Tips, video and full step by step guide on how to paint Sigvald Sword Hilt in NMM Silver. The mighty Sigvald the Magnificent needs an equally impressive sword and silver provides good contrast to his gleaming golden armour.
Video – How to Paint Sigvald Sword Hilt in NMM Silver
Full Materials List
Brushes:
Fine Detail Brush: A size 00 Artist Opus brush is recommended for precision in applying fine details and highlights.
Paints:
Vallejo Neutral Grey: The primary colour used for mapping out light points and creating the base layer of highlights.
Vallejo Pale Grey Blue: Employed for refining and emphasizing highlight points.
Vallejo Ice Yellow: Added to introduce a subtle warm tone to the highlights.
P3 Morrow White: Mixed with Neutral Grey for lighter shades and used for bright reflective points.
Games Workshop XV-88: Applied for adding coloured reflections, simulating the interaction of the hilt with surrounding elements.
Step-by-Step Guide for Painting Sigvald’s Sword Hilt in NMM Silver
- Initial Setup and Paints: On your wet palette, prepare the following colours: Vallejo Neutral Grey (top right in the video), Vallejo Pale Grey Blue (top left), Vallejo Ice Yellow (bottom right), and P3 Morrow White (bottom left).
- Applying Neutral Grey: Start with Vallejo Neutral Grey. Despite appearing dark on the palette, it looks lighter against the black primed background of the sword hilt. This contrast is key. Begin by mapping out the light points on the hilt, focusing on top-down highlights. Remember, curves on the hilt, whether upward or downward-facing, will catch more light.
- Adding Bounce Highlights: Still using Neutral Grey, paint in some bounce highlights. These are reflective lights, such as light bouncing off the floor or nearby surfaces. Towards the end of your painting session, add colour to these bounce highlights to reflect adjacent colours like armour.
- Building Up Highlights: Move to the mixed paint of Neutral Grey and White on your palette. Apply this mixture over the same areas as before, maintaining a scratchy texture to simulate the metallic surface. Be cautious in placing highlights, as the complex shape of the hilt requires careful attention to where light naturally hits.
- Refining with Pale Grey Blue: Next, use Vallejo Pale Grey Blue to pick out more pronounced highlight points. This step enhances the contrast and adds to the illusion of a shiny surface.
- Incorporating Ice Yellow: Apply Vallejo Ice Yellow to add a subtle warm tone to the highlights. This step is not about creating a stark contrast but about adding warmth to tie the hilt’s lighting to the rest of the model.
- Detailing Bounce Highlights: Focus on areas where the light might reflect from one part of the hilt to another. These subtle details help in selling the realism of the metallic effect.
- Adding Coloured Reflections: Near the end, use Games Workshop XV-88 to add coloured reflections to the silver. Apply this especially around areas where the hilt’s metal would reflect the colour of Sigvald’s armour. Thin this paint slightly (about two parts water to one part paint) for a translucent effect.
- Final Touches and Review: After completing the painting, review your work. Make sure the balance of light and dark is maintained, and the silver retains its metallic look, not overshadowing the non-metallic gold of other armour parts.
Continue painting Sigvald the Magnificent with my full tutorials…
How to Paint Sigvald the Magnificent with NMM
All of the tutorials for Sigvald the Magnificent, including how to paint NMM (gold) armour, face and horns, freehand shield, NMM silver sword and hilt and more!
If you don’t have an account, please sign up here! The website currently has over 350 video tutorials with steps and tips, plus a selection of PDFs. If you are not sure about joining, you can explore my free videos with a free membership, or take the plunge and become a full subscriber for full access.
If you’d prefer to support me on Patreon, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/RichardGray