Excellent info on the camo painting,although it might just be beyond my skills.

Thanks guys! For once I'm rather happy with my work... It all worked out way better after I took the time to decompose and write down the steps ; some bigger pictures from the Alpine artworks helped a lot too!

Now I just have to manage to get face-painting right

They turned out great!

Wow! Great job! If I could do anything like that I would be quite happy!

Back to it ; my patterns downright sucked so I just scrubbed them and started from scratch with a third test figure.

Still far from perfection but getting way better! I think I can live with this...

On the other hand, still no luck with the face painting...

The German uniforms are both striking and challenging for sure.  This is one of my earlier figures where I tried the pea pattern cammo.  I did this with testors enamels and oils.  I messed up on consistency in density but a good learning experience.  I started doing 120mm figures (as this one is) and tried to apply the same techniques to smaller scales.

This is a 1/35 dragon figure

For faces I followed the Verlinden way (old school).  I combine a base of enamels followed by oils.

https://www.amazon.com/System-Vol-Figure-Painting/dp/1930607334

Couple of faces I did that I liked but can always improve

There's a couple manufactures that make kits with several heads.  Buy a bunch and practice.  That said I haven't done a figure (outside of a 1/48 pilot here and there) in a while.

 BTW - if you want to see some nice work check out Matt Wellhouser's stuff. 

http://custmini.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the valuable information everybody. I am currently working on a set of 1/16 figures made for the Tamiya Kubelwagen by Jeffshiu's Miniatures. My build will try to represent a panzer division in north Italy. Because they are wearing cold weather uniforms, there will be plenty of wrinkles to show the depth and shading. While not at the skill level of many, I plan on using a mix of Vallejo and MM paints for base coats, shading, washes, drybrush, and highlighting. I have seen some work that I really like using water color pencils and pastels too. I am going to give them a go as well. 

Thanks again for the references and input.

Ben

Hobbie

Coincidentally I just heard about those recently, I was wondering about them. I'm considering it :-)

I visited my local shop today to get the vallejos I needed for that pattern... they missed ONE... seven tubes needed and they just missed that german yellow orange  oh well... I'm a slow builder anyway ^^

 

Thats the worse when the shop comes up one color short. The andres miniature paints are pretty good, just have to understand how to use shadow and lighting and then your set. I do feel like there are a few unnecessary steps on there paints but thats just me. I also bought the mig German grey paint set but Havent used it yet, may be worth A look as well. 

Coincidentally I just heard about those recently, I was wondering about them. I'm considering it :-)

I visited my local shop today to get the vallejos I needed for that pattern... they missed ONE... seven tubes needed and they just missed that german yellow orange  oh well... I'm a slow builder anyway ^^

Have you looked At or tried Andrea miniatures camo sets. It’s like 6 paints but it’s a majority of shadows and lighting. I’m still getting used to them but I feel like they aren’t that bad anymore!

I use Tamiya jars for mine and i thin it with white spirits which does evaporate quickly if left to open. But i have never had an issue with the Tamiya jars.

Those Alpine figures are amazing, expensive but deffinetly worth it.

Anytime! I think my version is too dark but I guess tonal variations are ok and easy to get! I should have paid better attention, some clothing stripes are badly engraved and I'm supposed to highlight them with a different tone...

I should have been better prepared before working on the camo, a little bit of research with Calvin's work would have make it more clear, just by looking at Alpine's artworks (see picture below) ; I should know better, you have to take the time to understand how a camo scheme is built and make out the different steps to get it together. I thought I had it but I was wrong. I took some notes yesterday and will try to save it a little - or just scrub it and do it again ; should work easily for the pants...

At worst, it will be great practice and I'll spend the bucks later on the really nice Alpine version!

That guy's work is a mystery to me, he posts pictures where he just stops right in the middle of the scheme (I mean in the middle, with every nuance done on like half the figure!) then get back to it in the course of several days, you can't see a single spot off! I guess it all boils down to patience...

I tried saving homemade oil washes when I started back but the jar I used didn't work out and it dried out... I'll try it again with cleaned up Tamiya or Gunze paint jars, they may work better...

