[request] nmm tutorial

[jester of death]

hey guys

is there any decent nmm tutes out there or can someone post on here.


jod

[green stuff]

http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/407
http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/339
http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/300
http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/191
http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/164

Hope that helps.

[Wren]

This isn't the most detailed article, but it has nice large pictures showing good highlight placement and such. http://www.fantization.com/Verzani%20Workshop/Verzani_QT_NMMGold.html

This article by Kaple includes pictures of the paint consistency on his palette. Kaple also has a DVD available for purchase that includes video of him painting as well as picture tutorials, and I believe there's a couple of articles on NMM on there. http://www.kaple.dk/?page=tutorials&id=67

I found an article written by Jester (previously known as JesterSpeed) in the Darkson Designs vol 1 book very helpful, primarily because it suggested a different technique for applying the paint that worked better for me. Where the tuts I listed above and most others I've seen started with the shadow or midtone colour, Jester's basecoat was the second highest highlight colour. Then add in the white on the highest reflection and hotspots, then glaze in the midtones and shadows with very thinned paint. That is the technique I now use for weapons, armour plates and any other sizeable piece of NMM, particularly gray(ish) scale NMM. Gold and other coloured NMM I still work up mid, shade, highlight.

I'm trying to remember some tips from NMM in convention seminars I've had that I haven't seen mentioned as much in online tutorials... the coolmini tutorials previously linked, some of those will cover in some detail where to put highlights and shadows in terms of where your lightsource is. That is definitely important for NMM, and something I still struggle with. However, it also seems to be pretty important to place dark areas directly adjacent to light ones. It really seems to help the eye read something as 'shiny'. Here are a couple of examples. In both cases part of what makes the whitest highlights on the swords really look gleaming is that there are dark shadows nearby.

http://www.coolminiornot.com/130384
http://www.coolminiornot.com/135574

Going up to at least a few spots of pure white also seems pretty important to get the 'shine' effect, even if you're going for a pretty dark overall look. I've seen people pull it off where I don't think they went up to pure white, but not as often. Swords and other smooth areas are a massive pain in the butt because it's a lot of going back and forth. Some people wetblend to get smooth transitions. Some folks start by painting the white, painting the black, then painting a mix over the transition in the middle, then another mix over the transition at either end and so on until a nice visual blend has been achieved. I use glazes of very thin paint and a lot of going back and forth cause oops it's too dark, now oops it's too streaky until I get a smooth transition. My first sword took 2.5 hours to do 1/4 of the blade and get it smooth. The rest of it went a bit more quickly, and now I can do a whole sword in 2 or so hours. That first sword is http://www.coolminiornot.com/120123. NMM glazes are about the only thing I use slo-dri on because they take me so danged long. :-<

[DrEvilmonki]

Thanks for those links wren - very helpful

[jester of death]

thanks guys. ive been trying out some of the techniques mentioned.

ill get some pics up as soon as i can.


jod