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, shadow, and reflection, an optical illusion of shine and depth is created without using any metallic pigments. It's basically pure brushwork wizardry! 😉

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

NMM (Non-Metallic Metal) is an advanced painting technique that replicates the look of metal without a single drop of metallic paint. I know what you're thinking: "Why bother when metallic paints already exist?" The answer is simple: total control. With NMM, you decide where the light source is, how it bounces, and how intense every highlight appears.

Unlike TMM (True Metallic Metal), where the shine comes from the metallic particles in the paint itself, NMM is a pure test of skill. In my experience, it's like comparing a photograph to a hyperrealistic painting. Both can be stunning, but the painting lets you direct the viewer's eye and tell a story with far greater intention.

The theory behind the trick

For the NMM effect to truly work, you need to understand how light behaves on polished surfaces. Simply adding a lighter and darker tone won't cut it. The magic comes from mastering these core concepts:

• Primary light source (Zenithal lighting): Imagine a single light pointing at your miniature from a fixed position, typically from above. Surfaces facing directly toward that light will be the brightest and receive the lightest colors.
• Specular highlights: These are those sharp, near-white flashes you see on highly polished metals. They're the finishing touch — the pop that brings the whole effect to life.
• Reflected light (Ambient light): Metal acts like a mirror. It picks up the colors of its surroundings. Picture a suit of armor in the middle of a forest — it would show subtle green tones in the shadow areas, reflecting the grass and trees around it.
• Maximum contrast: This is the real secret of NMM. The key is creating very sharp transitions between the deepest shadow (near black) and the strongest highlight (near white), placed right next to each other. It's this juxtaposition that our brain reads as metallic shine.

From experience, I can tell you that truly understanding these principles matters far more than having a perfect brushstroke. If you want to take it further, I highly recommend checking out my article on color theory for miniatures — it's incredibly useful and ties directly into everything covered here.

What tools do I need to get started with NMM?

You don't need a professional studio setup to make NMM work, but having the right tools on hand makes a real difference. The good news is that if you already paint miniatures, you likely own most of what you need. What matters here isn't quantity — it's quality, and knowing what to reach for so everything flows smoothly.

Your basic colour palette

Let's get to what really matters: the paints. NMM lives and dies by smooth gradients, so you 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 solid choice for beginners — 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, a handful of pots is all you need.

• White and Black: The foundation of everything — the yin and yang of your palette. You'll use them straight for the boldest contrasts and mixed together to build your entire greyscale range.
• Neutral Grey: A lifesaver for the mid-tones on steel. Having a solid mid-grey will save you a ton of time and mixing headaches.
• Dark Brown and Ochre: The perfect duo for gold. A brown like Earth or Flat Brown for the deepest shadows, and an ochre for the mid-lights — both are essential.
• Colour accents: This is where things get exciting. A dark blue or violet will help you cool down the shadows on steel, giving them a depth that's genuinely impressive.

Even if you're fully committed to NMM, keeping a TMM set on hand for reference can be a brilliant trick when you're starting out. It acts as a visual cheat sheet to understand which reflections you're trying to replicate.

Which brushes and other tools actually make a difference?

Your brushes are an extension of your hand, and for NMM you need surgeon-level precision. A great detail brush with a tip that stays needle-sharp is the best investment you'll make. I've tried countless options, 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 will seriously change your game.

A tip from someone who's been there: Don't underestimate the power of a good wet palette. It's your secret weapon for keeping your mixes workable for hours. That way you can blend gradients at your own pace, without the paint drying out after five minutes.

Finally, to achieve those near-invisible transitions that define great NMM, a glazing medium is your best friend. A few drops of Vallejo Glaze Medium in your mix makes it more transparent — perfect for applying ultra-thin layers of colour and softening any harsh edges.

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I've written a full article on the blog covering the best brushes for painting miniatures. Well worth a read!

How should I prepare my miniature for flawless NMM?