Thanks for the info on the sheepskin and the link. I have saved that.

I have jars of oil washes ready made up. When i want a thin wash i just don't mix it up and take the thin wash from the top. I also don't leave it on to long, 30 mins or so.

They look fantastic to me! 

I generally think my figures look pretty good at a yard/metre distance but close-up not so great.

I've been using Lifecolor paints for my last few aircraft builds they was good at first but the paint goes bad in the jar fast and not the best for brush painting. I'm going to start using AK Real color line for most of my airbrushing. For figure painting Vallejo is the way to go Andrea also does good sets, but Vallejo is easier to get.

I've learned the most about figure painting from Ian E. on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO3PjztDGVQ&t=187s

I guess I'm still a kid who likes small soldiers hahaha! I guess Ron Volstad is to blame for my interest, his work for Dragon is still legendary to me! I think I might be buying Dragon kits more for the sheer pleasure of collecting his work than actually building them!

I love figures, I always thought that they were what brings a whole kit alive ; I'm learning that a few well done ones give a better result that an overcrowding.

Thanks a lot for your kind words :-) I must say I'm the first one impressed, this black basing/drybrushing technique is awesome for monochromatic surfaces! The sheepskin jacket was pretty easy to do :

- flat black basing (airbrushed)
- flat white drybrush
- English Uniform 921 drybrush
- a little white added to the 921 before drybrushing again
- more white added and drybrush again
- I found it a little light so I added some 921 back into the mix and drybrushed again

In the end, I accidentaly went over the collar tabs and made two white spots, so I lightly drybrushed the whole figure again with straight 921 to save the day.

I think a wash will bring everything together but I'll do it last when the little things will be done. That's something I think I need to learn to master ; so far, I just covered the whole figure with a thick brush and Black/Umber mixed with lighter fluid but I think I need to be more subtle...

Here's Calvin's blog :

http://zyclyon.blogspot.com/

it's really impressive, he posted a few american tank crew figures from Tamiya that he painted straight from the box, they stand their ground perfectly next to those pricey Alpine Miniatures!

Thanks and your welcome. There are not that many figure painters around, so its nice to be able to share ideas. The guys here helped me come on leaps and bounds.

Just had another look at your figures and i really like how the sheepskin jacket came out, was. Nice work.

You mentioned Calvins Blog, do you have a link for that?

Great work!

Thanks for the raw umber wash tip!

I also take note of the leather tip, I still miss sepia ink but it will come handy! ;-)

I have been building dios and so doing figures for about 30 years. Its only been the last 3 or 4 that i have started to get somthing i was happy with, but i still have room to improve. I do think its the hardest part, my worst bit was the eyes.

I have heard of Lifecolour but not tried them. I only started useing vallejo as they were the colours in the Osprey book that Calvin did so i decided to go with those and have been very happy with them. Weonly have a small LHS and i have to order my vallejo online, but i think even our shop is now doing AK paints.

One thing Calvin doesn't mention but which i find makes a difference, is to apply a thin raw umber oil wash over the uniform. It helps bring it all together and takes away the nice clean look. Also, especially for faces, i have found that doing large scale busts has really helped me improve my 35th figures.

This one i finished a few months ago and was done in an Autumn pattern following Calvins method. I also use the same method he suggests for leather and find it very effective

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/5/t/181334.aspx

Thanks Bish! I may try to rework the camo a little, it's still pretty messy... I'm scrolling through Calvin's blog, the way he does such perfect patterns is just amazing!

The flesh painting still eludes me, those smooth face with tonal variations are just pure wizardry to me hahaha!

Are you familiar with Lifecolor? My local shop got their painting sets, I've been eyeing them for a while but Vallejo and AK are all the rage these days and I don't see them much around...

Those have come out really well. I like Calvins method and i find the Vallejo much nicer to work with than Tamiya paints. Deffinetly worth investing in. I have not tried his approachfor face painting yet as i am still useing a set of Scale 75 paints, but i willdo at some point.