metal is 'hot'. i.e. the reflections on metal are sharp and focused. The main tool you will use is the dodge/burn tool for stuff like this. On rubber, for instance, light spreads out fairly evenly, and not very harshly. It is hard to describe. Just get a couple of skins, one metal and one not, and then take note of how the light plays on the material. It will make sense to you. If you go to my ancient tutorial for ICQ Plus and look at the rubber button I make in one part of it, you can see an example of rubber.
That is one of the tutorials I am in the process of writing, actually, but right now by belly is too full of sushi to concentrate on it. Maybe later... http://www.geocities.com/bakerstr33t/
hang in there. it just takes practice.
