rendering metal help!

[perineum]

Im doing a ink and colored pencil drawing. a woman with a mechanical arm.
Having trouble rendering the curved metallic surface.
Any pointers regarding the fundamentals for metal?
(Will post work in progress soon.)

Thanks,
P

[Chromium]

What kind of metal? Is it brushed, rusted, polished, covered in grease and gunk?

Brand new polished metal will be slightly bluish with very sharp highlights and reflections. Brushed metal tends to be a whiter/lighter color with more scattered highlights (think of it being scratched). Rusted metal takes on more darks with reds and oranges and the highlights tend to be very diffused.
Good references for metal would be construction equipment, the engine and body of your car, junk yards, and train yards.
The website for the Honda robot has some useful information that you might use with your girl. The Honda Robot. (http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/)