How should I paint chainmail? A metallic paint with a black drybrush or with a black wash (or other)?

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You can try:
Basecoat black and drybrush boltgun metal up through chainmail and mithril silver and depending on how shiny you want it dull it down with a black wash.

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Thanks

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"There are few left in Middle Earth like Aragorn, son of Arathorn." - Gandalf, Many Meetings

I normally just use the metallic paint & let natural shadows bring out the ring-holes.
However, if I was going to paint it that way, I think I would pain the thing black and then drybrush the metal on very carefully.

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I normally use 1part black to 3 parts bronze for the under coat, then go in with some silver dry brush. Then a really light dry brush of something else depending on the unit. Black and red, brown, green or a touch of gold.

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It's worth considering how the chaimail hangs and putting in some rust features. A mix of Boltgun Metal and Bestial Brown works well.
By selecting areas like this you will give it some depth.
I usually start with Chaos Black ontop of Skull White. Heavy drybrush of Boltgun Metal. Boltgun Metal / Mithril Silver on the raised areas.
Now add shading using the above mix and areas of Badab Black, Devlan Mud, Thraka Green (if you dont have these watered down paints work just as well and sometimes better due the increased pigments ) - will all help to create the depth.
Finish with Boltgun Metal / Mithril Silver on the high spots before a a very fine highlight of Mithril Silver.
Even at this stage I have gone back and re-applied more shading so that some the folds in the chainmail are more apparent.
It is a bit long winded and it's down to you if you think it's worth the effort.

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I'll try a black undercoat with a metallic drybrush.

Thanks for all the answers.

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"There are few left in Middle Earth like Aragorn, son of Arathorn." - Gandalf, Many Meetings