How I Paint Ancient Bronze
Bells are found throughout the lore of the Age of Sigmar. Whether it is the Bell of Lamentation in Azyr, the Screaming Bells of the Skaven, or the Sonorous Tocsins of Nurgle, they always seem to be present.
One of my favourite pieces of scenery from Warcry is the bell tower. I like the rickety wooden platforms, stairs, and ladder. I also like that the bell is still suspended in its original stone tower, which was clearly ruined at some point in time. The bell tower always makes me think that there are Skaven nearby, and that if the bell begins tolling, then trouble is close at hand. As it is such a favourite piece, I wanted to give the bell a paint job that reflected the age I was trying to convey.
Paints Required:
- Chaos Black spray
- Balthasar Gold
- Agrax Earthshade
- Hashut Copper
- Sycorax Bronze
- Lahmian Medium
- Stormhost Silver
- Ahriman Blue
- Temple Guard Blue
- Baharroth Blue
- Kabalite Green
- Sybarite Green
The bell was initially undercoated with Chaos Black spray. As you can see from the photograph, I painted all other parts of the bell tower before starting on the bell itself. The bell was then given two thin coats of Balthasar Gold. The goal, as always, is to achieve a smooth, solid coverage. Over the years, I have learned that the key to a good paint job is a clean and tidy basecoat.
The bell was then washed with Agrax Earthshade. I used a large brush to apply the wash, making sure the metal was fully covered. I then used a clean, damp brush to remove any excess shade where it had pooled.
Next, I tidied up the metal and re-established the bright copper tone. The bell was painted with Hashut Copper, taking care to leave the Agrax Earthshade in the recesses. Try to be as neat as possible and aim for a smooth finish. Small mistakes at this stage will be covered later, but neatness still helps.
For this guide, I am using a diagram of the bell to explain where and why to apply the paint. If we imagine a light source above the bell, sections 1 and 4 will be the most brightly lit, while section 2 will receive the least light. Sections 3 and 5 will receive more light than section 2, but less than sections 1 and 4. Understanding this helps us plan where to place the highlights. The next stages use stippling to build texture and highlights. Stippling is a technique where you apply small dots of paint with the tip of the brush. The more dots you apply in an area, the stronger the colour appears. This allows you to build up a gradient across a surface. Do not use your best brushes for this process, as it can damage the brush tip.
To begin, Sycorax Bronze was mixed with Lahmian Medium until it reached a wash-like consistency. Lahmian Medium is ideal for thinning, as it does not alter the paint properties like water can. Stipple this mix onto the bell. Aim for a high density of dots in sections 1 and 4, a medium density in sections 3 and 5, and a low density in section 2. Take your time and allow the paint to dry before adding more layers where needed.
Next, add some Stormhost Silver to the previous mix, along with a little more Lahmian Medium. Again, aim for a wash-like consistency. Stipple this onto the bell, keeping the light source in mind. Apply a medium density of dots to sections 1 and 4, reducing the density as you move toward section 3. Apply a low density to sections 3 and 5, reducing further as you approach section 2. Add more Stormhost Silver and Lahmian Medium to the mix and concentrate additional dots on the upper part of section 1 and the lower part of section 4.
The highlights are now complete. The next step is to deepen the shading in section 2. Agrax Earthshade was stippled into this area, with the density decreasing toward section 3. Once all stippling is dry, coat the entire bell with Lahmian Medium to unify the finish.
If you want a clean, newer-looking bell, you can stop here. If you want to add verdigris, continue with the next steps.
I do not use Nihilakh Oxide for verdigris. Instead, I prefer to build the effect using layered blues and greens.
Start by mixing Kabalite Green with Ahriman Blue, then thin the mix with Lahmian Medium to a wash-like consistency. I use a one-to-one mix, but you can adjust this depending on whether you want a greener or bluer tone. Stipple this onto the bell in patches. Increase the density of dots in the centre of each patch and reduce it toward the edges.
Next, mix Sybarite Green with Temple Guard Blue and thin it with Lahmian Medium. Stipple this into the centre of the previous patches. Again, increase the density where you want stronger colour and reduce it outward to create a gradient. Then add Baharroth Blue and a little more Lahmian Medium to the mix and continue stippling into the most corroded areas.
There we go. You should now have an old and weathered bell ready to take pride of place in your scenery. You could also use this method on a Feculent Gnarlmaw or a Screaming Bell. Let me know in the comments what you used it for.
I hope you have enjoyed this method. It is more involved than my usual guides and uses a wider range of techniques. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.
How did you find the method? Have you any questions? Let me know in the comments. Happy Hobbying.
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