Chainmail - viking saxon norman Dark Ages

[Billythefish]

I've started out painting some dark ages stuff - saxons, vikings etc and I really like the effect on these armours in some catalogues like wargames foundry that makes them look almost like a dark grey colour, any idea which paints they used for those little heroes?

So far i'm thinking black base - drybrush GW boltgun or vallejo gunmetal neither of which ive bought yet then maybe a very little light natural steel drybrushing for highlights. Its the drab, dark grey almost woolen looking effect im after which I fancy is the most historically accurate for this period where they were made of Iron as opposed to steel.

Is this the right way to go just this is getting expensive and I need to buy some paint stripper to as the origonal matt black base - natural steel drybrush is just waaaaay to light for my liking. It just looks so wrong!

Any help much appreciated

[Dewbakuk]

Before you strip the ones you've done, try applying a black or dark brown wash to them, it might dull it down to an acceptable level.

[Billythefish]

No didnt work im thinking about actually just drybrushing them with a dark grey next time as im trying to get the most realistic look I can with them.

[necrocannibal]

What I do for chainmail is a black base coat, drybrush Boltgun Metal and black washes (I use Nuln Oil by GW) until it becomes as dark and dull as I want...looks quite realistic when compared to the real chainmails I've seen.

[LeadAsbestos]

Vallejo Smoke over top of a metal drybrush gives the look I like.

[Major_Gilbear]

If you want to dull the metallic quality of metal paints, why not mix them with ordinary paint?

I suggest:

Mix some silvered metal paint with a bit of grey paint, and then drybrush over a very dark grey basecoat. Then, drybrush again very lightly with more metal/grey paint (adding rather less grey this time), and finally wash with a thin grey/brown ink wash.

A great wash can be made with a chestnut ink diluted with some water, to which you add a tiny bit of blue, and a tiny bit of black. This gives you a great shade for oily metal or unburnished iron, and you can adjust the blue and black as you need.

///Edit///

For a plain new dark iron, add some black paint to a bright/steel silvered paint.

[Billythefish]

My little heroes are on display in the lower picture..

This is the effect I'm after http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=160&cat=4&sub=13&page=1

I think by mixing a dark grey with I assume vallejo gunmental or that GW boltgun is how to achieve it? Just I dont want to spend anymore money on crap paints that dont come up as they appear on the colour charts!

I have basalt grey + natural steel but I think they will be to light, or do u think I should just go black - really dark grey - then drybrush a little with natural steel to get the rigth effect?

[Dewbakuk]

Yeah you're right, the metal you've used is much too bright. I haven't used the new GW Boltgun colour but the old one was a great, dull metallic colour that would do the job fine. I would assume the new one is okay too.

[necrocannibal]

I know the following picture doesn't have chainmail, but this is how metal bits look if I'm done with them:



As I've said, it's a black undercoat followed by Boltgun Metal (very very very old one to be honest) and about two/ three black washes (Nuln Oil).

[Billythefish]

Job looks a good one there likes, hopefully we'll see some more helpful ideas come along but I reckon its going to be black base, drybrush boltgun then that nice wash thing you got on the go there

Fortunatley it looks like im going to get away with re-overcoating the figs in my link, paint stripper not needed (yet!)

[Mr.J]

Why not just wash the ones you've already painted? A few washes will certainly dull them down.

[guitarheroandy]

I use black basecoat, drybrushed with GW Boltgun metal, then add a very gentle drybrush of GW Chainmail to highlight key areas. Works for me...

[Billythefish]

Looking rather bonny your lads above there Guitar nice job and thanks alot for sharing them. I think i'll go down this route now i've seen yours, plus maybe bung in Nuln Oil as Necro suggested, that dull though looks to my liking.

To get the ultimate chainmail I think ill have to go for the earlier advice and mix a dark grey with one of these gunmetals, but I just want to get some 40-60 figures/a warband around my belt to get my collection going before such tinkering

[guitarheroandy]

Glad to be of some help. 


I forgot to mention that I matt down the models with Testor's Dullcote - including all armour and weapons. That contributes to the overall effect.

Best of luck with your models.

[necrocannibal]

I forgot to mention that I matt down the models with Testor's Dullcote - including all armour and weapons. That contributes to the overall effect.

Same here by the way, but even before I use Dullcote the effect will be matt/ dull.