Non-metallic metal, usually called NMM, is the art of painting shiny metal using only ordinary matt paints. No metallic pigments at all. Done well, it looks like polished steel or gold under a spotlight, and it's a staple of competition painting. It has a reputation for being difficult, but the core idea is simple and you can get convincing results on your first try if you start small.
Why NMM works
Polished metal is basically a mirror. It doesn't really have a colour of its own; it reflects its surroundings, which shows up as extreme contrast. A bright, almost white reflection sits right next to a very dark area. Your brain reads that sharp jump from dark to light as "shiny". NMM recreates the pattern deliberately with paint.
That's also why NMM can look better than real metallics in photos: you decide where the light falls, rather than relying on the light in the room.
Step 1: Decide on your light source
Before you touch a brush, pick one direction for the light, typically from above and slightly to one side, and stick to it across the whole model. The commonest beginner mistake is placing reflections inconsistently, which makes the metal look random rather than shiny. Some painters sketch an arrow on a sticky note and keep it beside the model.
- Surfaces facing the light get the brightest tones.
- Surfaces facing away get the darkest tones.
- Sharp edges that face the light get a crisp, near-white line.
- The underside of curved surfaces can pick up a faint reflected light from the ground or sky.
Step 2: Start with simple shapes
Don't start with an ornate suit of armour. A sword blade, a flat shield or a single shoulder pad is the perfect practice surface. Flat surfaces have a simple pattern: dark at one end, light at the other, with a bright band towards the light. Curved surfaces wrap that gradient around the shape.
A simple steel recipe
- Base: paint the whole area a mid grey.
- Shadows: mix the grey with black and paint the half facing away from the light. Be bold. Shadows should look almost black in the deepest spots.
- Highlight band: mix the grey with white and paint a band on the side facing the light, leaving a strip of mid grey between highlight and shadow.
- Smooth the transitions: glaze intermediate mixes over the joins, or use wet blending if you're comfortable with it.
- Specular highlight: add a tiny dot or fine line of pure white at the very brightest point, such as the tip of a blade or the corner closest to the light.
For a cool steel feel, add a touch of blue to your shadows and mid-tones. For a sky reflection on the underside of a curved surface, use a pale blue-grey.
A simple gold recipe
Gold follows exactly the same structure, with a warmer palette:
- Shadows: a dark reddish brown, almost black at the deepest point
- Mid-tone: an ochre or brownish yellow
- Highlights: a pale yellow, then a cream
- Specular: a warm off-white dot or line
Gold trim on characters and robots is a great place to try it. Our Necrons guide has some ideas for gold-trimmed leaders.
Contrast is everything
The most common reason NMM looks flat is not enough contrast. If your darkest dark is a mid grey and your lightest light is a light grey, it reads as grey plastic, not steel. Push the shadows darker and keep the brightest highlights small and sharp. White highlights should cover a few millimetres, not an entire panel.
Thin paint, many layers
Smooth gradients come from thin paint applied in several layers. Thin your mixes so they flow easily, and expect to apply each transition two to four times. A wet palette helps keep mixes workable for longer, which matters when you're blending several tones.
Practice ideas
- Paint the same sword blade three times, pushing the contrast further each time.
- Photograph your work in black and white. If you can't see a clear jump from dark to light, add more contrast.
- Study photos of real polished objects such as spoons, chrome and knife blades, and copy where the light sits.
Common mistakes
- Inconsistent light direction across the model
- Highlights that are too big
- Shadows that are too light
- Thick paint, giving chunky, stepped transitions
NMM rewards patience more than talent. Start small, keep it consistent, and each attempt will look noticeably better than the last.
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