metallics vs NMM?

[Osiris]

When I first started painting I loved Metallics paints. What can I say they're shiney! A little dry brushing and my work was done. I loved it.

The last few years there's been a huge move to doing non-metallic metals. It seems as if that if it wasn't NMM it was just a step beneath. Now after seeing the winner of Slayer Sword France do a winning piece in Metallics my jaw almost hit the floor?

Could it be that the power balance might shift back to metallics again or was this just a one blip on and otherwise flatline chart?

Enquiring Minds want to know.

Cheers,

Osiris

[Wayne Rogers]

I think we may see more a swingback towards metallics....but NMM is here to stay also, IMO. I think NMM became a huge hit because there were so many online photo galleries of minis, and also major manufacturers were putting photos of their minis on stat cards, thereby selling the photo alon gwith the mini.

My theory is that NMM is best suited for photgraphs of minis. They lose a certain amount of impact in real life...especially the more reflective they try to make it appear. The upsurge of popularity of photos of display-quality minis created a natural demand for the NMM technique, which is basically a 2D technique used on a 3D sculpt, and then converted back into its ideal 2D format through the process of photography.

Metalics, though, tend to be harder to photograph nicely. But look good on a tabletop, or if done well look nice in real life display. Now that ppl are using the advanced shading and highlighting for metallics , we may see it coming back into fashion for high-end as well.

[Goliath]

I've always been of the opinion that you should paint the way that you prefer, whether it be NMM or MM. I've always been a fan of MM, so that's what I do. Sure, it may not be as easy to photograph, but then these are models for playing, not models for photographing.

Besides, they don't look that bad on film...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/cybogoblin/PrivateerPress/th_totem3.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/cybogoblin/PrivateerPress/totem3.jpg)
(Hordes Totem Hunter)

[Vaxillus]

My perconal opinion is that NMM is usually better for cleaner or stylized minis like Rackham's stuff or Infinity. I would never use NMM on a Warmachine/Hoardes mini, though I know it can be done just as well. Metalics look heavier in real life, at least to me, so I use them on minis I want to look heavy or barbaric.

[DA_Magpie]

Personally I'm a big fan of using metallic metals. The main reason for this is probably just that I've no idea how to do NMM, indeed until I started reading this thread I didn't even know what that meant. Mind you my painting style tends to involve a lot of

[Stunke]

[quote]

[Borthcollective]

When I first started painting I loved Metallics paints. What can I say they're shiney! A little dry brushing and my work was done. I loved it.

The last few years there's been a huge move to doing non-metallic metals. It seems as if that if it wasn't NMM it was just a step beneath. Now after seeing the winner of Slayer Sword France do a winning piece in Metallics my jaw almost hit the floor?

Could it be that the power balance might shift back to metallics again or was this just a one blip on and otherwise flatline chart?

Enquiring Minds want to know.

Cheers,

Osiris

Any links to this Slayer winner?

[Pitfall]

I've always stayed away from NMM. Not only because I didn't have the skill to do so, but because it just looks "uppity." Its like the minis are saying "I'm too cool to be painted with metallics; BTW, don't even think about putting me on a gaming table."

I also agree that it just doesn't look "right" in a 3d environment. Especially if you're veiwing it from an angle which should not give the same reflections and shadows that the artist painted it with.

[Osiris]

http://www.coolminiornot.com/index/whatm/GW/id/52477

This is the one that won the Gold at the 2004 French GD. (sorry, it may not have been the slayer sword winner after all) But its a very nice piece. If the link doesn't work the you can check under the artists name: cyril at www.coolminiornot.com

I also have to agree with the whole MM being more playable. I like my armies to be funtional as well as attractive. Though I do keep a few painting pieces around my personal preference is for something that looks great and I can actually play with.

Plus I think that metallics have a certain charm unto themselves. Given that so many ppl are doing the NMM thang - I think it only natural for a resurgence in MM or no other reason than its cool to zig when everyone else is zagging.

Cheers,

Osiris

[Vaxillus]

Plus I think that metallics have a certain charm unto themselves. Given that so many ppl are doing the NMM thang - I think it only natural for a resurgence in MM or no other reason than its cool to zig when everyone else is zagging.

Actually, I think the ratio is about even. Maybe more of the really awesome painters like to test their mettle with NMM, but I see just as many good painters doing the MM thang.

Another thing to think about is that, until PP came along and the Brushthralls started putting up tutorials, it wasn't common to find really well painted metalics. If you take a peak at all the old GW stuff, back when they still had the best painted studio minis (and the blending was still excellent), the MM was pretty sad looking compared to today.

