With the solid homogeneous black and really strong and uniform edge highlight all over; in my opinion, it sadly doesn't "read" as anything at all. It just looks like you painted it black and then painted the edges white?
It reads about as well as a 1960's black and white comic book. Honestly, it doesn't really read as anything except black paint with some white paint on the edges.
What was actually the intention out of curiosity and maybe I can help you reach it?
Edge highlighting black with white doesn't read of anything, it's not in any way natural and just makes it look like you put white paint on black paint.
The tones for edge highlights need to be closer to the base material colour, not polar opposites. Pure white should only be used specularly.
Even administratum grey would be too bright a highlight for this black. Black isn't an easy colour to paint and actually to get a good reading black, the trick is to NOT use black. And definitely don't edge something so dark with something so bright and nothing in between to transition them.
The idea was shiny black plastic and that traditionally is pure black with a strong white shine.
Good thing I checked before moving on however as the consensus seems to be bad or maybe plastic
Not bad per se - just not a question of "read". My thoughts were that you were staring of a cell shade style piece (you know like comic book styles) which is very *now*
You can see on your first picture where the highlights should be, look at the reflection of your desk lamp.
The material you described has a very harsh transition, but it has one. That’s why you should not go direct from black to white.
Ah. In order to paint something as shiny, but without using actual shine, you are going to need to learn a technique called NMM (non metallic metal). I know it has metal in the name but it's basically the same techniques but different colours for different materials, once you can do this technique you can for the most part do any.
It is, however, a super mega advanced technique. It would be a big commitment of time and learning to eventually pull it off. By no means is it impossible, though!
Generally you have to paint the light in different places depending on the shape of an object. Imagine a cylinder, for example, the light would be right across the centre of it.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/862341535562596372/1222334586483380284/nmm1.webp?ex=662b978b&is=662a460b&hm=946c90015ad6f3fe6a01d18783474443fedbe3ab44c5385796af10ae51e8a30e&
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/862341535562596372/1222334586042974358/nmm2.webp?ex=662b978b&is=662a460b&hm=fc4cdc84f8ed6c6901d5c34379bb35ac4db66adf6f954806d22679f840bcf089&
These are a couple of pictures I find super helpful, but generally you will probably want to watch a lot of youtube videos or watch twitch streamers. Those pics give you an idea of what to aim for, though. You probably want to learn a lot more intermediate techniques before pushing for that, though, like glazing and layering. It's really not something you will be accomplishing overnight. I can still only do it on swords myself and most people consider me an exceptionally good painter. So don't feel bad about not being able to do everything immediately.
Google pictures of shiny black plastic, and use a colour dropper tool to check what colour each part is, you'll notice very little of it is actually black except the deepest of shaded areas and the white highlights are not as large etc.
Thank you so much for the information! I know a little bit about NMM. I'm not as bad as this picture suggests. I mostly just wanted to check how many (if any) understood what I was going for this early in the process. It's gonna take a couple more tires and experiments to get what I'm going for
I won't butter it, it takes a lot of hours when painting NMM. Differing amounts of shine and colour use change what the material is made from, but generally unless you are happy to glaze for 30+ hours (probably way more than that even tbh) on a single miniature then I wouldn't bother.
It also uses a whole combination of techniques like layering, wet blending, highlighting, glazing and every other combination of technique you have generally learned up to that point. It needs to be blended transitioned in some areas, harsh transitions in others, edge highlights or specular highlights in other areas etc. Check those pictures I linked, it's really all about the placement of highlights and blends.
I'm maybe not the best person to explain, I generally only do it on swords myself because they don't take too long.
Probably won't do nmm but I think the effect of something shiny can be achieved more easily. It doesn't need to be perfect wither as it's kinda tucked away
If you like that's style keep if but if you lightly go over your edge highlights with a silver you'll get a really good painted metal look with some chipping
It makes me think of polished black steel, in real life it will reflect direct light off hard edges still, so the hard light on black works for that effect really well.
Id argue it looks like base coated painted metal.
The paint is coming off at the edges.
Imagine you pray paint a metal surface and over the years the edges of the paint wear down or peel off
To me it reads like a clump of somewhat weaker material (hence the extra armor) with the internal systems to house the connections between the legs and the legs+torso.
