Painting realistic metal is a skill artists spend years perfecting. The gleam of a knight’s armor, the worn-out chassis of a post-apocalyptic vehicle, or the intricate filigree of a clockwork automaton—these elements add depth to your artwork that can captivate audiences and amaze your clients.

Mastering how to digitally paint metal alone can challenge beginners and veterans alike. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a solo journey. We’ve handpicked six tutorials by veteran digital artists that will guide you from novice to expert in no time. These tutorials cover everything from understanding metal's unique properties to setting up your base and adding the final touches. 

Let’s start with the How to Draw Metal Tutorial, a perfect course for beginners.

How to Draw Metal Tutorial

This beginner tutorial features step-by-step instructions on how to digitally paint metal from scratch. You’ll learn how to sketch the base layer, add light and highlights, and emphasize metallic highlights' brightness and well-defined nature. The tutorial demonstrates how to give metal distinct textures and nuanced details. You’ll follow the artist closely, observing their example of a fantasy armor pauldron.

The bundle comes with several assets:

• Final HD image
• Step-by-step images
• Step list
• Tutorial PSD file
• A brush set
• Video featuring voiceover in English and Russian

Painting Metal with Form

Beginners and intermediates can take their texturing to the next level with the help of this tutorial. The lesson covers metal, cloth, and glows in a 5-hour HD video with audio commentary. You’ll learn how to capture the characteristics of both cloth and metallic surfaces for characters, mastering each substance's design, value structure, lighting, and rhythm. The tips and tricks in this video work with both 3DCoat and Photoshop. You’ll get these helpful files with the bundle:

• 5-hour HD video with commentary
• An OBJ of the bust used in the video
• 2 TGA textures

Armor Design: Fantasy

Of course, we had to include a tutorial showcasing a knight in shining armor! This bundle caters to more advanced artists and demonstrates metal armor design and painting techniques. Follow along with four guided videos that teach you how to determine a reference, prepare your design, and begin executing your concept. The fantasy-focused lesson will help you hone your armorsmithing skills and achieve stunning metal textures.

You’ll receive these assets in the tutorial:

• 4 video files explaining the techniques
• 2 Photoshop PSDs to reference during the tutorial
• JPG of the finished armor design

30 Metal Smart Materials + PBR Tutorial

For 3D digital artists, metal painting can be a complex endeavor. Working with an application like Substance Painter requires a deeper understanding of how light interacts with different surfaces in a three-dimensional space. Metal can be incredibly challenging to depict with its reflective and high-contrast properties. This tutorial provides many different assets to jump-start your metallic substance modeling, including 30 metal smart materials and 4K wood PBR textures.

You get these useful assets with the bundle:

• 30 high-quality wood smart materials (SPSM)
• 30 4K wood PBR textures
• PNG and JPG previews
• 352-minute tutorial videos

Basic Render Tips - Matte and Metal

This 45-minute guide for intermediate artists teaches you how to digitally paint metal by covering several techniques. This tutorial provides a comprehensive understanding of the metal painting process, from capturing a shape and picking a light source to adding specular maps. The bundle includes tool presets, a hi-res PSD, JPG files, and a PDF of helpful links.

Here’s what you get with the tutorial:

• TPL with tool presets
• 45-minute video tutorial
• PSD file to follow along with
• JPGs of the complete painting
• PDF of useful links

Painting Convincing Textures

Mastery of textures can mean the difference between one-time customers and lifelong clients. Creating a convincing metallic material in your work can wow an audience and quickly set you apart from novice artists. This tutorial teaches you how to paint convincing textures of all shapes and sizes, including metallics. You’ll learn to wield glossiness, specularity, and metallic characteristics while honing your grasp on silhouettes and tangibility. The course includes six bite-sized lessons with two videos for the introduction and key terms.

You’ll receive these valuable assets:

• 8 video files
• A PSD file to follow along with the tutorial

How to Digitally Paint Metal Like a Pro

Getting comfortable with digitally painting metal is a marathon, not a sprint. Each tutorial is a stepping stone to getting closer to that realistic, shiny, and eye-catching result you envision.

Remember that it’s all about practice and patience. The more time you invest in learning and honing your skills with seasoned professionals, the more your work will reflect those efforts. The tutorials above will help you focus your energy on practical, tangible results.

Your digital metal painting journey starts here. Ready to kick it off with Cubebrush? Pick a tutorial that fits your skill level and interest, then let your artistic inspiration do the rest. Happy painting!