"best metallic steel paint" Topic

I've been so frustrated for a long time trying to find a replacement to my Citadel chainmail paint which has been the go to and stand by for over a decade on my painting table. The replacement colors from GW are not as good, seem more grainy. I've been disappointed with the Foundry "metal", "gunmetal", and other silvers. I have one bottle of fairly bright silver from Vallejo Game Air but it's very very thin as it's for airbrushing. What have been people's experience with good steel or silver colored paints? Has anyone tried to the new Age of Sigmar metal and silver paints from GW?

I think Privateer Press Paints are a match for the older Citadel ranges. The metallics are great, though the silver itself can be thin in some batches. The gunmetal was the first PPP I picked up, and I'm still using it ten years later.

Yeah, the Foundry metals leave a lot to be desired. I got them as part of sets and tried to use them but eventually tried alternatives. I've tried a bunch and the set I like best is scale75. You can buy them as individual bottles if you don't want a set. I have both the silver and gold sets and they are both excellent.

Pilot – Metallic Permanent Marker – Extra-Fine – Silver (or Gold):

I use Pilot Paint Pens found where you buy artist supplies, or order online.The paint pens come in Fine Line and are oil type paints, not acrylics. The paint is great for any shiny surface, and comes in Gold and Silver. Once applied, the result is a very smooth metal appearance. Takes longer to dry, but no other metallic paint has provided the same result.

For chainmail, I paint the surface with the Silver pen, let dry, then apply a black wash to get the look I'm after.

Show pics of your alternatives so that we may judge for ourselves.

Look at Coat d'Arms ( blackhat.co.uk/coat-darms ) mine have been great and the gunmetal works well for all sorts of things.

I think CdA & PPP (or "3P", as it's labelled) are pretty much the same paint. So, whichever you can get easiest.

Although most of my paint is Vallejo and some other acryllics, for metals (gold, silver,iron, etcetera) I use Humbrol and Revell (Revell 90 and 91 for silver and gold). The Humbrol 27000-series (I use 27003) is great for iron: first paint and let dry, after that use an old toothbrush (or, if you are so inclined, a new one ;-)) and brush. The paint will get that shining-matt colour of polished iron. I use Revell gold and silver incidentally because I find Humbrol in this case not shiny enough to my taste.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of pens. Might not be easy to get in the crevices though. Has anyone tried Army Painter ? Looks like Vallejo makes alcohol based metallics? Anyone tried them?

Vallejo alcohol based silver is amazing. One coat gives perfect cover. Use it for all of my shiny armour. Usually put a coat of p3 armour wash over it.

P3 Pig Iron works well for me as a darker metal

the new GW Silver (Stormhost Silver) is very smooth and covers well with one layer for me,

AK interactive has a range of metallic colours that can be buffed to give an almost perfect metallic finish. I've done knights that look exactly like polished reenactor armour.

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I have a bottle of 2nd Gen Citadel Chainmail, and it works, but so do other Vallejo metallics (depending on if the shade works for you). The alcohol-based Vallejo metallics cover well and the silver is very bright, but I stopped using them because the extra cleanup wasn't worth the difference to me. AK's True Metals are interesting (pigment in wax), and as noted work very well with a little buffing. The new Vallejo Metal Colors for airbrush are fine paints, and I'm not sure why having them pre-thinned is an issue--saves having to add thinner medium to the regular water-based Vallejo acrylics.

Testor's Model Master range offers a wide selection of metallic colors in enamel paints.

jeffreyw3 what do you mean when you write:

The alcohol-based Vallejo metallics cover well and the silver is very bright, but I stopped using them because the extra cleanup wasn't worth the difference to me.

They require something special?

I like Vallejo 'oily steel'.

My best metallics are Liquitex light body acrylics. They cover extremely well and if you like, you can tint them with other acrylics.

As requested, here is a photo showing swords in silver and buttons in gold. The paint pen may be applied directly onto the miniature, or if small details, dispensed into a contained and applied with a smaller tool.

I'd suspected that Citadel Stormhost silver was good, may get a pot and see… I think the thinned Vallejo air paint is hard to drybrush for chainmail simulation. It gets into the crevices and ruins the mail look. AK interactive buffing idea is also interesting. So many things to try, so little time!

Saw the AK true metal, but do you need brush cleaner/thinner for this? Also a product called AK extreme metal and they sell a brush cleaner for it, but it says for extreme range of paints. Not sure if also needed for true metal.

If you are not totally wedded to acrylic paints, I think the metallic paints by Floquil are hard to beat. Go to a model railroading shop to find that line. They definitely require a volatile solvent for thinning and clean up. Also, they are not cheap!

Floquil to my knowledge is out of production according to local hobby shop.

Lost the gasket on my Antique silver that I was using for armor and as its xylene based its has almost dried (30 years old – hadn't used it for 20 before starting to paint again).

Am currently using acrylic Vallejo Oiled Steel and there Blued Steel for armor. With solvent based varnishes the Model Master metallics brush off.

Vallejo oily steel is pretty good as a base for metals. I also like my Foundry triples of metals that others seem unhappy with….maybe there's some bad batches out there?

Looks good Condotta!

AK True Metals don't require special cleanup--they're really interesting--you should get a tube just for the heck of it.

dragon: yes, you have to keep the brushes separate--they don't clean up with water.

bobm: I undercoat with Vallejo MC Gunmetal (equiv to Citadel) over black primer and then highlight with Vallejo MC Oily Steel (wash w/Nuln Oil or for very dark chainmail, Citadel 2nd Gen Armor Wash).

My metals tend to be bayonets or chain mail, and I find anything more than Oily Steel is too bright for my particular style.

I'm definately in for a tube of AK steel and we'll see, after all it's about experimenting right? I'm also going to get a bottle of the Vallejo steel color in their game color range. As to Foundry, I've had great luck with their gold and bronze triples, the golds are not overly bright or gleaming but still nice, bronze also very nice. It's the metal colors I've had disasters with. No kidding, the metal, blackened barrel, and chainmail. I forget the exact names but all these triples came in a box that was like putty in a jar (thicker than toothpaste and borderline gummy). After 9 years on my shelf its not dried out and still the same consistency. I can't believe they thought this stuff was going to work for people.

Lovely work on both Condatta's and Jefferyw3's figures!

I use craft paint, Delta Ceramcoat Metallic Pewter as a base then Platinum as a highlight.

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Nice, I too am a fan of ceramcoat, but have never tried the metals.

I've used the army painter metallics. I like them.

John T

I only paint to advanced tabletop, but Army Painter and Reaper work for me. Here's some Secret Weapon : Malice RPG : Treasure Set miniatures painted with Reaper then washed with SWM Hard Body Black. (fyi, SWM will include these treasure chests in their July 25th game tile KS. The castle piece is from the Epix Freestanding Tower prepainted terrain.)