My first custom - X-Force Archangel
 

It's not an original idea but if I can crack this first repaint then i'll spruce up a deadpool in the X-Force colours and probably re-do Wolverine as well.

I've got new camel hair brushes, a metallic silver sharpie, a range of blue, black, grey and silver Valejo paints and some Dullcote spray. I also have two archangel figures ready to paint and a few crappy figs to test the paint on.
It should be time consuming and very fiddly work, especially trying to maintain and/or improve the lines.
I'm in two minds at the moment. Should I fully repaint the body with a black base and then attempt to draw on and then paint the silver/grey pattern?
Or should I pick out the silver/grey pattern first with the sharpie and then attempt to apply the black around it...and then apply a silver paint job over this?
Also, Blue ears or Black?

if i was you. id paint the whole thing black, always dragging the brush 1 way if possible for a smooth paint job, and then do the silver afterwards in the same manner.

if you do the lines first and then try to paint around them, you will probably have to paint in all different directions and then the paint will overlap and wont look as clean as if you do it the first way i suggested. especially if you are going to take a pic with a good quality camera. trust me i know from experience, painting technique can really show sometimes.

That's good advice, I wouln't have thought to regulate the brush strokes.
I'm happy to do lots of thin coats to avoid clotting but i'm thinking the black base coat is going to be easier to apply. Hopefully that should provide a dark undercoat to build up the layers of silver/grey as well, muting all the colour for that badass X-force look.

yeh you will have to do more silver to make it brighter if it has a black base.

you should undercoat the lines with white. so paint all the silver lines where you want them as if they are totally white, then when you paint the silver over you should only need 1 coat (depending on what type of paints you use) and it should be brighter.

keep me updated mate!

Excellent idea, that should give me a better guide as well.
I'll post some photos of my progress when i've got the figure in hand.