@@GreenBlueWalkthrough why do you need a 32mm scales bulb. Do you know how big the sun actually is vs how big vs the atmosphere it is. You are matching lumins not size and distance. Nevermind a 32mm build is easier. Please find that... Then put it .001 mm away...... Oh wait not the same
I have been learning from you for years. It wouldn’t be far off to say that you are the reason I bought my first set of real paints. Great channel and great content! Thank you!
"The skill ceiling is very high" is actually genuinely reassuring advice... Coming back to the hobby after a decade, the wealth of knowledge/inspiration available nowadays has been really energizing for me, and you, Jon and Vince have been a sizeable part in that rekindling. I still don't know how the fuck volumetric lighting works, but I still enjoy pushing myself with every new mini, experimenting with stuff I couldn't even consider 10 years ago, and the (conventionally rather disheartening) prospect that there's way more skilled people out there is oddly comforting. I may not be there yet, but I might one day get there if the hobby manages to hold my interest and continues to provide me an escape from the grim darkness of the far flung present...
I finally understand exactly what NMM is… I’m pretty new into the hobby, like brand new, and have been enjoying a lot of this content. NMM keeps coming up, and I knew what it stood for but now I feel like I grasp what it really is. All this to say, at this point into my journey into the hobby, I have no intention of putting in those kind of man hours to get good! I don’t think I want to even traverse into display painting, and will just stick with tabletop and enjoy playing the games with all the time I save. Thanks again
my biggest mistake was conforming to what everyone else was doing. everyone was going for the best detail possible on every mini and was essentially aiming for an award of some kind in the future whether that be a physical one or just a lot of "wow!" from their peers. I have decided to forgo that and just do what I think is lower effort but still good enough for the table, so when I never get to play a game, I'll have painted models for it
This 100% I've actually had to unsub from some bigger mini painting youtube channels because they will look at a model 10x better than my best and call it trash. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.
It's good to see your journey throughout the years and how you progressed piece by piece. I think a lot of people would title the video "Easy NMM" or "How to learn NMM super quick" etc. but this is more honest.
A little late to the party, but here goes. I like to paint. It has been a great way to unwind after work and it feels great to see the final result on the table. I learned various techniques and received good advice from watching and listening to you and other mini-painters on youtube. I am in no way close to the level of painting you presented here, but I do alright. The first time I fielded a fully a painted army at a tournament, it won best painted. My hypothesis is that watching the video you did on the color theory a few years ago helped me achieve that - even if I didn't entirely follow your advice. I have moved from TMM to an NMM that works on the tabletop - I am still trying to teach myself that every mini doesn't have to aim for a display standard, but that is a different subject. With every batch of miniatures I get a little bit better, and I think you did a good job of highlighting exactly that with this video. As you pointed out, it is important to allow yourself to make mistakes. And perhaps the best advice you give, is the one at the end of each video: "Paint more minis". Put your paint to a brush and your brush to a mini, and keep doing that. Every mistake and every succes you have on every mini is a learning experience if you allow it to be one.
I really applaud you going through all your steps through the journey, and being upfront about your failures along the way. It is supremely helpful and refreshing!
thanks for sharing your journey of NMM. it helps others who havent begun their own experimentation with NMM and how challenging it can be no matter how skilled you are.
This is a great counterpart to your other "recent" NMM video (Cloud Knight). It shows us the journey while the other one gives us the tools to begin said journey.
Thank you for helping all of us elevate our skills with slapping paint on minis. I now get minis for the painting fun and challenge instead of dunking tyranids in nuln oil so I can play a game (not hating on that either, the prime-drybrush-wash grind has brought me immense joy).
Thanks for this as for my eye you whent from dull metal to cartoony video game effect metal to beginner mid matte NMM... As for me have not tried TT NMM yet as have been struggling with brush control and learning my paint/brush... But in my pixel art I use itt all the time and I have 3 levels of NMM. 1. just the true tone color and sell the NNM with the context. 2. a few highlights just to show the surface can reflect light these range from just dots//streaks aof color to abstract shapes. 3. Full on reflection with a filter over it.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I have only been painting for 3 years and I still find NMM really hard to grasp, so I am glad that I still have some time to catch up. I think that it is a great idea with videos like this because it is all too easy to think that you guys did not practice for years to get were you are.
Like Stone Brew said earlier. you are the main reason i really started to get better paints and ive watched all your vidoes and i hope that your channels continues to grow. i cant wait till next month for the kickstarter that my wife got for me for my birthday this year to show up! Cheers Bro!
I love watching these vids where you no your flaws and share them with us, it's seriously refreshing from when i see not just artists but other people having the mindset that they are perfect and have nothing left to learn... and 150 on one model is really responsible, thank your vids I have learnt so much from them.
