NMM (Non Metallic Metal): Step-by-Step Technique for a Pro Finish

The NMM (Non Metallic Metal) technique is the art of simulating metallic surfaces using only non-metallic paints (matte or satin). Through careful study of light, shadows and reflections, an optical illusion of shine and volume is created without using metallic pigments. It's pure brush magic! 😉

What exactly is the NMM technique and why is it so awesome?

NMM (Non Metallic Metal) is an advanced painting technique that mimics the look of metal without using a single drop of metallic paint. I know what you're thinking: "Why make things complicated when metallic colors exist?". The answer, my friend, is to have absolute control. With NMM, you decide where the light comes from, how it bounces and the intensity of every highlight.

Unlike TMM (True Metallic Metal), where the shine depends on the metallic particles in the paint, NMM is an exercise in pure skill. In my experience, it's like comparing a photograph to a hyperrealist painting. Both can be stunning, but the painting lets you direct the viewer's gaze and tell a story with much clearer intention.

The theory behind the trick

For the NMM effect to truly work, it's essential to understand how light behaves on polished surfaces. Simply adding a bit of light and a bit of dark won't cut it. The magic lies in mastering these concepts:

• Main light source (Zenithal light): Imagine a spotlight aimed at your miniature from a specific point, usually from above. The surfaces facing directly toward that spotlight will be the most illuminated and will carry the brightest color.
• Specular highlights: These are those almost white, small and intense flashes we see on highly polished metals. They are the finishing touch, the burst of light that brings the effect to life.
• Reflected light (Ambient light): Metal acts like a mirror. It reflects the colors around it. Think of armor in the middle of a forest; it will have subtle greenish tones in the shadow areas, reflecting the grass and trees.
• Maximum contrast: This is the big secret of NMM. The key is to create very sharp transitions between the deepest shadow (almost black) and the most intense light (almost white), placing them very close to one another. It is this juxtaposition that our brain interprets as metallic shine.

From experience I can tell you that truly understanding these principles is far more important than having a perfect brushstroke. If you want to take it a step further, I recommend taking a look at my article on color theory for miniatures, because it will really come in handy.

What tools do I need to get started with NMM?

For the NMM magic to work, you don't need to set up a professional studio, but you do need to have the right tools at hand. The good news is that if you already work with brushes, you almost certainly have most of the equipment. Here what matters is not quantity, but quality and, above all, knowing what to choose so everything flows smoothly.

Your basic color palette

Let's get to what really matters: paints. NMM lives and dies by its smooth gradients, so you're going to need paints that hold up well when thinned without turning into dirty water. We're looking for strong pigments and a creamy consistency. In my experience, Vallejo paints are a safe bet to start with — they more than do the job.

And no, you don't need to buy out the entire store. To simulate steel and gold, which is where almost everyone starts, just a few pots will get you there.

• White and Black: These are the foundation of everything, the yin and yang of your palette. You'll use them pure for the most striking contrasts and mixed to create the full greyscale.
• Neutral Grey: A lifesaver for the mid-tones of steel. Having a good mid-grey will save you a ton of time and headaches when mixing.
• Dark Brown and Ochre: The dance partners for gold. A brown like Tierra or Brown Bugs for the deepest shadows, and an ochre for the mid-lights, are essential.
• Color accents: This is where we bring things to life. A dark blue or violet will help cool down the shadows of steel, giving them a depth that's truly impressive.

Even though we're fully focused on NMM, having a TMM set on hand to compare can be a great trick at the start. It works as a visual cheat sheet to understand what reflections you're trying to imitate.

Which brushes and other tools make the difference?

Your brushes are an extension of your hand, and for NMM you need the precision of a surgeon. A good detail brush with a tip that stays as sharp as a needle is the best investment you'll make. I've tried a huge number of them, and for this kind of fine work, the Artis Opus Series S brushes are genuinely outstanding.

But it's not all about brushes. There are a couple of other things that are going to change your life.

My friendly advice: Don't underestimate the power of a good wet palette. It's your secret weapon for keeping mixes fresh for hours. That way you can work on your gradients at a relaxed pace, without the paint drying out after five minutes.

