I like to think (and I certainly hope you would agree) that I’m a fairly good painter, or at least I certainly know my way around a paintbrush. However, one of my main problems with improving my skills is that it’s rare that tutorials and videos that I am watching apply directly to what it is I am trying to do - be it different colours, models or just knowing when to use it. This means that if something ends up not quite how I was expecting, it can make it hard to specifically diagnose whether it’s my technique, the colours I’m using or how I’m actually applying the new skill. For years I’ve wanted to go to painting classes to try and alleviate this issue and also have the chance to talk directly to people that I know can do what I’m trying to achieve. Unfortunately, due to logistics, cost or more recently a global pandemic I’ve never had a chance - until now.

I’ve been following Mamkion of Noki Painting Studio for a while, so I was really happy to see when he was advertising several different classes over the next few months and jumped at the chance to do his non-metallic metal (NMM) one. Communication beforehand was great, and it was made very clear what materials and tools we would need along with an advised paints list, so with my bags packed, brushes in hand, I jumped on the tube and made my way to Bad Moon Cafe, our venue for the six-hour session.

Getting Started

I’ll admit, initially I was a bit disappointed when I turned up and found out we would be painting swords. Like a walking Dunning-Kruger graph at the peak of Mount Stupid, foolishly I had assumed I knew most of what there was to know about the actual recipes used for non-metallic metal, and was worried that I wouldn’t get as much out of the class as I hoped. What I was hoping to learn was the application, that is, how to take a model (or part thereof) and know where to place the reflections and highlights without having to look at images of work from people that have done NMM on similar models. It turns out that (a) I would learn a lot about application I never realised (b) colour and the application were more linked than I originally thought (c) there is no point trying to run until you’ve mastered how to walk. To strain this metaphor a bit further, I quickly realised all I had done was just put on some shoes and assumed that’s all there was to it, without actually trying to stand up.

The Slope of Enlightenment

So, class underway, we begin with a brief chat about the techniques involved and started with a fairly straightforward NMM sword. Mamikon had also prepped a really good sequence of swords which showed full step by step so we knew at least what to aim for or expect at the end of each stage. It was great to get one on one feedback at each of the stages and this was tailored to the different levels of each student. It was particularly helpful to have the confidence that blemishes and mistakes are fine, and in fact, later stages will naturally mask them or they can be turned more into features that make the sword look more battle-worn.

With the foundation of the ‘standard’ NMM sword ready, we then started adding glazes and what I can best describe as a lens-flare effect - it felt insane to be using red, green and yellow on what was meant to be a silver sword, but honestly, I think the results speak for themselves! With everyone getting two swords each to play with, there was plenty of room for experimentation, and it also meant everyone could go at their own pace and try out multiple styles or just focus on getting one piece looking really great.

After a quick 45-minute lunch break (which for me was closer to an hour after finding out a nearby store had Imperium magazine #5 in stock with the exclusive captain) we were back and then on to trying gold. This was the part that I was really interested in as we were painting the hand and other features on the sword which had more complex surfaces that interacted with the lights in different ways. Having now done the main blade of the sword I felt much better equipped tackling the other bits of the part (parts of the bit?) that I don’t think I would have been as confident in had we just jumped into complex surfaces. Being able to ask not just what should be done but why really helped improve the depth of my understanding and a lot of explanation was done in the context of some incredible display models that were brought along so we could see, for example, how and why you might shift around the reflections on a hand in different scenarios.

Conclusion

All in all, I had a really excellent time, and I am so happy with how my sword turned out - Mamikon is an excellent teacher and very patient in answering all my questions. At £80 for six hours, I think this session really was a steal. Everyone else in the class was also really lovely and incredibly supportive of one another. It’s been a long time since I have painted with other people around, and it was great just to have a chat about what sort of projects people are working on, how they find certain tools and paints and just where they are from. Particular shout out to Zak from Faith and Damnation studios and David at Diddy Miniatures for the excellent company and letting me borrow some of their paints, and a very cool vortex mixer.

Perhaps my only minor critique (and I do mean minor) would be that it would have been nice if we had a full arm with the sword on which to play around with so that we could try NMM on more shapes and surfaces. However, I very much appreciate that sourcing enough bits for us to paint is likely a pain and, since we pretty much went to time on just the sword and hand, I don’t even know if we would have had time to do more. Overall there was also a really good balance struck to allow the wide range of skill levels to get the most out of the session. I certainly learnt so much more than I was expecting and I’m looking forward to trying this out on characters and other special models in the future to build my confidence further.

I believe there are several more classes planned on basing and faces with Mamikon so if you are interested in getting some classes with him (which I heartily recommend), feel free to message him on Instagram or Twitter. I definitely know that now I have the itch I want to get involved in many more classes where I can over the next year.

Thanks for such a great day!

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