Preparing your miniature accounts for 50% of the success of great NMM. It doesn't matter whether you're working with a high-definition resin miniature or a plastic one — the surface needs to be spotless. A strong NMM result starts long before the first brushstroke touches the model.

Trying to paint smooth gradients over a surface with support marks, mould lines, or print texture is just asking for trouble. It's like trying to draw on sandpaper. That's why the first and most critical step is a proper cleaning and sanding session. Put the time in to get your miniature silky smooth — trust me, you'll thank yourself later.

Priming: the foundation of everything

With your figure clean and ready, it's time to prime. This step is crucial. Not only does it help the paint bond properly, it also sets the starting tone for your non-metallic metal. My recommendation here is almost universal: use a matte black primer.

Why black? Simple: NMM lives and dies by contrast. And there's no better base to build highlights from than pure darkness. Starting from black guarantees deep shadows and forces you — in a good way — to think carefully about where every glint of light will fall.

A workshop tip: applying primer with an airbrush gives you incredible control and an ultra-thin coat that preserves every fine detail. If you're using a spray can, keep the right distance (around 20–25 cm) and use short, quick passes so you don't flood the miniature with paint.

A trick for pre-painting zenithal lighting

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

This simple step gives you an immediate visual guide showing where your main light source will hit. Areas left white will be your brightest highlights, grey tones your midtones, and pure black your deepest shadows. It's an incredibly useful reference. If you'd like to learn more, I'd recommend checking out my post on priming miniatures, where I cover it in full detail.

Being meticulous at this stage is what separates a good result from a stunning one. It's no coincidence that, with a specialty resins market projected to reach USD 10.17 billion by 2026, professional finishing techniques are more valued than ever. You can read more about these market projections here.

What's the step-by-step process for painting NMM steel?

If you want to master NMM, steel is the best place to start. It's built around a greyscale palette, which takes colour theory off the table while you're learning. That said, it's not just about mixing black and white — we'll add some subtle touches to bring the metal to life and stop it looking flat and lifeless.

We're starting from the black base you've already prepared. And a word of friendly advice: take your time. Patience is the secret ingredient of NMM.

Step 1: Establish your shadows and initial highlights

The first thing to do is add depth to those shadows. The black base is a solid starting point, but we can make it more interesting. I love mixing black with a tiny drop of dark blue or even violet. That cool undertone gives the steel a remarkably realistic feel.

With the shadows well established, it's time to start bringing in the light. Using a dark grey, begin painting the areas that, according to your light map, should be catching light. Don't worry about perfect blending just yet — at this stage you're simply blocking in your light and shadow zones.

Step 2: Achieve Smooth Transitions

This is where the magic happens (and where many painters give up). For the brain to read metal rather than just grey paint, your transitions need to be flawless. My two go-to techniques for this are feathering and glazing.

• Feathering: Apply thinned paint and, using the tip of your brush, make very short, quick strokes from the highlight into the shadow. Think of it as "combing" the paint.
• Glazing: This is my personal favourite. You use heavily thinned paint to build up transparent layers over your transitions. It takes time, yes, but the results look truly professional.

If this all sounds overwhelming, I have a much more visual guide where I walk through the whole process step by step — how to paint a sword with NMM — which you might find really useful.

A personal tip: When glazing, always drag your brush from the shadow toward the light. This way, the pigment builds up at the end of the stroke, right where you want to punch up the highlight. Works like a charm!

Step 3: Build Up to Pure White Highlights

Once your initial transition is looking good, it's time to crank up the light. Add a little lighter grey — or straight white — to your mix and apply a new layer over a smaller area, always within the previous layer.

Repeat this process over and over: increase the grey tone and reduce the area you're painting. 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, add small dots and thin lines along the most exposed edges. But don't overdo the white. Less is more.