2 months ago I started painting NMM gold. I started off decently with NMM sword, but even that doesn’t look good in hindsight. Then I had many failed attempts, which resulted in a couple ugly yellow figures instead of actual gold. I kept watching tons of videos on youtube, showing different techniques on how to paint NMM gold. I watched this particular video and I could see that I was making some of the same mistakes as Miniac. But after 2 months, I bought some more ochre, dark red browns and yellow paints, got myself a Sigvald Prince Of Slaanesh and started painting it NMM gold. I got feedback on it, and most people said that it looks like like gold. So in two months I went from painting NMM gold sword and tiny NMM gold details to painting a complex model with lots of details in convincing NMM gold. So thanks Miniac, thanks for motivating me to paint and motivating me to push myself when it comes to painting😁
I have been watching your videos for years and for me, this is hands down the most helpful video you have shot. My journey has been EXTREMELY similar, right down to using that S75 set for all my early efforts. But I am so far behind you, and so inclined to make the same mistakes! If I could start over, I would study Kujo's style first, then move on to Latham's crazy-ass four-point lighting schemes. You got me thinking a lot about the importance of choosing those light points based on the best angles of photography, I had not even begun to contemplate it.
I’ve been experimenting with spending less time in the mid tone, seems to be helping, but where I seem to fall apart is the base coat. Cheers for the advice. It helped.
The big eureka moment for me was alternating warm and cool colours, one in the main highlight, the other in the secondary, or vice - versa depending on the surrounding light sources. I imagine what the sky looks like and it guides me. Try only using an image of an atmospheric colourful and cloudy sky as reference for your nmm, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you come up with. Great video Scott.
Thanks for this vid, it has given me a lot to think about. My NMM efforts have been a very hit or miss affair which has affected me wanting to do it more often. One thing about NMM I have noticed and didn't take into account early on, was the viewing distance to the mini; unless you are super skilled with blending the closer you view the fig the less convincing the technique is. In plastic model building there is the saying "it's a four foot model" meaning it looks great from a distance, I think this applies to the NMM journey and you have shown us and that through practice and perseverance the viewing distance will become shorter over time. Cheers. ps I thought Morbius was a steaming pile.
Regardless of the technique or effect I'm going for, I learn infinitely more from my own mistakes than from somebody else's. But it can be important to get an outisde view to be able to identify what exactly is wrong in the first place. Great vid as always, Scott.
the end takeaway of letting yourself mess up is really important. it is with any skill, but especially art, since it is really so low risk to mess up and you learn a lot from those failures
Man this is perfectly timed, I’ve decided I’m going to pick up some storm cast eternals for display only and paint them in NMM. Kicked around with a few test minis and I’m ready to really get into it.
I really like the 1st gold attempt. Although, I agree it didn't turn out as NMM particularly well. It did turn out like a really great Aztec style painting. So the result you got could be transferred to another fun technique especially for Native American themed minis.
I have a hard time with blending. So I still use metallics lol. Watched ya beginners guide to painting several times. Blending and highlighting is beyond my levels lol. I tried lighting making a glow from the end of a Klingon engine and ends up looking like a very glossy candy corn.
I haven’t even attempted NMM yet, but I definitely want to attempt it and TMM as well. I have some models I don’t care about to practice on but need to get some time into doing it.
Thanks for sharing your nmm journey with us. Not long before I decided not to use metallic paints anymore and up my skills with this technique. Though my results are far from perfect, I'm more happy with each painted mini and find this style of painting as one of the most entertaining things in the minipainting hobby
I learned NMM (or at least tried to), but it remains quite difficult. I've got the colors for gold figured out, yet my metals and silvers need some refining. And that's just the colors, I haven't even looked into proper highlight and reflection positioning. That said, I am happy enough with my results, given the time I'm willing to spend on them. In the end NMM is just another skill we learn over time, it wouldn't be fun if we instantly could do everything perfectly. Better to spend the time learning and painting more minis ;)
I've been on and off this hobby for the last 3 years. I'm always terrified of even devianting from usual edge highlights approach on everything (games workshop approach/old Duncan videos). I've always contemplated trying nmm to get away from metal paints. But I've always hesitate because my if I mess up terribly, I would have to strip the model and start over. Another things my lack of knowledge of placing where the lights and shadows should be to sell the effect. I'm rambling at this point but as an amateur painter, all of this terrifies me.
FRICK YEAH MY GUY THAT WAS A HELLA INPSIRING VIDEO!!! AND THE GROWLS AT THE END? LET'S GOOOO!!!! Hope you're doing well, Scott Thanks for the inspiration 👊
Great video. I think it would be really fun to see you paint up the same model twice but one with metallic paint and one with NMM. I sometimes see NMM on minis and think it really doesn't look all that great, think it would be really interesting to see a really good comparison done on two models with great paint jobs.
Great video. My NMM is -1 your Blood Angels experiment but I find the process has been fantastic skill-building in general. Something about really focussing on selling the effect helps distract from how much brush control and light sourcing you're doing. It's like the wax-on, wax-off approach to building core skills. :D
I'm at a stage where I like my recipe for gold and steel, but the highlight/shade placement is lacking. I think the point of how much or how little midtone should be showing has really helped. Every time I try painting in NMM I always learn something new, so I'm eager to apply this to my next model.