PS: I bet that base is giving Wayne nightmares, though it isn't really out of place on a Nurgle mini.

[Wayne Rogers]

PS: I bet that base is giving Wayne nightmares, though it isn't really out of place on a Nurgle mini.

Haha! I was wondering what you were talking about till i clicked the link and groaned at such a howwible wooden display base. :evil:

[SpawnovChaos]

Haha! I was wondering what you were talking about till i clicked the link and groaned at such a howwible wooden display base.

wayne is the wood god..... XD ......but only if supplimented with cheerleaders :lol: :lol:

oh man conquest was too much fun


ahem, anyhow.

ah the endless NMM, MM vote, well the simple answer is, both are used equally and both are 'correct' for different minis. as Vax said, if i was as capable as him at NMM metal mind you, i would use it for models/games that are display heavy. rackham is a good example. as for my other models, such as dark age, warmachine, or hordes, i wouldnt dare. i like a far grittier and war-tarnished look, which leads me to use rmm, or real metallic metal (i apologize, i like to acronym-a-tize)

im glad to see people doing rmm really well, and winning for it, because unfortunatly, it seems that if your looking to win any painting contest these days, nmm holds above rmm, because well the process and the finish quality of nmm are very display oriented, plus few know how to work rmm to the quality as said gd winner there

[Kyle]

I did NMM on some Judge Dredd figures because I wanted them to look comic bookesque. Mostly I do metals. Metals work beter for a rusty gritty look and nmm does chrome. I prefer Dark Age stuff gritty.

[Dr.Mercury]

I did NMM on some Judge Dredd figures because I wanted them to look comic bookesque. Mostly I do metals. Metals work beter for a rusty gritty look and nmm does chrome. I prefer Dark Age stuff gritty.
I agree, The same holds true for the Warmachine stuff I painted in the past.
However my Rackham stuff is all done NMM, and it will probably stay that way.

[jugglingfool]

Dr. Mercury and I have had this conversation more times than I care to remember. We fall on different sides of the dedate most of the time. He likes taking more time to try the NMM and I like to get the mini done and ready for the table. I still take a lot of time to finish each mini, but if I added more time for finishing the NMM I would spend another hour or two per mini. Plus I just don't think that my NMM that I have attemted looks that good. Maybe if I practiced I could do it well, but I am a player not a painter. I don't think I will ever win any competitions, I don't even think I will enter any competitions. But even with the MM paint jobs I get plenty of people to stop when I am playing a game and comment on how good the army looks. Be happy with how you paint and just marvel at some of the NMM paint jobs. If you can do it yourself knock yourself out. Just try now to look down your nose at those of us with less skill.

[Saint Matthew]

Take it for what it is: NMM is an attempt to statically emulate dynamic lighting effects. It works best for static images, eg. pics on the internet and figure's cards. The effect is diminished when viewed dynamically in person. NMM is also much harder to get right. You have to have the knowledge of how light will reflect plus the skill to create smooth transitions. There aren't a whole lot of people who can do that. It's much easier to get decent looking metals.

Clean v. grungy can be done equally well with either style. There are plenty of examples of dirty rusted NMM.

[blkdymnd]

NMM felt like the hip thing to do 2 years ago, almost like a fad. I think it faded but obviously still is being done in varying degrees. We have a local Golden Demon painter here in town and he does NMM and I always kid him by saying, "wow, nice yellows and greys" and usually get clobbered shortly after :)

To me it's that, in person it looks like grey and yellow. Pictures it looks decent, but I definatley prefer metallics for natural quality they give.

[Saint Matthew]

I think it may have been a fad among gamers who were trying to emulate the incredible work of top painters. It's still going strong in more painting-centric circles.

[Osiris]

I've got to agree with the fad thing. One thing I've noticed is that the top painters usually are zigging when everyone else is zagging. Then its after a short time everyone else starts emulating them that the 'new thing' becomes mainstream.

I'm glad NMM is the trend right now because it saves the comic chop having to re-order metallic paints every third day.

Cheers,

Osiris

[Vaxillus]

I don't think it's fair to call it a fad, per say, as the word 'fad' suggests something cheap or trendy. It's really just a different way to paint miniatures, and I think calling it a fad is like calling impressionism or pop art a 'fad.' The term doesn't seem to fit to me.

[jugglingfool]

I don't think it's fair to call it a fad, per say, as the word 'fad' suggests something cheap or trendy. It's really just a different way to paint miniatures, and I think calling it a fad is like calling impressionism or pop art a 'fad.' The term doesn't seem to fit to me.