Finally, to achieve those nearly invisible transitions that define great NMM, a glaze medium is your best friend. A few drops of Glaze Medium for transitions added to the mix makes it more transparent — perfect for applying ultra-thin layers of color and smoothing out any harsh edges.

If you want to know more about this topic, I've dedicated a full blog article to telling you which are the best brushes for painting miniatures. Give it a look!

How should I prepare the miniature for flawless NMM?

Preparing the miniature is 50% of the success of great NMM. It doesn't matter whether you have a high-definition resin miniature or a plastic one in front of you — the surface needs to be spotless. Good NMM starts long before the first brushstroke touches the figure.

Trying to paint smooth gradients over a surface with support remnants, mold lines, or print texture is asking for trouble. It's like trying to draw on sandpaper. That's why the first and most crucial step is a thorough cleaning and sanding session. Invest time in getting the miniature silky smooth — trust me, you'll be grateful for it later.

The primer: the foundation of everything

With the figure clean and ready, it's time for the primer. This step is vital. It not only helps the paint adhere properly, but it defines the starting tone of our non-metallic metal. My recommendation here is almost universal: use a matte black primer.

Why black? Very simple: NMM lives on contrast. And there's no better base for building highlights than absolute darkness. Starting from black guarantees deep shadows and forces you, for the better, to think about where you're going to place each flash of light.

A workshop tip: applying primer with an airbrush gives you incredible control and an ultra-thin coat that preserves every last detail. If you use a spray can, keep the correct distance (about 20-25 cm) and use short, quick passes to avoid drowning the miniature in paint.

A trick for pre-painting zenithal light

Here's a trick that acts as a road map for your NMM: pre-painted zenithal light. When the black primer is completely dry, grab a white primer or a very light grey. With an airbrush or a spray can, apply a very light coat from above only, imagining you have a spotlight directly above the miniature.

This simple step gives you an immediate visual guide of where the main light will hit. The areas that remain white will be your maximum highlight points, the grey areas the midtones, and pure black your shadows. It's an incredible aid. If you want to know more, I recommend taking a look at my post on miniature priming, where I explain it in full detail.

Being meticulous at this stage is what separates good work from spectacular work. It's no coincidence that, with a specialty resin market projected to reach USD 10.17 billion by 2026, professional finishing techniques are more valued than ever. You can consult more data on these market projections.

What is the step-by-step process for painting NMM steel?

To master NMM, steel is your best training ground. It's based on a greyscale, which takes the complexity of color theory off the table to start with. But be careful — it's not just about mixing white and black; we'll add some subtle touches to bring the metal to life so it doesn't end up looking like concrete.

We start from the black base you already have ready. And a friendly tip: take it slow. Patience is the secret ingredient of NMM.

Step 1: Shape the shadows and first highlights

The first thing is to give depth to those shadows. The black base is fine, but we can make it more interesting. I love mixing black with a tiny drop of dark blue or even violet. This cool tint gives the steel a striking realism.

With the shadows well defined, it's time to light things up. Using a dark grey, we begin painting the areas that, according to our light map, should shine. Don't worry about the perfect gradient just yet — right now we're just blocking in the light and shadow zones.

Step 2: Achieve smooth transitions

This is where the magic happens (and where many people throw in the towel). For the brain to see metal and not just grey paint, the transitions have to be flawless. My two favourite techniques for this are feathering and glazing.

• Feathering: You apply thinned paint and, using the tip of the brush, make very short, quick strokes from the light area towards the dark area. It's like "combing" the paint.
• Glazing: This is my favourite. You use super-thinned paint to apply transparent layers over the transitions. It takes time, yes, but the result is professional.

If this sounds like gibberish, I have a much more visual guide where I explain step by step how to paint a sword with NMM, which might come in very handy.

A personal tip: When glazing, always drag the brush from the shadow towards the light. This way, the pigment builds up at the end of the brushstroke, right where you want to enhance the light. It works like a charm!

Step 3: Build up the highlights all the way to pure white

Once the initial transition is starting to look good, it's time to turn up the light. Add a little of a lighter grey or pure white directly to your mix and apply a new layer, but over a smaller area, always within the previous layer.