Every time I need a painting jump start I go right to your channel and start getting inspired. Sometimes I go a little too long without painting and I come across your videos in my feed…and all I want to do is paint! I appreciate your ongoing transparency and integrity. I look up to you so much as a creature, business owner and artist! Your the reason I continue to slay the gray ;). (Haha just kidding. That’s not your slogan❤️) but seriously….you and ninjon are the main reason I continue to PAINT MORE MINIS!!!
Fantastic work and then KS for what you do! I still use the same three brushes you suggested in an old video and took your advice to not keep buying different tiny brushes for starting. Keep it up!
Great video!! I've been watching You for some time now. Really apreciate how you talk about going through the proces and beeing ok with making mistakes. I myself am a little bit farther then the "Banana boys" level with gold nmm and doing a little better with steel nmm. And i to started with the same darren latham pictures 😅 That video was excatly what i needed now and it gives me a lot more patience and energy to keep on going. Maybe before i'll die I'll manage to get somwhere closer to the intended effect 😆 Thanks again and keep doing what You're (and some of Your colleges) doing. All the best from Poland :)
Been warming up to the idea of trying out nmm, and was going to try it out on a commission mandalorian piece. But… now I think I should just stick to plan A for the commission. Lol
I'm a beginner. And I made the best decision: my first attempt was for an energy drink sized figure of Tali'Zorah. My next attempt is where my insanity shines. My first, in progress, attempt is with my Necrons. A purple metallic with red shoulderblades. Still looks awesome, in my opinion, but neither reads as metal.
I just made my first attempt at NMM and it looks really rough but I'm glad i tried and look forward to trying again! I appreciate this encouragement at the perfect time.
When I began painting my Necron army I made the decision to learn how to paint NMM through it. After more than an entire year, I have around 30 minis done for the army, and every single one feels like it teaches me something new, or gives me the opportunity to make a new mistake. Really satisfying making a timeline of the 30 necron warriors I have painted in NMM, and seeing the improvements.
I didn't realize this would be about just NMM, but I'm not mad about it. I really appreciate the retrospective on your journey. I haven't tried it yet, but I feel comfier with the idea of it now. Thank you. :)
I can understand the appeal of NMM, but find myself drawn to TMM. That said, this was an excellent place to learn about how NMM works, the challenges involved, the craft and skills used, and the experience level required to make it look amazing. Oddly enough, I just watched a TMM video of yours within the last couple of days, so it was great to be able to compare and contrast the two approaches. Thanks! Awesome as always!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I actually haven't tried NMM even once, despite being active in the hobby for almost 4 years now. Not necessarily because I find the idea daunting (I've painted traditionally and digitally for decades, and the general concepts are the exact same), but because I always found it to look off on 3D models - it always seemed cartoonish to me and that just is not my style at all. HOWEVER: Some of those examples you showed there towards the end of the video really blew my mind a bit. I think I'll actually have a go at NMM on a display model some time.
Metals in the real world don't all look the same, so worth pointing out in my opinion that some of your earlier NNM you don't like actually looks good, reads very much like a real metal object might depending on its surface finish and the lighting conditions, and you don't have to paint in the same style as the current trend either! For instance not following the shape of the mini perfectly with the highlight doesn't stop it reading as metal if you did the NNM effect well enough, it just looks like there is a reflected more concentrated light source at the right angle to push that highlight - which may be a reflection from their weapon, the sun through a narrow window etc.
Hi Scott! Your videos are outstanding and have really helped me become a better painter! Would you consider making a video on how to paint some convincing carbon scoring like from a directed energy blast or a burned-out tank hull or building?
I might sneak that one into a video where I paint a vehicle or some kind of mech because I think it's a little too specific for it's own video, but I suppose that's still a yes!
Bad nmm light placement only looks bad to people who are really good at nmm. Also this makes me feel like a terrible painter but also makes me want to try it again. Thanks Scott!
The thing I would like the most is for people to drop the realism requirement of NMM. TMM is also not a realistic metallic finish. We accept it because it's "metallic paint" but that doesn't guarantee realism. As long as you know it is meant to be metal it is fine. IMO: The key to NMM is reflections. The highlight might be big, or small, depending on the relative size of the light. The midtones also can be big or small depending on the environment. The thing that makes metal look metallic is that it picks up any light that bounces off a surface. Turning NMM doesn't break because when you rotate a model the specular reflections shouldn't move - it breaks when it hits an angle where you don't see any bounced light. The lights on NMM are imaginary and when you turn it they are just different imaginary light sources in a different imaginary configuration. This is why Sergio Calvo just adds a bunch of imaginary lights to whichever angle he happens to be working on. More lights is better because higher complexity overwhelms the brain. A 32mm sun is just the sun, btw. It is so far away that the difference between a miniature and a human is the tiniest fraction.
Hey Miniac, im currently on the same kind of process in learning NMM. Maybe you should take a look on Richard Grey´s guide for simple NMM effects. He has a real good understanding of how the effects sell with real less effort. He has also a lot of knowlodge about color theorya which he alos tells in his videos. Its absolutly woth to take a deep look inside his work. His guides helped me alot with awesome results on speedpainting my models! I love gis real unuiqe brush technique. And his real photorealistic style, even on speedpaints.
