Short answer: TMM (true metallic metal) means painting metal surfaces with metallic paints that contain real reflective pigment, like mica or aluminium. Because the paint reflects light itself, you do not paint the shine; you only steer it with shade and highlight. That is why TMM is the fast, physically shimmering standard of tabletop gaming.
So why is it so practical? Unlike NMM (non-metallic metal), TMM actually sparkles under real light. Instead of faking the gleam, you let the pigments do it for you, which makes the technique much faster and more forgiving: your job is not to create the shine but to direct it.
The experts describe it the same way. As Light Miniatures puts it, TMM uses metallic paint that holds tiny mica particles or other reflective material. Roman Lappat (Massive Voodoo) sums it up simply: one way to paint metal is to use only colours that contain metallic pigment, and the other variant is NMM.
What is it and what is it for?
Let us pin down the definition first. TMM is painting metal with paints that carry real metallic pigment. Because the paint itself bounces light, the figure physically shines under real light. With NMM, by contrast, the shine is painted in and stays the same regardless of the lighting.
So what is it for? In short, it lets you paint any metal surface fast and convincingly: armour, swords, mechanical parts, chainmail, weapons, ceremonial gold. That is why it is the de facto standard of tabletop gaming; you paint an army in reasonable time and the metal still reads as metal on the table.
TMM and NMM solve the same goal by different routes. NMM is harder, but gives lighting-independent, display-grade control. If the matte alternative intrigues you, the NMM: Non-Metallic Metal guide is exactly that; TMM is where everyone who wants speed and real shine should start.
How does it work?
The whole secret sits in the pigment. The reflective particles in metallic paint genuinely bounce light back, so you do not have to "paint" the metal's brightness, the paint does it. Your task is to steer that natural shine with shade and highlight.
In practice the workflow is four moves: a metallic basecoat, a dark wash (thinned paint that flows into recesses for shade and depth), a touch-up if needed, and a lighter metallic highlight. Goonhammer's Vallejo TMM summary lays it out plainly: basecoat with metallic, wash with a shade, touch up with the base, then highlight with the light tone.
Together these steps give a metal that is bright but voluminous, not flat and toy-like: the pigment provides the shine, the wash adds depth, the highlight adds volume. The whole chain rests on a clean Basecoating, though; if you do not start smooth, the later coats only magnify the blotch.
How do you do it step by step?
TMM is fast, but order really matters. Each step builds on the last; if the basecoat is blotchy, the wash only makes that blotch more obvious. So shake the bottle well and start on a clean surface.
- Basecoat: Lay the metallic base colour (a Leadbelcher-type for steel, a Retributor Armour-type for gold). Stir the paint well for a smooth finish; metallic pigment settles to the bottom.
- Shade / Wash: Fill the recesses with a dark wash (Nuln Oil for steel, Agrax/Reikland or a coloured ink for gold) so you add shade and depth.
- Touch-up: If the wash dulled the raised areas (the surfaces that stand proud), revive them with the metallic base again.
- Highlight: Pick out edges and light-catching points with a lighter metallic (Runefang Steel or Stormhost Silver for steel, a lighter gold tone for gold).
- Tint (optional): Make "tinted metals" with transparent ink; add warm tones to gold (orange/brown) and cool tones to steel (blue).
The thin-coat rule applies here too, especially on the highlight: controlled thin coats always shine cleaner than one thick metallic layer. To see that logic in depth, check the Thinning Paint: Two Thin Coats guide.
Which paints and brushes?
The materials side is simpler than you might expect. All you really need is a trio of metallics, dark, mid and light, plus brushes you reserve for metallics. Hitting that contrast trio matters more than chasing a brand.
- Steel tones: Citadel Leadbelcher (base), Ironbreaker (mid), Runefang Steel / Stormhost Silver (highlight). Vallejo Metal Color and AK Xtreme Metal are excellent too, thanks to their fine pigment.
- Gold tones: Retributor Armour or a brass/bronze base, with a lighter gold highlight on top.
- Wash / shade: Nuln Oil for steel, Agrax Earthshade or Reikland for gold; transparent inks when you want to tint.
- Brush: a separate, cheap brush and a separate water pot for metallics, because the pigment wears the tip and contaminates other colours.
- Airbrush (advanced): fine metallics like Vallejo Metal Color or AK Xtreme Metal for smooth blending.
The fastest route to a highlight, though, is often not the brush but the drybrush. On chainmail and mechanical texture you grab a metallic edge in seconds; for that shortcut, see the Drybrushing guide.
