Non-metallic metal (NMM) painting is the technique of using regular paint (without metallic content) to give the illusion of a metallic, reflective surface. In general, NMM requires high contrast painted with smooth transitions from light-to-dark. There are many technique you can use to blend color in the NMM style of painting miniatures. You can wet-blend, layer and glaze, or use the loaded brush technique. Keep reading below to see how you can quickly paint NMM on a miniature sword using the loaded-brush approach for blending acrylic paint.
In this article, I show you how I use the loaded brush blending technique to paint a NMM sword.
Things you’ll learn:
- Understand how to create reflective surface using a high contrast painting style
- Use an advanced painting technique, i.e., loaded brush blending, to create the NMM miniature painting effect
- How to blend color quickly without an airbrush
Loaded Brush Blending for NMM
I felt it best to make a video of how I paint miniature swords using NMM. There are a number of other sites with great tutorials. I tend to borrow a number of techniques and mix them all together whenever I feel it fits the need.
In this case, however, I have found that the loaded brush blending approach is the quickest for small surfaces that are flat.
With video it is easier to visualize the actual application of paint. Check out the video here (about 7 minute runtime):
Loaded brush blending involves the use of two paint colors “loaded” into a single brush.
READ MORE: HOW TO USE “LAYERING AND GLAZING” TO SMOOTHLY BLEND MINIATURE PAINT
The key factors you should keep in mind when practicing this technique are as follows:
- Use a kolinsky sable brush (see article about these brushes here)
- A hair dryer can speed up the process of each paint application (see here for why and what I use).
- Start with small, flat surfaces, like swords or other blades.
- A smooth base coat layer is very important for the loaded brush blending process.
- It is easier to load a darker color first, then use a highlight color on the brush tip
- For non-metallic metal (NMM), contrast is more important than color.
- Use a “kick” color as a glaze in the final step to “tie” the blended transitions even further into a smooth-looking surface
- Practice, practice, practice!
How to Paint Non-Metallic Metal in 5 Traditional Steps
Step 1: Prepare Your Materials
Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary materials:
- A miniature figure with an unpainted sword.
- Acrylic paints in the colors you’ll need (usually black, white, and a mid-tone gray or blue-gray).
- Fine detail brushes.
- A palette for mixing colors.
- Water and paper towels for cleaning brushes.
- A well-lit workspace with good ventilation.
Step 2: Base Coat
Start by applying a base coat of black paint to the entire sword. This will serve as the foundation for the NMM effect. Ensure that the paint is smooth and covers the surface evenly. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step 3: Define the Highlights and Shadows
Now, you’ll create the illusion of reflective surfaces. Using your mid-tone gray or blue-gray paint, start by painting a broad diagonal line along one side of the sword blade. This will represent the area where light hits the metal.
Next, mix a lighter shade of gray by adding some white to your mid-tone color. Carefully paint a thinner line along the upper edge of the diagonal line you just created. This is your first highlight. On the opposite side of the blade, paint a thin line using a darker shade by mixing black with your mid-tone color. This is your first shadow.
Step 4: Refine the Highlights and Shadows
Continue to refine the highlights and shadows. Add more layers of lighter gray to the highlighted side, gradually making them thinner and closer to the edge of the blade. On the shadowed side, deepen the shadows with additional layers of the darker gray.
Remember to blend the transitions between the colors smoothly. Use thin, controlled brushstrokes for this step. The goal is to create a gradual transition from light to dark.
Step 5: Final Details and Reflections
To add realism to your NMM sword, you can now paint small highlights and reflections. Use pure white paint to add tiny dots or lines along the edge of the blade, where the light would catch.
You can also paint a thin white line running along the very edge to simulate a bright highlight. For reflections, use white paint sparingly to create small, irregular shapes on the blade. These should mimic the surrounding environment, such as glints of light or reflections of nearby objects.
Miniatures Painted with the Loaded Brush Technique (Examples)
I paint a lot of miniatures with swords and other semi-reflective surfaces (a completely reflective surface). Here are a few of my favorites in various states of completion.
Final Word
The loaded brush blending technique is a fun, fast, and fairly straight-forward approach. The reason I would recommend painters learn how to use it regularly is because loaded brush application of paint is versatile. It can become the foundation for producing high-contrast quickly, which you can then use for other neat effects.
If you found this article helpful, let us know! Have a question or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below.
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Happy painting!!!
Tangible Day on YouTube (Miniatures and More!)
Great video, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it. I’ll have to try and make more 🙂
That sword looks fab. Definitely something to aim for when I get better at painting.
It was fun to paint! Thanks !