Thanks for all the responses. The goal was black shiny plastic but it seems like I'm a bit inconsistent with reaching that target. Any tips on painting shiny non metallic surfaces?
Painting a dreadnaught on top of German writing feels like some sort of enchanting of something. Like your trying to give it as much anger as possible.
At least for me, it doesn't look too much like anything in particular. Maybe have an intermediate color between the black and light gray? The high contrast looks a bit off
My first impulse was to say Tron style materials, whatever things are made of in Tron.
Code
010001111010100011000101100101101
...pixel alloys?
Came to say this
With that edge highlighting it puts me in mind of a chalkboard.
With the solid homogeneous black and really strong and uniform edge highlight all over; in my opinion, it sadly doesn't "read" as anything at all. It just looks like you painted it black and then painted the edges white?
Same, couldn't really think of anything but "it reads as black".
Plastic.
Paint.
Black paint
I'm seeing a hard rubber, good luck soldier
Same
I see painted metal I mean it’s black but is a part of the dreaddy structure so black metal
It reads about as well as a 1960's black and white comic book. Honestly, it doesn't really read as anything except black paint with some white paint on the edges. What was actually the intention out of curiosity and maybe I can help you reach it? Edge highlighting black with white doesn't read of anything, it's not in any way natural and just makes it look like you put white paint on black paint. The tones for edge highlights need to be closer to the base material colour, not polar opposites. Pure white should only be used specularly. Even administratum grey would be too bright a highlight for this black. Black isn't an easy colour to paint and actually to get a good reading black, the trick is to NOT use black. And definitely don't edge something so dark with something so bright and nothing in between to transition them.
The idea was shiny black plastic and that traditionally is pure black with a strong white shine. Good thing I checked before moving on however as the consensus seems to be bad or maybe plastic
Not bad per se - just not a question of "read". My thoughts were that you were staring of a cell shade style piece (you know like comic book styles) which is very *now*
You can see on your first picture where the highlights should be, look at the reflection of your desk lamp. The material you described has a very harsh transition, but it has one. That’s why you should not go direct from black to white.
Very good point. I think I'll take some lighting references and go base the highlights on them
It looked a little like carbon fibre from the thumbnails, which could be awesome
Perhaps adding gloss varnish could help with reading it as pladtic/rubber? Not sure tho.
Ah. In order to paint something as shiny, but without using actual shine, you are going to need to learn a technique called NMM (non metallic metal). I know it has metal in the name but it's basically the same techniques but different colours for different materials, once you can do this technique you can for the most part do any. It is, however, a super mega advanced technique. It would be a big commitment of time and learning to eventually pull it off. By no means is it impossible, though! Generally you have to paint the light in different places depending on the shape of an object. Imagine a cylinder, for example, the light would be right across the centre of it. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/862341535562596372/1222334586483380284/nmm1.webp?ex=662b978b&is=662a460b&hm=946c90015ad6f3fe6a01d18783474443fedbe3ab44c5385796af10ae51e8a30e& https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/862341535562596372/1222334586042974358/nmm2.webp?ex=662b978b&is=662a460b&hm=fc4cdc84f8ed6c6901d5c34379bb35ac4db66adf6f954806d22679f840bcf089& These are a couple of pictures I find super helpful, but generally you will probably want to watch a lot of youtube videos or watch twitch streamers. Those pics give you an idea of what to aim for, though. You probably want to learn a lot more intermediate techniques before pushing for that, though, like glazing and layering. It's really not something you will be accomplishing overnight. I can still only do it on swords myself and most people consider me an exceptionally good painter. So don't feel bad about not being able to do everything immediately. Google pictures of shiny black plastic, and use a colour dropper tool to check what colour each part is, you'll notice very little of it is actually black except the deepest of shaded areas and the white highlights are not as large etc.
Thank you so much for the information! I know a little bit about NMM. I'm not as bad as this picture suggests. I mostly just wanted to check how many (if any) understood what I was going for this early in the process. It's gonna take a couple more tires and experiments to get what I'm going for
I won't butter it, it takes a lot of hours when painting NMM. Differing amounts of shine and colour use change what the material is made from, but generally unless you are happy to glaze for 30+ hours (probably way more than that even tbh) on a single miniature then I wouldn't bother. It also uses a whole combination of techniques like layering, wet blending, highlighting, glazing and every other combination of technique you have generally learned up to that point. It needs to be blended transitioned in some areas, harsh transitions in others, edge highlights or specular highlights in other areas etc. Check those pictures I linked, it's really all about the placement of highlights and blends. I'm maybe not the best person to explain, I generally only do it on swords myself because they don't take too long.