NMM Steel Colour Mixing Guide (Vallejo Game Color)

This table is a starting point — a basic recipe that works well for me. Use it as a guide, but don't be afraid to experiment.

How Do You Paint NMM Gold That Actually Looks Real?

If NMM steel was a good warm-up, gold is the real test. Painting NMM gold raises the difficulty level considerably, because here you're juggling highlights, shadows, saturation, and temperature all at once. You need a warm palette that travels from rich, dark browns through 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 highly reflective material with a warm yellow-brown base tone.

The colour palette for convincing gold NMM

Forget metallic gold paint entirely. Your palette will be built from matte colours that, layer by layer, create the illusion of real metal. For solid gold NMM, these are my essentials:

• Dark Brown: Your deepest shadow tone. A Vallejo Beasty Brown or Earth works perfectly.
• Ochre: The heart of the gold — the mid-tone that gives it body.
• Light Yellow: For your brightest highlights.
• Violet or Dark Blue: My secret weapon. Adding a touch of violet to your shadow brown creates stunning contrast.
• Pure White: Use sparingly — just for those final specular highlights.

Step by step: building gold layer by layer

The process is very similar to NMM steel. Start with a solid base coat of your dark brown. Then enrich the deepest shadows by mixing the base brown with a tiny drop of violet — this touch adds incredible depth to the finished effect.

Next, begin lifting the highlights. Mix brown with ochre and apply the first layers to the areas that would catch light. From here it's a patience game: gradually add more ochre, then yellow, to the mix — working in increasingly thin layers and covering less surface area each time.

The secret to stopping your gold from looking like yellow plastic is in the transitions. Use glazes with a quality medium like Vallejo Glaze Medium to smooth each step. Thin layers and patience — that's where the real magic happens.

Believable gold doesn't just shine — it reflects its surroundings. To finish, add your specular highlights. Load just the very tip of a fine brush — like the Artis Opus Series S — with pure white and place tiny dots on edges and areas of maximum light. This is the final touch that tricks the brain into seeing real metal.

NMM has changed the game for miniature painters. The European 3D printing materials market is projected to reach $109.80 million by 2026, giving us a sense of the wave of high-quality prints that deserve a finish to match. Want to stay ahead of the curve? Check out the latest trends in the 3D printing world.

FAQ: Common questions about NMM painting

How long does it take to learn NMM?

The theory behind NMM is quick to pick up, but mastering the technique takes consistent practice. Don't get discouraged if your first attempts aren't perfect — every miniature you paint is a lesson learned.

Can you use an airbrush for NMM?

Absolutely. An airbrush is a great tool for quickly establishing base lights and shadows across larger areas. That said, fine details and final specular highlights will always call for a precision brush.

Why does my NMM look like stone instead of metal?

This usually comes down to one of two things: insufficient smooth transitions, or — more commonly — not enough extreme contrast. Polished metal is defined by very dark shadows sitting right next to very bright highlights, so don't be afraid to place pure black and pure white close together.

Which varnish is best for NMM — matte or gloss?

My recommendation is to use a matte varnish over the whole miniature to protect it and unify the finish. Then, using a fine brush, apply a tiny drop of gloss varnish only to the specular highlight points for a realistic sheen.

Conclusion: Final Brushstrokes on NMM

As you've seen, NMM is no walk in the park. It takes patience and, above all, learning to look at light in a completely different way. But trust me on this: the satisfaction of watching a miniature come alive with highlights you painted yourself, without a single drop of metallic paint, is something else entirely.

My golden rule? Don't be afraid to mess up. Nobody starts out a master, and every mistake is a lesson. Experiment with colours, study reference photos of real armour, and most importantly — paint a lot. Every mini you finish is another badge of honour on your journey to mastering this technique.

In the end, mastering NMM (Non Metallic Metal): a step-by-step guide is about far more than learning to paint gold or steel. It's a whole philosophy of light and volume that will level up everything you paint. Now grab those brushes and get painting!