"Painting flint weapons" Topic

Hi. Just wondered if anyone could give me some pointers to getting a good looking paint job on flint weaponry. I was guessing paint dark grey, and then pick out the edges/ facet lines where the weapon has been knapped in a light grey. But I'm not sure how much of the spearhead would be light coloured.
Any pointers gratefully received

What scale are you working in?

I have an actual flint knife in front of me (modern reproduction). The flake-fractures and edges aren't any different color than the rest of the blade.

However the blade varies in color. It's mainly dark grey but mottled with some darker patches in the stone that are almost black.

Ancient people often used stones that were handy, but preferred stone that knapped easily and didn't shatter too readily. And they also like stone that was pretty. Not all flints are grey, I've seen some that are creme colored with orange-brown bands, others that are more rose. Ancient people sometimes travelled far to harvest desirable stone, or traded for it over long distances.

You might try to find out what kind of stone was most popular with the particular group you're modelling. A specialist archaeologist could probably tell you, or you might be able to find some relevant papers on the net.

Here are some color photos. As Irv said, flint and chert comes in a variety of colors. Personally, I just went with a
dark grey dry brushed with a lighter grey.

link

You might give Vallejo model color 180 Gunmetal Blue, it has a bite of a metallic blue gray to it. I've been using it on my Aztec's weapons.

Paynes grey and/or graphite with a white drybrush.

Paint whiteish, tanish, brownish, red brownish, dk. grayish (did I miss one?)…oh, yea gloss black (obsidian)…and wash with appropriate dark color(burnt umber, black etc). Dry brush a lighter shade of prime color if necessary. Best advice: search out a flint knapper and peruse his wares, in person if possible.

Good flints are pretty close to black, with a bit of a gloss. No white/grey flecks of chert.

And if you get over to obsidian, it is not all black. There are black with white inclusions (snowflake obsidian), greenish, reddish and striated shades of the same color tending to translucent.

Obsidian would be gloss until it gets lost and tumbled in a stream or other abrasive treatment.