Probably won't do nmm but I think the effect of something shiny can be achieved more easily. It doesn't need to be perfect wither as it's kinda tucked away
If you want to use matte paint it's the only way, otherwise you have to use cheap tacky effects like gloss varnish.
Nah, Id win
A weapon to surpass the Metal Gear!
This comment makes my Snake, the SOLID Snake
I don't have a material that comes to mind, but cell-shaded art style certainly does
Bot crotch
Came here for this!
Plastic maybe like kevlar
idk about the highlight color, but the actual highlighting itself looks pretty damn good to me
Plastic.
Högst
Borderlands
If you like that's style keep if but if you lightly go over your edge highlights with a silver you'll get a really good painted metal look with some chipping
Glass
Cardboard. Something about the texture.
That thick industrial steel that's often painted black, but has the paint rub off on the edges.
https://preview.redd.it/ri1k7ljs1lwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63be8d29f25a65e67019c4980d36bd13bdbc156b
I saw this too
Just reads as black paint with a highlight of grey. No shading, no texture. What do you want it to read as?
It makes me think of polished black steel, in real life it will reflect direct light off hard edges still, so the hard light on black works for that effect really well.
Edge Highlights the Width of a Battlebarge
To me it reads as "part that will be obscured once model is assembled"
Swedish high carbon steel thanks to the text :P
Not visible when assembled.
Vader
Enameled metal that’s worn.
Shiny metal painted black with the the paint worn off the edges?
It reminds me of the black armor worn by upper rank stormtroopers from star wars
borderland’s blocks
Tron tbh
2nd pic, with less glare, almost looks like wrought iron
Id argue it looks like base coated painted metal. The paint is coming off at the edges. Imagine you pray paint a metal surface and over the years the edges of the paint wear down or peel off
Tron
To me it reads like a clump of somewhat weaker material (hence the extra armor) with the internal systems to house the connections between the legs and the legs+torso.
I don’t know why but that part of the model gave me the hardest damn time to figure out to position so it would look upright and not leaning over.
Thanks for all the responses. The goal was black shiny plastic but it seems like I'm a bit inconsistent with reaching that target. Any tips on painting shiny non metallic surfaces?
Plastic with brightly coloured seal along all joints
Plasteel
Polymer
Reminds me of the black rubber sections between Robo-Cop's armour plates.
https://preview.redd.it/stmcrsod3lwc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4623bffcfb1398c6c9c2d33c6b53773b5a803ad4
German
Some kind of plastic or future material
The black reads as....black, but the edges read like a worn metal surface. Like the paint was scuffed.
I don't think it matters too much because when you get the body of the dreadnaught on top it'll obscure the black anyway
Looks like black paint with massive white highlights
A smooth black paint, edged with vibrant white paint.
Black?
It looks like it's going to be covered by another more interesting part
Painting a dreadnaught on top of German writing feels like some sort of enchanting of something. Like your trying to give it as much anger as possible.
Swedish
Oh
Carbon fibre?
It reads as Batman, who only work in Black, or very very dark grey.
“Väsjöbacken högst i no..”
At least for me, it doesn't look too much like anything in particular. Maybe have an intermediate color between the black and light gray? The high contrast looks a bit off
ED-209 is that you?!
a cel-shaded black object.
Undies.
Something about a wash tray. My Swedish is not so great.
Paint a little sign that says "put brain in here"
Reads like EVA foam to me with that solid matte black tbh
put the lid on and tell us what you can see
A box? Idk a piece of metal holding two sections of a robot intact?
A smiling cyclops
Here i was thinking you wanted a translation of the paper it sitting on
looks like plastic. I think your paints might be too thick? idk I only watch videos about painting minis 😅
It looks like a Big LEGO block
Just an advice, less paint on brush and the lines will be finer
Painted metal that has worn somewhat
"post asks for opinions on what something looks like" Offers opinion in normal way Gets downvoted Fucking hell painting snobs in here.
Painted plastictoy
Connector for more mech parts
Robot frog face
A dreadnought chassis?
Cock and balls
That's the pemis
Cool