Getting a decent-looking NMM effect with acrylics is legitimately hard. It takes a ton of practice to learn how, and each time you do it requires a lot of time to get right. Nobody should feel bad if their first attempt, or first fifty attempts, don't work perfectly, as long as there's gradual improvement. I've been trying for years and still can't reliably pull it off.
there was a really useful 'pie-chart' you posted earlier showing the distribution of highlights/shadows to highlights and it's something I am really struggling with. I have a feeling now that I need 5 overall tones, where 1 = highlight and 5 is darkest shadow. 2 is a bright mid tone, 3 is median and 4 is the dark midtone. i feel 1 & 5 should each be around 10 %, 3 should be 20% and 2 and 4 should be each 30%...and then I need to also understand (sigh...) at what point I am on entirely the wrong path or am giving up too early (i swear I restart each time 3 times and then stop)
The close ups look really good, but the slow pans at 30fps get really frame-y when we're trying to track small details like the NMM trim. Any chance you could upload the next video at 60fps?
This was such an inspiring and interesting video! Love how your NMM has evolved. I’ve been trying to improve my metallics work since last year, and while I’m still far from being amazing at it, I’m super proud of how I’m improving. I actually tried NMM gold in my latest video, since it’s something I hace nearly zero experience, and it was my best attempt to date even if not 100% realistic. Can’t wait to continue experimenting!
I literally just started painting like a month ago. For some insane reason, I started painting BECAUSE I thought NMM is such a cool painting technique and I really want to learn it. It has been a month of pain thus far.
If you start your painting journey with NMM, then that is like never having played video games before and jumping straight to COD campaign and playing at the hardest difficulty. I can only wish you good luck with this endeavor. I started painting NMM 2 months ago, but before doing that I had figured out how light reflects, what paints to use, how to do smooth transition, layering and decent enough brush control, but I have also been painting for a couple of years.
I love the nmm effect, it's so hard for me to sit and get the blends right. Any tips for speeding that up? Have you done any tests of starting darker Vs lighter or starting at mid tone and shading both ways? My best nmm attempt was a Captain America shield for MCP and I basically did my base colors then painted some random shadows and random highlights in pure white and almost pure black and then glazed those cones back towards the midtone. My cones were slightly different shapes but not different in brightness and next time I do that I think I'll take that advice from this video and vary up my highlights a bit in not only shape but also value. Also your Gwenevier paint job is so good it made me want to paint that model and try to copy you
Great video Scot! It's nice to see your thoughts and efforts throughout the years and how they've changed and what you learned along the way. Just goes to show that practice really does make perfect and that there's always more to learn in our individual hobby journeys! :)
No I don't have access to a 32mm Sun... YET
"The power of the sun, in the palm of my hand"
As a lighting guy, I was like "of course I do!" and Well honestly yes.... math is your friend when it comes to light, lol
I do it's called a n LED light bulb... now where to get 32mm light from?
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough why do you need a 32mm scales bulb. Do you know how big the sun actually is vs how big vs the atmosphere it is. You are matching lumins not size and distance. Nevermind a 32mm build is easier. Please find that... Then put it .001 mm away...... Oh wait not the same
@@tommy5c it's not 93 million miles away, put it that way. May the jesuit heliosexual model die for good. Oh, wait I meant... heliocentric.
I have been learning from you for years. It wouldn’t be far off to say that you are the reason I bought my first set of real paints. Great channel and great content! Thank you!
Thank you!
"The skill ceiling is very high" is actually genuinely reassuring advice... Coming back to the hobby after a decade, the wealth of knowledge/inspiration available nowadays has been really energizing for me, and you, Jon and Vince have been a sizeable part in that rekindling. I still don't know how the fuck volumetric lighting works, but I still enjoy pushing myself with every new mini, experimenting with stuff I couldn't even consider 10 years ago, and the (conventionally rather disheartening) prospect that there's way more skilled people out there is oddly comforting. I may not be there yet, but I might one day get there if the hobby manages to hold my interest and continues to provide me an escape from the grim darkness of the far flung present...
I hope the hobby holds your interest!
I finally understand exactly what NMM is… I’m pretty new into the hobby, like brand new, and have been enjoying a lot of this content. NMM keeps coming up, and I knew what it stood for but now I feel like I grasp what it really is.
All this to say, at this point into my journey into the hobby, I have no intention of putting in those kind of man hours to get good! I don’t think I want to even traverse into display painting, and will just stick with tabletop and enjoy playing the games with all the time I save.
Thanks again
"Mess up Gloriously"
Prettymuch the only NMM advice I've consistently followed 🤣👍
my biggest mistake was conforming to what everyone else was doing. everyone was going for the best detail possible on every mini and was essentially aiming for an award of some kind in the future whether that be a physical one or just a lot of "wow!" from their peers. I have decided to forgo that and just do what I think is lower effort but still good enough for the table, so when I never get to play a game, I'll have painted models for it
This 100%
I've actually had to unsub from some bigger mini painting youtube channels because they will look at a model 10x better than my best and call it trash.