But isn't NMM trendy. In fact if you look at many other things that have been called fads, you were either cool and particpated or uncool and didn't participate. As a high school teacher I see students and how they dress trendy and tend to look down on those that do not dress trendy.

I see the same attitude by some people when it comes to NMM. Either you are participating in the fad and are cool or are not participating and are uncool. It is not as pornounced on regular message boards, but on cool mini or not they are very disdainful of MM painted minis.

So while I can appreciate your point that impressionism and pop art are not fads, I don't agree. How many impressionists have you met latley. Pop artists? I don't think we will see NMM go the way of the dodo bird. But I do think that more and more people will go back to the MM realizing that they jsut can't get good results with NMM. Can you honestly say that everyone is capable of NMM? Personally I have no clue how metal is supposed to reflect so my NMM always looks like crap. Others who try NMM also have no clue how metal reflects and would be better off using MM, sooner or later they may wise up.

[Vaxillus]

Most of the opinions on CMON are a bit of a joke, so I tend not to considder them when I try to figure out what's popular and what is not. I also fail to see how someone thinking NMM looks cool can make it trendy. Maybe it doesn't look as good in person, but you just admitted yourself that it is difficult to pull off with any success, which tends to lend itself to competitions in which your are supposed to be showing off your skills to your very best, thus it is popular amongst better painters.

On the other hand, I've seen just as much, if not more, patriotism towards MM on the Warmachine boards. Does this make MM a fad as well? I doubt it, or we'd all just be following fads. This is art, not dressing up, you do what you think looks good or you do it to show off your skills.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that you have to agree that NMM looks as impressive as MM, but I personally think it looks great, and it's a good way to show that you've put a lot of time and thought into a mini. If you don't like it, don't use it, but don't bash it either.

[Osiris]

[quote="jugglingfool"] As a high school teacher ...quote]

Thank the Lords of Kobol! Here I thought I was the only one :D

I agree with you about the fad thing. Students emulate what is often popular which is counter culture. But the moment counter culture becomes mainstream and acceptable is it still truly counter culture?

That said ... I learned some new techniques from my darling wife in relation to mixing and blending my metallics (something the artistic elite here denounce publically) but for my Brood I love the darker, grittier style and once more its fast!

Cheers,

Osiris

[Kyle]

cough...Brom hates crome...cough :twisted:

[Racel]

cough...Brom hates crome...cough :twisted:

I agree. Brom has made it clear that chrome on DA minis is Sacrilege and should NEVER be done, ESPECIALLY on official paint jobs . . . . . :wink:

Jeff

[dragonlady]

As a high school teacher ...

Thank the Lords of Kobol! Here I thought I was the only one :D

I agree with you about the fad thing. Students emulate what is often popular which is counter culture. But the moment counter culture becomes mainstream and acceptable is it still truly counter culture?

Cheers,

Osiris

Wait, isn't being a high school teacher one of the first requirements for demoing of miniatures???

:D

Dragonlady
high school math & college computer teacher

[Dr.Mercury]

I personally like the look of both MM and NMM.

it just depends on the mini.

But I will never mix the two in the same army.

Dr.Mercury, not a teacher, but a traveling salesman.

[jugglingfool]

As a high school teacher ...

Thank the Lords of Kobol! Here I thought I was the only one :D

I agree with you about the fad thing. Students emulate what is often popular which is counter culture. But the moment counter culture becomes mainstream and acceptable is it still truly counter culture?

Cheers,

Osiris

Wait, isn't being a high school teacher one of the first requirements for demoing of miniatures???

:D

Dragonlady
high school math & college computer teacher

I am not sure it is a pre-req, but it sure helps.

[Art-de-Vivre]

I personally like the look of both MM and NMM.

it just depends on the mini.

But I will never mix the two in the same army.



same here : I like both, but painting NMM takes time and I keep it for special minis only. Here is one of my best efforts so far :

http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/22/5595/640/Druid.jpg

I tried the same on a Skarrd Father but didn't get it right, so basically I decided on normal metallics for all my DA minis

[Saint Matthew]

I think the attitudes regarding CMoN are overgeneralizations. Here are plenty of artists achieving very high scores using MM. Most people there can appreciate quality regardless of style.


http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/JacquesAlexandre/orderby/Descending
http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/fluffy/orderby/Descending
http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/mercenary%20ogryn/orderby/Descending
http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/Albert%20Moret%F3%20Font/orderby/Descending
http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/romain/orderby/Descending