Painting Oxidized Metallics

By Anthony Karl Erdelji

I wrote up this brief explanation after getting several requests. I still hope to turn this into a full article at some point in the future. In the meantime, enjoy this snippet.

This figure is a new experiment of mine to combine standard paints with metallics which will allow for more realistic weathered metal. The concept for this piece is weathered and oxidized bronze. Weathering will cause metal to quickly dull, but areas that are handled or touched, like the edges, will keep their metallic sheen. On this model I am still experimenting with the technique and proper colors, but it goes roughly like this:

Basecoat the entire model with Vallejo Model Color Extra Dark Green. Then give it a heavy drybrush of VMC Camo Black Brown. Next, using an old brush, VMC Camo Medium Brown is stippled over the model. This is followed by another stippling of VMC English Uniform. The stippling breaks up the flat look of the armor plates. Each stippling should be used sparingly and not cover up the previous layer of paint. For the metallic sheen VMC Camo Medium Brown is mixed with Vallejo Game Color Polished Gold. This mix is applied using standard layering technique from the center towards the edges of the armor. Finally VGC Polish Gold is thinned and lightly brush onto the edges.

The oxidation comes from several precision spot washes. VMC Extra Dark Green is thinned and carefully painted into the creases, spreading out to the center of the armor plates. Next come a second wash, an equal mix of VMC Extra Dark Green and VGC Jade Green. This is concentrated directly along the creases. Finally more VGC Jade Green is added and applied sparingly only to the deepest creases.

That is the basic concept. A future article will go into more detail.