"Painting lorica segmentata" Topic

So on a whim I dug out a few EIR I had sitting in a box just to paint something different. Looking online everything I could find on lorica segmentata seems to show it in a dazzling mirror like silver.

Was that really the case? seems like your average legionary would have had his work cut out keeping his armour looking like that especially on campaign. Is there any evidence of the Romans painting their armour for rust protection.

How are you guys painting yours is it just straight silver all around?

Gunmetal with a silver highlight and a gloss finish.

Plain silver with army painter strong tone.

"So…" ?

Undercoat black, paint a medium silver against the grain. Highlight with bright silver, Done!

Undercoat black, silver on top, then I use a light black wash – doesn't look shiny but looks like the sort of thing a trooper would wear on campaign

You could go down the non metallic metal painting route……

I use the non-metallic metal approach myself. I base coat black, heavy dry brush Cold Grey, then a wash of Army Painter Soft Tone, then highlight with Stonewall Grey, leaving the recessed areas dark.

Steve

Paint overall with Revell acrylic "Steel" then blackwash.

P3= cold steel, let dry. Then p3= Armour wash, I water down the Armour wash. You can see results on the Aventine web site under painted figures.

Thanks guys so the consensus is bright and shiny steel is the way to go. I'm not massively keen on this look I was hoping the Romans had jazzed their lorica segmentata up with a bit of paint or something.

Wow! Four people recommended a silvery finish. Four people suggested a non-metalic or iron, washed with something to dull that down. That's a "consensus" for "bright and shiny steel is the way to go"? There does seem to be agreement that it wouldn't be painted but the colour of the metal, however achieved, is very different from "bright and shiny steel is the way to go".

Personally, I'd opt for something like Vallejo Oily steel over black, and possibly a weak black wash over that. I don't think they would have had a polished silvery finish but I don't know that for certain.

Cheers,
John

I used silver craft paint with a Nuln oil wash. Looks OK from 3 feet.

I tried Vallejo oily steel with a Nuln Oil wash but it came out too dark.

No centurion worthy of the name would accept sloppiness of any kind in his legionarii. Sloppiness would be corrected quickly by a sharp blow of of the vina and some really bad detail. What do you mean you haven't shined your lorica Rufus? Whack! :)

According to an Osprey I read a few years ago on the eastern army, pieces of Lorica Segmentata have been found along the Danube in bronze. That gives you another option.

yes, vallejo oily steel over black or white undercoat and then wash of strong tone or dark tone, which tones the metallic colour down. It is a far cry from the 'bright and shiny steel' the OP fears