In this video I tackle one of my biggest hobby annoyances: freehanded metallic chapter symbols. They always look awful on my models, so for my Kill Team captain—painted as a Soul Drinker—I decided to do it properly and just sculpt the emblem in green stuff. I show you my full process from planning the scale on the shoulder pad (it always looks bigger until you actually start sculpting) all the way to a clean, factory-looking result. The big takeaway is patience and working in stages. I start by marking the center and a rough outline with a permanent marker, then I build the chalice shape first with a simple semicircle and crisp, parallel edges. Only after it fully cures do I add the side decorations using a “sausage” of putty and a leaf technique (press-and-pull with a sharp clay shaper) to get definition without tool marks. Finally, I add the triangles/spikes and the three small “gems” as separate steps, focusing on symmetry, smoothness, and readability by physically separating elements with a subtle cut line. If you want custom chapter icons that paint up beautifully in metallics, this is the route.