Painting Chainmail

[Axle]

I'm starting my first kit a Romeo Crusader Knight 1200, I was wondering what techniques painters use to paint realistic looking chainmail ?

 

[housecarl]

Lightly polish it with wire wool. Then either weather it with Tamiya smoke, or a controlled wash of Burnt Umber and a touch of black oils.(well diluted so it flows in to the recesses)
Carl.

 

[Tecumsea]

Hello Richard-If you look on the El Greco website there is a very good SBS by Stephen Malia on the subject.

Keith

 

[Axle]

THANKS

 

[Helm]

I've also found the kind of brass wire brush you use on suede is good for burnishing metal figures,then a black wash as Carl said

Steve

 

[Axle]

I have a another question: When starting to priming the figure do you mask off chainmail area to be burnished before priming?

 

[Helm]

Depends on how big the area is really if it's a large area of plate I usually do the burnishing first and brush primer the other bits, if you aren't too heavy handed with the primer it usually is easy enough to clean off if you do get it on the bit's you want to burnish.
Steve

 

[Mirofsoft]

Hello
I know I'm a bit late but for plate armor you could try painting matt black then apply side of pencil and use it as a brush
very nice graphit effect ( old iron look )
For chain mail , Humbroll matt black, dry brush iron , add silver light drybrush , silver very very light drydrybrush
Best

 

[Dave - LastCav]

All good methods!!

 

[Jeff]

If the figure is metal let the metal work for you. Nothing looks more like metal then metal. If you want to spray primer you can but you need to mask off the metal before you do that. When the primer is dry remove the masking, and polish the metal with fine steal wool and weather as Carl said.

 

[housecarl]

This is probably old news to most.
But I weathered the mail, then give the whole thing a coat of Testor's Dull coat, and use that as the primer.
No need for any masking that way,
Carl.

 

[Helm]

Good idea Carl that has never occurred to me before, you could also use a bit of grease on the metal which you can wipe off along with any over spray if it's a bit that's awkward to mask​

 

[Axle]

THANKS