greeks used. I don't like how the "mirror" turned out :D It reminded me of one of those paintings on the wall you see at turistic places. Have you tried out simply going with silver/chainmail shading? Yes, I refer you to: I've tried painting them silver, using boltgun metal, chainmail and mithril silver in various layers with some washes, and it just doesn't look right at all, or all that good quite frankly. So, does anyone have any tips or ideas about how to achieve this effect reasonably easily? These aren't Golden Daemon standard models, this is only a tabletop standard army, and to try to paint them too well would look out of place with the rest of the army (which isn't badly painted though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Looks good, but I do have a couple of suggestions: First, make the horizon line straighter. It should be irregular, but as it stands it looks like it's reflecting mountains and that's much harder to get looking right. Second, improve the contrast of the horizon line; it should fade to near white and be touching near black, then blend away from there. That will help the illusion of distance. Third, add a pure white glare line across the top rim of the shield, and also one somewhere in the blue area to suggest the sun. To me NMM is all about getting the highlights/glare right. All that being said it's good work. SENMM is a tricky technique, but you seem to be on the right track. Cheers. I have darkened the bottom of the horizon line a bit more now, and I have added a highlight for the light source as per the CMoN tutorial. Not sure it really worked right though, I might need to re-do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanhausen Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 IIRC, hoplites also had the spike in the centre... which is why I suggested :D I guess I'm mistaken. As for the silver tests...:facepalm: that's what happens when you post at work. BTW, just thinking now but... have you tried glue-ing a bit of tin foil? Its probably a pain to cut, but it might actually work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaplain Admetus Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Its taken you until now to ask the classicist about hoplite shields? For shame! :D There's no spike in the middle, but they'd be painted with a variety of designs. One of the most popular was what's known as the Gorgoneion, a stylised Medusa head that was viewed as a protective symbol (as well as being exceptionally appropriate for a SoM army). What I'd honestly be tempted to do would be to paint it bronze, with stylized designs over the top in black, then use shades of silver to go for the mirrored effect around the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Its taken you until now to ask the classicist about hoplite shields? For shame! :D Actually, I did ask you about the shields the Greeks used, as in what style and shape. I just didn't ask you about the designs on them. ;) You were aware I was intending to imitate Perseus's shield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellios Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I think the shield would look better if it had a more mirrored metal look where the reflection carried some of the metalic properties... I don't know if you can find it but some guy on CMON did some amazing grey knights with 'mirror' armour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemal Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 The issue is the thickness of the paint and the intensity of the colours. You need to go from really pstel in the far-range, and go to a really saturated colur nearby. A couple of reflection lines close to the edges would help. Your transition colours are good, but the blending is not - it should be close to seamless and to d this use really thin paints in lots of layers, mixing in a bit of the next colour in the gradiet as you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanhausen Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Since you ignored my replies and the tin foil suggestion (naughty you)...you wouldn't deserve this but... Look what I found and though of you :) Seriourly now, hope it helps :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Father Rik Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Tin foil had occurred to me Tanhausen, though I'm really not sure about the practicalities of it. I'll look into it though. But that link is great. That looks far better than the colours I used. I might try to copy that instead. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajorKhaos Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 If you're only doing the shields as a mirror finish and you have an airbrush then Alclad Chrome will do very nicely. You will need to do a bit of prep work to ensure the surface is as smooth as possible for the chrome effect to really "pop". If I can find a round shield, i'll see if I can whack some chrome on it as an example. EDIT: I just found a Tau drone thingy, pics coming soon. :D http://www.relictors.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=190&d=1301597429 http://www.relictors.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=191&d=1301597435 http://www.relictors.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=192&d=1301597443 http://www.relictors.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=193&d=1301597450 Another layer to do in a few mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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