I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.
Yeah, I have found that if I just paint and don't try so hard things generally turn out better than if I fuss on every single detail.
amen to this
Lol me 2
I treat box art like photoshoped models
It's good to see your journey throughout the years and how you progressed piece by piece. I think a lot of people would title the video "Easy NMM" or "How to learn NMM super quick" etc. but this is more honest.
A little late to the party, but here goes. I like to paint. It has been a great way to unwind after work and it feels great to see the final result on the table. I learned various techniques and received good advice from watching and listening to you and other mini-painters on youtube. I am in no way close to the level of painting you presented here, but I do alright. The first time I fielded a fully a painted army at a tournament, it won best painted. My hypothesis is that watching the video you did on the color theory a few years ago helped me achieve that - even if I didn't entirely follow your advice.
I have moved from TMM to an NMM that works on the tabletop - I am still trying to teach myself that every mini doesn't have to aim for a display standard, but that is a different subject. With every batch of miniatures I get a little bit better, and I think you did a good job of highlighting exactly that with this video. As you pointed out, it is important to allow yourself to make mistakes. And perhaps the best advice you give, is the one at the end of each video: "Paint more minis". Put your paint to a brush and your brush to a mini, and keep doing that. Every mistake and every succes you have on every mini is a learning experience if you allow it to be one.
I really applaud you going through all your steps through the journey, and being upfront about your failures along the way. It is supremely helpful and refreshing!
The process of learning is as fascinating as it is frustrating but totally worth it
thanks for sharing your journey of NMM. it helps others who havent begun their own experimentation with NMM and how challenging it can be no matter how skilled you are.
This is the by far the best and most useful video on NMM I’ve ever seen. Genuinely outstanding. Thanks Scott
This is a great counterpart to your other "recent" NMM video (Cloud Knight). It shows us the journey while the other one gives us the tools to begin said journey.
I can't wait for MMM 2023: Miniac finally loses his sanity trying to MMM Sanguinius
Fantastic video. Showing lerning curve is, well ...inspiring. Thanks Scott!
Your videos are awesome - not just great painting advice but great life advice and so much honesty!
Great video Scott! Loved seeing your progress play out like this, and your editing was superb - the cut in at 11:28 was very slick, loved it
Thank you for helping all of us elevate our skills with slapping paint on minis. I now get minis for the painting fun and challenge instead of dunking tyranids in nuln oil so I can play a game (not hating on that either, the prime-drybrush-wash grind has brought me immense joy).
Thanks for this as for my eye you whent from dull metal to cartoony video game effect metal to beginner mid matte NMM... As for me have not tried TT NMM yet as have been struggling with brush control and learning my paint/brush... But in my pixel art I use itt all the time and I have 3 levels of NMM. 1. just the true tone color and sell the NNM with the context. 2. a few highlights just to show the surface can reflect light these range from just dots//streaks aof color to abstract shapes. 3. Full on reflection with a filter over it.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I have only been painting for 3 years and I still find NMM really hard to grasp, so I am glad that I still have some time to catch up. I think that it is a great idea with videos like this because it is all too easy to think that you guys did not practice for years to get were you are.
Love watching your vids. Cause of you I went back on painting minis and found happiness doing it. PAINT MORE MINIS
Like Stone Brew said earlier. you are the main reason i really started to get better paints and ive watched all your vidoes and i hope that your channels continues to grow. i cant wait till next month for the kickstarter that my wife got for me for my birthday this year to show up! Cheers Bro!
My first nmm attempt was the golden trim on a Death Guard Myphitic Blighthauler...most convinsing wood I've ever painted! xD
I love watching these vids where you no your flaws and share them with us, it's seriously refreshing from when i see not just artists but other people having the mindset that they are perfect and have nothing left to learn... and 150 on one model is really responsible, thank your vids I have learnt so much from them.
2 months ago I started painting NMM gold. I started off decently with NMM sword, but even that doesn’t look good in hindsight. Then I had many failed attempts, which resulted in a couple ugly yellow figures instead of actual gold. I kept watching tons of videos on youtube, showing different techniques on how to paint NMM gold. I watched this particular video and I could see that I was making some of the same mistakes as Miniac. But after 2 months, I bought some more ochre, dark red browns and yellow paints, got myself a Sigvald Prince Of Slaanesh and started painting it NMM gold. I got feedback on it, and most people said that it looks like like gold. So in two months I went from painting NMM gold sword and tiny NMM gold details to painting a complex model with lots of details in convincing NMM gold. So thanks Miniac, thanks for motivating me to paint and motivating me to push myself when it comes to painting😁
I have been watching your videos for years and for me, this is hands down the most helpful video you have shot. My journey has been EXTREMELY similar, right down to using that S75 set for all my early efforts. But I am so far behind you, and so inclined to make the same mistakes! If I could start over, I would study Kujo's style first, then move on to Latham's crazy-ass four-point lighting schemes. You got me thinking a lot about the importance of choosing those light points based on the best angles of photography, I had not even begun to contemplate it.
