Insperation for those who...

This is insperation for those modelers who want to do flesh tones on figures with acrylics. Most figure modelers use oil paints to paint the various flesh tones/shades on their figure's faces and hands because of the slow drying time (and long window of time to blend the paints). I just bought DML's "Tiger Aces" figure set for a dio I want to do. I painted the Micheal Wittman figure with my new technique and it looks awsome! I Will get some pics up sometime. I have a couple steps That Work on how to paint flesh tones (the red check blushing, the shadows, the eyes, the highlights, ect.) while using fast-drying acrylic paints. I compiled my technique from different websites that tell you how to do flesh tones with acrylics, but modified their technique so it's easier. So for the all-acrlic modelers (like me) that want to do various flesh tones on their figures, this one's for you! This works for 1/35 scale figs. I used this technique for my Dragon figures, since the head/neck part is seperate (you'll see why I explain this in step 2). I know it's a lot to read, but if you take the time you might get something from this...

Materials-all paints mentioned are acrylics
Airbrush-even an aztek will work
3/0 model master brush, or a very small brush
a medium sized brush, about 2-3mm wide
Model Master "Panzer Red" or tamiya red-brown
Tamiya Flesh (Model Master also has an acrylic flesh, it's just too "chalky" and looks weird after painted)
Red paint (tam or MM)
white paint (tam or MM)
Model Master "Dark Tan" or anything of the like
Future floor polish, or any other gloss sealant works great
Flat sealant

Technique
1). Cut the head part out of the sprue and clean up the seam line and everything. Wash the head (carfully, it's small!) with some water and clean off the impurieties like usuall.
2). Using an EXTREMELY small pinprick dot of super glue, glue the base of the head to the top of a paint lid.
3) Whip out the airbrush and load it with Model Master Dark Tan. Lightly layer the paint on the head while convienently holding the paint jar. After that, give it about 2 minutes to dry-quick drying time This works as a primer, because putting flesh on bare plastic doesn't work well.
4) Clean and load up the airbrush with tam flesh. Lightly coat the head with the flesh paint untill its all even and let it dry for another 2 minutes.
5) Break out the gloss sealant and spray that on (with airbrush) and let dry again. I find a glossy-smooth surface stops acyrlic paint from drying like it usually would. This gives you more time to blend the acrlyics.
6) Now break out your red-brown or "Panzer brown" and paint the figure's hair and eyebrows.
7) Mix the red paint with the flesh paint on a spare piece of plastic or something to a ratio of about 75% flesh, 25% red. NOTE:! I hope your fast with thining your paint brushes! You need to apply this mixture to the cheeks and thin the brush. Then dip your brush in the flesh paint and start blending the edges of the cheek circles with it. Once done, let it dry.
8) Now it's to the shading. Mix your red-brown in 25% brown, 75% flesh and paint this mixture under the mouth, above the neck. It's the place that would look dark. Now we got to be quick again and blend the edges with flesh. Let it dry. Then take the same mixture and dilute the mixture down a little bit so it's a little more runny (90% mixture, 10% rubbing alchohol or thinner) put a very little amount of this thinned mixture in the creases of the head's cheeks and corners of his nose. Also put this thinned mixture in the deeper crevace between his chin and his mouth. The flesh paint underneath should hold up the thinned mixture, it's sealed off (even though it's sealed off with acrylic, it should still withstand this small amount of rubbing alchohol or acylic thinner).
9) Now, take your white and paint the whites of it's eyes. let it dry.
10) Take out you brown, or any color, and make the colored part of his eyes. The eyes and the eyebrows convey the message of figure. You can make him look scared or angry with the eyebrows and you can coordinate the irises to be looking to the side, or in a certain direction. Have fun with this part.
11) Now take your medium brush and dip it in the white. Were going to drybrush the hair (Dragon and Tamiya usually texture their figure's hair. Most figures should have some texture when it comes to their hair). Wipe off most of the white and drybrush the raised texture very lightly.
12) Now do the same (extremely lightly!) on the face on the raised parts of the nose, chin and forehead.
13) Now break out the airbrush and load it with flat sealant (or diluted future) and flaten the whole thing down. ONLY do this after leting the whole thing dry an hour. Now your set. It takes some practice, but I'll put some pics up of what I did, but it looks great.

I hope this technique works good for you as it does for me. I came up with this technique based off of many others' techniques. It's not the most advanced technique, but it sure makes a very good-looking 1/35 figure! I have something that worked, so I figured I'd share the wealth. Remember, this isn't a profesional thing, but it'll work for acrylics on 1/35 faces. Enjoy, and tell me if it works for you!