Check out how to paint chrome miniatures for 40k and AoS and what paints work the best in this dope Fauxhammer painting tutorial!
Fauxhammer has some amazing hobby content, and if you need some sweet tips, you should follow him to stay up on all your painting and conversion techniques!
This time around, he shows how to get a seriously wild-looking mini using chrome paints!
How to Paint Chrome Miniatures: Fauxhammer Tutorial
He tried a bunch of different colors to start, and even the Green Stuff world paints made specifically for minis seemed to take away the detail. So he ended up landing on Alclad II. While you can brush it on, he will focus on the airbrush.
Step 1:
Primer matters a lot! Try to prime these with the glossiest black you can find; the glossier, the better for this method. Also, this stuff is potent, so be sure to have great ventilation and even wear a respirator if you have one.
For the primer, be sure to do multiple thin coats instead of one thick one; this will make it glossier. This is honestly the most important part, so don’t just spray once with any primer and expect it to work; go glossy and multiple coats.
Step 2:
Applying the chrome is very similar to the primer; use very thin coats, let it dry for a while and come back, and do another coat. If you’re doing this for more than one model, go through and paint the whole squad at once, and as the others are drying, go back and hit another coat on your next mini.
Step 3:
You don’t have to go just straight chrome here. He also tried using the Alclad Black Chrome as a zenithal highlight, and it works pretty well and gives you more shading than straight chrome. You can also use Tamyia Black Panel liner to give your models some serious recesses.
Wash Results:
You can also wash your chrome afterward to get more depth. You can see the results above with the names of the washes on the bases. However, pretty much every result dulled down the chrome a lot.
Varnishes:
You can also varnish the models to protect the chrome, and as you can see above, it doesn’t change the look too much.
Painting Over Chrome:
You can actually paint over the chrome fairly easily, and while it takes a good basecoat to cover, you can get really cool results, especially if you’re painting something like Grey Knights!
Lastly, they also make chrome colors, which turn out really cool and could make for some awesome armor for your Space Marines!
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Have you tried to painting miniatures with chrome yet?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