Wow! Walk down memory lane! I remember almost all of these videos. Thanks Scott!
long time fan! hell yeah!
I'm trying NMM on minis that have little metal parts, and avoid using it on minis that are mainly metal... Good to see this video of yours. Cheers.
I’ve been experimenting with spending less time in the mid tone, seems to be helping, but where I seem to fall apart is the base coat. Cheers for the advice. It helped.
just got my first Kolinsky sable brush today. I am excite
Bro, the quality of your content has gone through the roof! I loved your content before, but now, it’s on another level. Go Scott! 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for your inspirational last words, I'd almost given up on painting NMM samurai swords! Perhaps not the best place to start my NMM journey!
The big eureka moment for me was alternating warm and cool colours, one in the main highlight, the other in the secondary, or vice - versa depending on the surrounding light sources. I imagine what the sky looks like and it guides me. Try only using an image of an atmospheric colourful and cloudy sky as reference for your nmm, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you come up with. Great video Scott.
Thanks for this vid, it has given me a lot to think about. My NMM efforts have been a very hit or miss affair which has affected me wanting to do it more often. One thing about NMM I have noticed and didn't take into account early on, was the viewing distance to the mini; unless you are super skilled with blending the closer you view the fig the less convincing the technique is. In plastic model building there is the saying "it's a four foot model" meaning it looks great from a distance, I think this applies to the NMM journey and you have shown us and that through practice and perseverance the viewing distance will become shorter over time. Cheers. ps I thought Morbius was a steaming pile.
Regardless of the technique or effect I'm going for, I learn infinitely more from my own mistakes than from somebody else's. But it can be important to get an outisde view to be able to identify what exactly is wrong in the first place.
Great vid as always, Scott.
s for this video Scott. It has helped me to see where I have been going wrong with my own NMM attempts
the end takeaway of letting yourself mess up is really important. it is with any skill, but especially art, since it is really so low risk to mess up and you learn a lot from those failures
The tip with less midtone is exactly the answer I was looking for.
In the end, a model is a canvas, a miniature is a miniature, and real metal beats fake metal every time.
Man this is perfectly timed, I’ve decided I’m going to pick up some storm cast eternals for display only and paint them in NMM. Kicked around with a few test minis and I’m ready to really get into it.
You rock scott. One day I'll try to paint gud with all the stuff I learn from this channel, i swear
Don't make promises you can't keep, Eric
Same one day .....
Nice to see you return to semi regular videos again Scott 👍🏻
I love these honest videos
I really like the 1st gold attempt. Although, I agree it didn't turn out as NMM particularly well. It did turn out like a really great Aztec style painting. So the result you got could be transferred to another fun technique especially for Native American themed minis.
I have a hard time with blending. So I still use metallics lol. Watched ya beginners guide to painting several times. Blending and highlighting is beyond my levels lol. I tried lighting making a glow from the end of a Klingon engine and ends up looking like a very glossy candy corn.
I haven’t even attempted NMM yet, but I definitely want to attempt it and TMM as well. I have some models I don’t care about to practice on but need to get some time into doing it.
Thanks for sharing your nmm journey with us. Not long before I decided not to use metallic paints anymore and up my skills with this technique. Though my results are far from perfect, I'm more happy with each painted mini and find this style of painting as one of the most entertaining things in the minipainting hobby
Ive been painting minis on and off for years and still havent tried NMM yet, ill get round to it one day haha,
your recent works are beautiful!
Great video Scott!! Accepting mistakes as learning opportunities and experience is a hugely important ability when learning a new skill.
Baller content as always, Scott. GG
I learned NMM (or at least tried to), but it remains quite difficult. I've got the colors for gold figured out, yet my metals and silvers need some refining. And that's just the colors, I haven't even looked into proper highlight and reflection positioning. That said, I am happy enough with my results, given the time I'm willing to spend on them.
In the end NMM is just another skill we learn over time, it wouldn't be fun if we instantly could do everything perfectly. Better to spend the time learning and painting more minis ;)
I've been on and off this hobby for the last 3 years. I'm always terrified of even devianting from usual edge highlights approach on everything (games workshop approach/old Duncan videos). I've always contemplated trying nmm to get away from metal paints. But I've always hesitate because my if I mess up terribly, I would have to strip the model and start over. Another things my lack of knowledge of placing where the lights and shadows should be to sell the effect. I'm rambling at this point but as an amateur painter, all of this terrifies me.
FRICK YEAH MY GUY
THAT WAS A HELLA INPSIRING VIDEO!!! AND THE GROWLS AT THE END? LET'S GOOOO!!!!
Hope you're doing well, Scott
Thanks for the inspiration 👊
Great video. I think it would be really fun to see you paint up the same model twice but one with metallic paint and one with NMM. I sometimes see NMM on minis and think it really doesn't look all that great, think it would be really interesting to see a really good comparison done on two models with great paint jobs.