The most common mistakes
Here is the good news: TMM has few traps. The bad news is that they repeat constantly, and most come from forgetting that metallic paint does not behave like ordinary acrylic.
- Not stirring the metallic paint: the pigment stays at the bottom and the surface comes out blotchy and inconsistent.
- Skipping highlight and shade: you end up with flat, "toy" metal. TMM wants contrast just like every other technique.
- Using a careless, or a good, brush for metallics: the pigment wears brushes down, so keep a separate brush for metals.
- Leaving metallics on a wet palette: the pigment separates and contaminates your other colours.
- Drowning everything in wash: the wash should sink only into recesses, not dull and flatten the raised surfaces.
Of these, the most-skipped is the shade-to-highlight balance. The pigment gives you shine but not volume; you add that. To work edge light as its own skill, the Edge Highlighting guide helps you build exactly that balance.
Pro tips
Finally, a few small habits lift TMM results sharply, and all of them are simple and bench-proven.
- Keep a separate, cheap brush and a separate water pot for metallics. This one habit alone saves both your brush life and your colour cleanliness.
- "Tinted metals" is fast and effective: for a gold look, glaze a thin orange (a thin transparent layer) over a brass or bronze base.
- For smooth blending, reach for an airbrush plus a fine metallic (Vallejo Metal Color, AK Xtreme Metal). A transition that is hard by brush gets easy by airbrush.
- On the table, TMM plus a good wash plus a clean edge highlight is often as striking as NMM, and many times faster.
The core of the approach is clearest in the words of the experts.
According to Roman Lappat (Massive Voodoo), there are two ways to paint metal on a miniature: use only colours that contain metallic pigment (TMM), or paint the metal entirely by hand (NMM). In other words, you decide whether the paint makes the shine or you do.
If you want to tint metallics on the cheap, ink is the fastest tool; blue over silver gives cold steel, orange over gold gives warm brass. To study that "tinted metals" logic on its own, see the Washing, Shading & Pin Wash guide too, since TMM's second step feeds directly from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between TMM and NMM?
The core difference is this: TMM uses paint with real metallic pigment and physically shines under light, so the paint creates the gleam. NMM contains no metallic; the shine is an illusion painted by hand and stays the same in any lighting. As a result, TMM is much faster and more forgiving, while NMM is harder but gives display-grade control.
Is TMM suitable for beginners?
Yes, basic TMM sits between beginner and intermediate. Anyone who knows basecoat, wash and highlight can produce convincing metal. The work only shifts to advanced once you move to smooth metallic blending; for the tabletop, the four core steps are more than enough.
Why should I use a separate brush for metallic paint?
Because metallic pigment is abrasive and wears the brush tip over time, and it lodges in the bristles and contaminates later colours. So you reserve a separate, cheap brush and a separate water pot for metallics. Do not spend your good kolinsky on metals; save it for detail colours.
Can I leave metallics on a wet palette?
No, this is a classic mistake. On a wet palette the metallic pigment separates from the binder (the glue-like medium that holds the paint together); the metal goes on blotchy and contaminates the other colours on the palette. Instead, use metallics straight from the bottle or off a dry palette, well stirred. Save the wet palette for normal acrylics.
Why is TMM considered the tabletop standard?
Because it is both fast and genuinely shiny under real light. You can paint an army in reasonable time and the metal still reads as metal on the table. Add a good wash and a clean edge highlight, and the result is often as striking as NMM for far less effort.
What order should I follow for gold?
First lay a brass or bronze metallic base, and once it is dry apply a warm wash like Agrax Earthshade or Reikland. When the recesses darken, revive the surfaces with the base, then highlight with a lighter gold tone. If you like, an orange glaze makes the gold look warmer and more precious.
Is a wash mandatory in TMM?
In practice, yes. A metallic basecoat alone looks flat and lifeless; the wash flows into the recesses, adding the shade and depth that hand volume back to the metal. Skip it and your TMM falls into the "toy metal" trap. At minimum, a dark wash like Nuln Oil on steel or Agrax on gold makes the result instantly believable.
Key takeaway: TMM is the fastest metal method, where the paint makes the shine for you. The job is a metallic basecoat, a dark wash, a touch-up if needed and a light highlight; stir the pigment, keep a separate brush for metals, then bring volume back with contrast.
When you want to round out your metallics, washes and the brushes you set aside for metal, browse our paints, brushes & hobby supplies and pick what fits your bench. After all, the right materials are half the technique.