I dont get why really many people like nmm that much.... Is it just that one is a better painter if you dont use the metal colours ( that exist!!) Clearly its nice to view but the metal colors look much more authentic in my opinion...

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Can't touch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uztj3vp-RI

Have to disagree...good NMM beats metal paint any day for realism. I'll never try it myself, I'm not good enough even with metals, but I appreciate when others do it.

NMM gives a much more pleasing and natural look when done well, actually. It's a difficult technique, but one that looks simply splendid when mastered.

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" I think I'm... quite ready for another adventure!"

Bilbo

I agree with what whafrog and Longbottom Leaf said, and also it's a good painting challenge, and if done right, looks amazing.

I think it's like all forms of art. Some people love it, others don't really get the appeal. Personally, I'm in awe of people who can do it properly - but I don't like the effect myself. If we all painted our minis the same way there would be no interest in looking at other people's painting.

What´s a NMM?

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I am the Mouth of Sauron, here him speak'

Thats my opinion too.

A paint technique, called Non-metallic-Metal, that is used to constitute a metallic effect.

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Can't touch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uztj3vp-RI

I agree also. Personally i think metallics look better. I mean look at tidoco's work, its epic and looks really natural i think and he uses metallic paints.

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http://noddwyr.wordpress.com

I would have to disagree, Tidoco can do some very realistic metallics with metallic paint. I haven't seen any nmm metal that has the blue/green/rust/what ever sheen's that tidoco's metal has that makes it so realistic.
Nmm when done properly is awesome, but for the beginner, real metalics are better as they look good without requiring lots of experience.

And LOTS of time. I spend a lot of time on my minis. I'm just not willing to spend the kind of time it takes to do NMM and do it well. And unless NMM is done really really well, it looks goofy. As you said, Tidoco's work shows that metallics can look just as good or better than NMM, imho of course.

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My WIP Thread: http://www.one-ring.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17771

As others have said before I think it's a matter of personal preference as well as the kind of effect you want to achieve on the mini.
We've all seen Tidoco's work (if you haven't you're missing out big time! Check out his WIP) and he shows just how awesome real metallics can look.
Check out this Awesome Pic Here for another example of spectacular metallics work.
On the other hand, refer to this Picture Here, I don't think you could achieve the same level of awesomeness with real metallics.

Cheers,
Pinky

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Ash Nazg Durbatulûk, Ash Nazg Gimbatul,
Ash Nazg Thrakatulûk Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul.

I totally agree that NMM looks very cool.
I tried it on a easterling and it looked great

Good pictures, Pinky, and I think they illustrate the point that real metallic paints look more authentic, at least to my eye.

I find that NMM, while awfully clever and very impressive, looks FLAT - like a painting on a canvas. After all, the NMM painter is immitating the style of old masters who had to use a range of non-metallic colours to depict metal objects in their paintings.

The original question posted was 'Why?' and it is a good question. It could be argued that it is a matter of taste, and to a degree it is, but I believe the main reason is to show just how clever the painter is. They certainly are! I am intrigued by the lengths painters go to to achieve such effects. Amazing!

If you look at the links posted by Pinky, I think it is clear that if you are interested in the realism of the outcome, then metallics really come out on top. In fact, Tim's metallics are so well done that it would be difficult to argue that you need a greater level of skill for the NMM. He's certainly just as clever in my opinion and I love seeing his work.

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Painting again...

Ditto.

I think that NMM looks good if you are trying to get that cartoony/fantasy look that goes so well with Warhammer/40K figures but if you're trying for realism I don't think you can beat metallics. As far as the skill involved I totally agree Nathan, I just think that NMM has attracted some sort of stigma that makes people scared to try it so that the ones that do and pull it off are treated like painting gods. Granted, I've never tried it but probably will at some point when my painting skills improve sufficiently.

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Ash Nazg Durbatulûk, Ash Nazg Gimbatul,
Ash Nazg Thrakatulûk Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul.

I agree with you on the stigma attached to NMM. I was recently looking at some of my pastel drawings and realised that 'if I am able to create a metalic effect with shdes of grey and white then why have I never thought of trying NMM'. At which point I thought I wasn't a good enough painter to attempt NMM yet I have been producing such effects in Art for the last 2 years. Even now that my painting skills have developed and I understand and can use many different painting techniques I am still too timid to actually attempt NMM even though I have been practicing OSL.

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When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.

Backlog Reduction Oath Participant - 6/53

It is certainly a matter of taste. It sometimes looks cool. I've tried it and can't get good effects much of the time. I can respect the skill it takes to make it look right. On the other hand, it doesn't look realistic.

I own steel medieval style helmets and a sword. There is a knife on the kitchen counter that was hand forged as a present for my girl friend. I know two people who have/still do earn a living making knives, swords and spear points. I've even helped in some of this work in both iron and steel..... metallic paint looks far more like the real thing then the best NMM to me.

NMM can look really great. I'm not good enough for it to look very good, but I do have a go on spares.

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It's all fun and games untill someone gets hurt.
Then it's a sport.

Please excuse my ignorance, but doesn't NMM only work if you look at it from certain angles? If so, isn't it only any use for display models?

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"There are few left in Middle Earth like Aragorn, son of Arathorn." - Gandalf, Many Meetings

I don't think so, the highlights have been done where all the raised areas thus making it still look good at all angles, I'm sure the tecnique has been used where the light is "supposed" to be coming from a certain angle and then painting it in that way. Just the way I see it, though.

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"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."
- Bertrand Russel

No, no. NMM is far from realistic when compared to True Metal technique (which is pretty much the NMM technique but with metallic paints ;D )

http://akaranseth.over-blog.com/pages/H ... 50824.html

This is how.

And just check most of his work for how amazing his metallics are, yeah I know he wins Golden Daemons so its hard to immitate for us normal painters, but its still leagues ahead of NMM.

http://img.over-blog.com/0x0-000000/1/1 ... _600_b.jpg