Great video. My NMM is -1 your Blood Angels experiment but I find the process has been fantastic skill-building in general. Something about really focussing on selling the effect helps distract from how much brush control and light sourcing you're doing. It's like the wax-on, wax-off approach to building core skills. :D
I'm at a stage where I like my recipe for gold and steel, but the highlight/shade placement is lacking. I think the point of how much or how little midtone should be showing has really helped. Every time I try painting in NMM I always learn something new, so I'm eager to apply this to my next model.
Every time I need a painting jump start I go right to your channel and start getting inspired. Sometimes I go a little too long without painting and I come across your videos in my feed…and all I want to do is paint! I appreciate your ongoing transparency and integrity. I look up to you so much as a creature, business owner and artist! Your the reason I continue to slay the gray ;). (Haha just kidding. That’s not your slogan❤️) but seriously….you and ninjon are the main reason I continue to PAINT MORE MINIS!!!
Hell yeah, Christopher!! SLAY THE GREY, BABYYYY! ;)
Saving this for my painting session this afternoon
Fantastic work and then KS for what you do! I still use the same three brushes you suggested in an old video and took your advice to not keep buying different tiny brushes for starting. Keep it up!
This is a well produced video that reinforces that I just don't like NMM as a technique.
Not even anywhere near any of it. To afraid. Takes more talent than I have life left.
Great video!!
I've been watching You for some time now. Really apreciate how you talk about going through the proces and beeing ok with making mistakes. I myself am a little bit farther then the "Banana boys" level with gold nmm and doing a little better with steel nmm. And i to started with the same darren latham pictures 😅
That video was excatly what i needed now and it gives me a lot more patience and energy to keep on going. Maybe before i'll die I'll manage to get somwhere closer to the intended effect 😆
Thanks again and keep doing what You're (and some of Your colleges) doing.
All the best from Poland :)
My favorite NMM person is probably from flameon. His stuff just looks amazing
Been warming up to the idea of trying out nmm, and was going to try it out on a commission mandalorian piece. But… now I think I should just stick to plan A for the commission. Lol
I have pretty much given up on nmm after trying it on and off for years. Seeing this vid I really fancy another go cheers.
I'm a beginner. And I made the best decision: my first attempt was for an energy drink sized figure of Tali'Zorah. My next attempt is where my insanity shines. My first, in progress, attempt is with my Necrons. A purple metallic with red shoulderblades. Still looks awesome, in my opinion, but neither reads as metal.
Thanks for sharing
I just made my first attempt at NMM and it looks really rough but I'm glad i tried and look forward to trying again! I appreciate this encouragement at the perfect time.
When I began painting my Necron army I made the decision to learn how to paint NMM through it. After more than an entire year, I have around 30 minis done for the army, and every single one feels like it teaches me something new, or gives me the opportunity to make a new mistake. Really satisfying making a timeline of the 30 necron warriors I have painted in NMM, and seeing the improvements.
I'd love to see the progression!
I didn't realize this would be about just NMM, but I'm not mad about it. I really appreciate the retrospective on your journey. I haven't tried it yet, but I feel comfier with the idea of it now. Thank you. :)
i guess my Nmm is about at the same lvl as your first one.. Good to get some pointers on what im doing wrong!
I can understand the appeal of NMM, but find myself drawn to TMM. That said, this was an excellent place to learn about how NMM works, the challenges involved, the craft and skills used, and the experience level required to make it look amazing. Oddly enough, I just watched a TMM video of yours within the last couple of days, so it was great to be able to compare and contrast the two approaches. Thanks! Awesome as always!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I actually haven't tried NMM even once, despite being active in the hobby for almost 4 years now.
Not necessarily because I find the idea daunting (I've painted traditionally and digitally for decades, and the general concepts are the exact same), but because I always found it to look off on 3D models - it always seemed cartoonish to me and that just is not my style at all.
HOWEVER: Some of those examples you showed there towards the end of the video really blew my mind a bit. I think I'll actually have a go at NMM on a display model some time.
Metals in the real world don't all look the same, so worth pointing out in my opinion that some of your earlier NNM you don't like actually looks good, reads very much like a real metal object might depending on its surface finish and the lighting conditions, and you don't have to paint in the same style as the current trend either! For instance not following the shape of the mini perfectly with the highlight doesn't stop it reading as metal if you did the NNM effect well enough, it just looks like there is a reflected more concentrated light source at the right angle to push that highlight - which may be a reflection from their weapon, the sun through a narrow window etc.
I've gotten one fairly decent NMM done but I've only been painting mini's for 2 years and have plenty to still learn
Hi Scott! Your videos are outstanding and have really helped me become a better painter! Would you consider making a video on how to paint some convincing carbon scoring like from a directed energy blast or a burned-out tank hull or building?
I might sneak that one into a video where I paint a vehicle or some kind of mech because I think it's a little too specific for it's own video, but I suppose that's still a yes!
