Plunging into gold-ness

Hi,

2 days ago I decided to finally start the work on my BSB which I fully converted and only need to be painted.
So, I finished the under coat and now I am in a problem: All the models I painted until now were troops, so I didn't go for too much effort in painting them. But this model already demanded so much work from me that it will be a shame not to paint it to the best I can.
So, I would like your suggestions on gold-painting. What is the best way to paint gold in a striking way? Does it matter if before I apply the gold I paint a coat of some base-color, like red for example?

Thanks in advance

Most people like black under thier metalic paints,
if you are lookin to paint aged gold try some light
washes of delven brown and sepia, and perhaps
a light drybrush of silver or a gold silver mix
in the sharp edges.


Ps. something like this.... http://www.kaple.dk/?page=tutorials&id=34

A really effective method I use for painting gold (especially for lizardmen) is the following:

1. Black undercoat

2. Shining Gold basecoat (a good even covering i.e. not drybrush!)

3. Brown ink (or a suitable brown wash)

4. Shining Gold highlight (leaving the recesses shaded)

5. Final highlight using a 1:1 mixture of shining gold and mithril silver (the very edges)



For an example of how this works out check out the palanquin in my painting blog:

http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/aranigejs-painted-minis-updated-new-slann-palanquin.1445/

scorched brown followed by a mix of shining gold/boltgun metal

I do dwarf brass with a layer of burnished gold followed by gryphonne sepia and a dry brushing of burnished gold.

I realize that is probably a lot of different colors though...

I prime black and do two coats of Shining Gold, wash with Devlan Mud, and then drybrush Burnished Gold. It comes out darker than real gold, but that's the look I like for things like EoTG and other older, artifact-like things.

Chainmail highlighted with Mithril Silver followed by several heavy washes of Gryphonne Sepia, it's how I painted my BSB bearer, it's quick, it's relativly easy and you get beautfifully highlighted gold that is quite light and so a colour that is not overpowering.