Published September 10, 2026. Last updated September 10, 2026. By Andrew M. Tan.
A sword can look flat even after careful blending. This free NMM highlight trainer helps you study where bright reflections and deep shadows belong on miniature armor and weapons. Move the light across a three-dimensional form, then use the paint map to plan your next layers.
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How to use the NMM highlight trainer
Start with the straight sword or choose a curved blade, chest plate, shield, sphere, or cylinder. Pick steel, gold, or copper, then move the light until the reflection makes the surface easy to read. You can drag across the study, use the labeled sliders, or focus the study and use the arrow keys.
The Metal study shows a continuous reflection. Grayscale removes the hue so you can judge the light and dark pattern. Paint map separates the study into five broad tones. Reveal these in layers to see how a dark foundation supports the midtones and the small, pale glint.
Explore a second light source
The second light starts off. Enable it to explore another reflection, then adjust its direction, height, and strength independently. Choose Move light 1 or Move light 2 before dragging on the study. Reflection softness applies to the surface and affects both sources.
Keep an eye on the dark areas as you add light. Two strong reflections can merge into a broad bright patch, leaving less separation between neighboring surfaces. Try reducing the second light and compare the result in Grayscale. This is a useful way to decide which reflection should carry the painting.
Plan the large value pattern before blending
Non-metallic metal uses ordinary paint to suggest a reflective material. The placement of dark and light gives the viewer clues about the shape and finish. My guide to how non-metallic metal painting works explains the technique and its uses on miniatures.
Choose the large dark mass and the main reflection first. Hold your miniature at its normal viewing distance and check whether those areas describe the form clearly. A small pale highlight can suggest a sharp change in reflection, especially when a darker tone sits nearby. Once that pattern reads well, use the paint-blending techniques that suit the surface and the time you want to spend.
The chest plate and curved blade give you surfaces whose direction changes across the model. Turn or tilt the form to study that change. Return to the actual sculpt as you paint; its curves, trim, and viewing angle will call for their own adjustments.
NMM highlight examples on painted miniatures
These are three of my painted NMM examples. Each one began with a large light-and-dark pattern, followed by smaller reflections and blended transitions.
Practice your eye and save a reference
Choose Predict the highlight to hide the metal reflection. Pick a point on the form where you expect the brightest reflection, then reveal the result. The percentage describes proximity to a bright region in this simulation. It is a placement exercise and does not grade your painting skill.
Choose Download reference to create a PNG with the metal study, full five-tone map, palette, and settings for both lights. Save setup keeps a study in your current browser. Copy study link preserves the settings in a URL, and the daily study gives you a different starting point each day.
Use the study alongside your miniature
Treat this as a simplified teaching model with stylized reflected surroundings. Each result is a starting reference for the metal, paint, and lighting in front of you. The digital palette offers tonal suggestions. Mix and adjust your paints to suit the miniature.
Use the Miniature Light Planner for the broader light-and-shadow pattern across a painted model. Once you have paint on the miniature, the Grayscale Checker can help you inspect a photograph of the result.
Spend a moment deciding what each highlight should describe before reaching for the next paint. That small pause makes the study useful at the desk: you have a clear reason for the brushstroke you are about to make.
By Andrew M. Tan
Andrew is a commissioned miniature painter, photographer, and writer. He founded and edits Tangible Day, drawing on more than 20 years of hands-on hobby experience. Read his full bio.