One this is done, pick your light source and begin the thinking. The colour you chose should reflect the overall tone of your finished armour. Greys for steel and iron, browns for bronze or gold. I'll develop the tutorial through 3 examples, each one a different metal. Sketch in odd angles, with special attention to light and shapes. If you have the opportunity, visit a place where you can sketch from real armour.

Reference pictures of actual armour ( not pictures of typical fantasy computer-game armour, but rather pictures of physical armour that has actually been used at some point in human history) will help design believable sets of armour. Not only must you think weight and shape, but also movement: the viewer must not feel that parts of your armour obstruct the character's moves. This tutorial will guide you through the basic shading of metalic armour.įirst things first, it's best to state the obvious here a now: there's no magical trick, only a keen eye and lots of hard work.

After receiving compliments on the loyalists' armour and hearing a few of you wish they could do the same, I decided I'd try and help.