Bad nmm light placement only looks bad to people who are really good at nmm. Also this makes me feel like a terrible painter but also makes me want to try it again. Thanks Scott!
I feel doing this will forever be out of my reach due to my inability to imagine space. Still a lot else to learn.
Really good.
Thank you sir
The thing I would like the most is for people to drop the realism requirement of NMM. TMM is also not a realistic metallic finish. We accept it because it's "metallic paint" but that doesn't guarantee realism. As long as you know it is meant to be metal it is fine.
IMO: The key to NMM is reflections. The highlight might be big, or small, depending on the relative size of the light. The midtones also can be big or small depending on the environment. The thing that makes metal look metallic is that it picks up any light that bounces off a surface. Turning NMM doesn't break because when you rotate a model the specular reflections shouldn't move - it breaks when it hits an angle where you don't see any bounced light. The lights on NMM are imaginary and when you turn it they are just different imaginary light sources in a different imaginary configuration. This is why Sergio Calvo just adds a bunch of imaginary lights to whichever angle he happens to be working on. More lights is better because higher complexity overwhelms the brain.
A 32mm sun is just the sun, btw. It is so far away that the difference between a miniature and a human is the tiniest fraction.
Hey Miniac, im currently on the same kind of process in learning NMM. Maybe you should take a look on Richard Grey´s guide for simple NMM effects. He has a real good understanding of how the effects sell with real less effort. He has also a lot of knowlodge about color theorya which he alos tells in his videos. Its absolutly woth to take a deep look inside his work. His guides helped me alot with awesome results on speedpainting my models! I love gis real unuiqe brush technique. And his real photorealistic style, even on speedpaints.
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
I may have missed it, but is there a link in the description for Andy Wardle? That Dorn made my jaw drop.
Great video. I still have a lot to learn !
This is a fantastic vid. I learned a lot. Thanks for your honesty. I'd say you've arrrived..!
One of these days I'll be able to unsee the water droplets that get on the table in the intro XP
I haven't even got the confidence to try NMM yet! I've been watching and learning about it for a while but know I'm no where near good enough yet
Getting a decent-looking NMM effect with acrylics is legitimately hard. It takes a ton of practice to learn how, and each time you do it requires a lot of time to get right. Nobody should feel bad if their first attempt, or first fifty attempts, don't work perfectly, as long as there's gradual improvement. I've been trying for years and still can't reliably pull it off.
2:29 that is a crazy big difference, neat
I bet you've made By The Sword a hit song by now. Damn that's a great instrumental
there was a really useful 'pie-chart' you posted earlier showing the distribution of highlights/shadows to highlights and it's something I am really struggling with. I have a feeling now that I need 5 overall tones, where 1 = highlight and 5 is darkest shadow. 2 is a bright mid tone, 3 is median and 4 is the dark midtone. i feel 1 & 5 should each be around 10 %, 3 should be 20% and 2 and 4 should be each 30%...and then I need to also understand (sigh...) at what point I am on entirely the wrong path or am giving up too early (i swear I restart each time 3 times and then stop)
Here's how I would break it down:
1: 35%
2: 25%
3: 10%
4: 10%
5: 20%
The close ups look really good, but the slow pans at 30fps get really frame-y when we're trying to track small details like the NMM trim. Any chance you could upload the next video at 60fps?
I'm no where's near ready to paint nmm. I'm still struggling with tabletop level.
This was such an inspiring and interesting video! Love how your NMM has evolved. I’ve been trying to improve my metallics work since last year, and while I’m still far from being amazing at it, I’m super proud of how I’m improving. I actually tried NMM gold in my latest video, since it’s something I hace nearly zero experience, and it was my best attempt to date even if not 100% realistic. Can’t wait to continue experimenting!
I literally just started painting like a month ago. For some insane reason, I started painting BECAUSE I thought NMM is such a cool painting technique and I really want to learn it. It has been a month of pain thus far.
If you start your painting journey with NMM, then that is like never having played video games before and jumping straight to COD campaign and playing at the hardest difficulty. I can only wish you good luck with this endeavor. I started painting NMM 2 months ago, but before doing that I had figured out how light reflects, what paints to use, how to do smooth transition, layering and decent enough brush control, but I have also been painting for a couple of years.
I love the nmm effect, it's so hard for me to sit and get the blends right. Any tips for speeding that up? Have you done any tests of starting darker Vs lighter or starting at mid tone and shading both ways? My best nmm attempt was a Captain America shield for MCP and I basically did my base colors then painted some random shadows and random highlights in pure white and almost pure black and then glazed those cones back towards the midtone. My cones were slightly different shapes but not different in brightness and next time I do that I think I'll take that advice from this video and vary up my highlights a bit in not only shape but also value.
Also your Gwenevier paint job is so good it made me want to paint that model and try to copy you
Hehe, last month I was at the master class of Kirill Kanaev on NMM XD
Great video Scot! It's nice to see your thoughts and efforts throughout the years and how they've changed and what you learned along the way. Just goes to show that practice really does make perfect and that there's always more to learn in our individual hobby journeys! :)
7 years!