This process is repeated over and over: you raise the grey tone and reduce the area you paint. The final touch, the one that really sells the effect, is the specular highlight. Using pure white and a brush with an ultra-fine tip, apply small dots and thin lines on the most exposed edges. But be careful not to overdo the white. Less is more.

Steel NMM colour mixing guide (Vallejo Game Color)

This table is a starting point, a basic recipe that works for me. I encourage you to use it as a guide, but don't be afraid to experiment.

How do you paint a gold NMM that looks real?

If steel NMM was a good warm-up, gold is the real trial by fire. Painting gold in NMM raises the difficulty level because here we're playing with highlights, shadows, saturation, and tone. We need a warm palette that travels from deep browns to vibrant yellows.

But don't panic. The key is to stop thinking of gold as a simple colour and start seeing it as a super-reflective material with a yellow-brown base tone.

The color palette for convincing gold

Forget about the metallic gold paint pot entirely. Our palette will be built with matte colors that, layer by layer, will create that illusion. For a good gold NMM, these are my essentials:

• Dark Brown: This is our deepest shadow. A Marrón Bichos or a Vallejo Tierra are perfect.
• Ochre: This is the heart of the gold, the mid-tone that gives it body.
• Light Yellow: For the strongest highlights.
• Violet or Dark Blue: My little trick. Adding a touch of violet to the shadow brown creates brutal contrast.
• Pure White: To use sparingly, only for those final glints.

Step by step: building gold layer by layer

The process is very similar to steel. We start with a solid base coat of our dark brown. Then, we enrich the deepest shadows by mixing the base brown with a tiny drop of violet. This touch will give it incredible depth.

Next, we start lifting the highlights. We mix the brown with ochre and apply the first layers to the areas that would receive light. From here, it's a game of patience: we gradually add more ochre and then yellow to the mix, in increasingly thin layers covering less and less surface area.

The secret to keeping the gold from looking like yellow plastic lies in the transition. Use glazes with a good medium like the Glaze Medium for transitions to soften each step. Patience and thin layers — that's the real magic.

Convincing gold doesn't just shine — it reflects its surroundings. To finish, the specular highlights. Take your best brush, like the Artis Opus Series S, dip only the tip in pure white, and apply tiny dots on the edges and points of maximum light. This is the final glint that convinces the brain.

NMM has changed the rules of the game. The European market for 3D printing materials, estimated to reach $109.80 million by 2026, gives us a sense of the wave of high-quality pieces arriving that deserve a finish to match. If you want to know more, don't miss the latest trends in the world of 3D printing.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about NMM

How long does it take to learn NMM?

Learning the theory of NMM is quick, but mastering the technique requires consistent practice. Don't get frustrated if your first attempts aren't perfect — every miniature you paint is a lesson learned.

Can you use an airbrush to paint NMM?

Yes, the airbrush is a fantastic tool for quickly establishing base lights and shadows over large areas. However, the fine details and final specular highlights will always require a precision brush.

Why does my NMM look like stone instead of metal?

This usually comes down to two reasons: a lack of smooth transitions or, more commonly, a lack of extreme contrast. Polished metal is characterized by very dark shadows right next to very bright highlights, so don't be afraid to use pure black and pure white very close to one another.

Which varnish is better for NMM — matte or gloss?

My recommendation is to use a matte varnish to protect the entire miniature and unify the finishes. Afterwards, apply a tiny drop of gloss varnish with a fine brush only on the points of maximum light (the specular highlights) for a realistic effect.

Conclusion: A Few Final Brushstrokes on NMM

As you've seen, NMM has real depth to it. It demands patience and, above all, learning to look at light in a different way. But I can assure you of one thing: the satisfaction of seeing a piece come to life with highlights you painted yourself, without a single drop of metallic paint, is priceless.

My golden tip is to stop being afraid of making mistakes. Nobody is born knowing how, and every error is a lesson. Play with colours, look up photos of real armour and, above all, paint a lot. Every mini you finish is a medal on your journey to mastering this technique.

In the end, mastering NMM (Non Metallic Metal): step by step is about much more than learning to paint gold or steel. It's a philosophy about light and volume that will serve you in absolutely everything. Now then — grab those brushes and get stuck into those metals!