The long awaited figure tutorial

Hermesminiatures wrote:

Hmm...are you totally monochromatic, or do you just have problems with red-green or blue-yellow? I could see that being a problem...

Actually, blue and yellow are the "good" colors for me...hence the corresponding bike scheme. Heh. Red/green/brown tend to be a pretty confused mush. Don't have a copy of my army medical records anywhere close, so no official diagnosis, but i seem to remember failing all of the color tests pretty badly.

Hermesminiatures wrote:

If you do end up having to use off the shelf colors, I'd suggest that you ask around for the best colors to use for a particular project...Vallejo's colors aren't exactly what you'd expect. For example, WWII US Uniform is a bright apple green, not the olive shade it should be

That could certainly be a problem. Do you have any recommendations for a figure-paintable brand that might have more accurate colors?

The Vallejo colors aren't entirely inaccurate, there are just a few that are slightly off. Many of them are made to go in threes, with a base, shadow, and highlight, and don't look good by themselves. Later in the tutorial I'll teach you about filters and how to change the tone of a color after you've applied it.

Dupes - you'll still be best off with Vallejo, nobody else is any more accurate. You just need to ask around, because you wouldn't know that 'US Uniform' is actually the Vietnam-era color and not appropriate for WWII. Nobody should worry too much about getting spot-on color shades - temperature and tone of the real uniforms would vary with production batch, wear, and dirt.

Finally, a figure painting tutorial, just what i need, with all the kits bougth and dio's waiting to be done, I need to know how to paint figures, it been a skill that i haven't still master.

I hear to never use acrylics on figures because it too thick and doesn't achieve the skin look and enermals are better, is this true? cause all i got is tamiya acrylics.

T-rex wrote:

I hear to never use acrylics on figures because it too thick and doesn't achieve the skin look and enermals are better, is this true? cause all i got is tamiya acrylics.

Se the posts from Dupes and me, as well as Hermes regarding Tamiya vs. Vallejo/Andrea. This 200mm bust was painted almost entirely in Vallejo and Andrea acrylics. Acrylic Citadel brass for the buttons, an oil wash in the hair and Humbrol gold on the shoulder boards.

T-rex wrote:

I hear to never use acrylics on figures because it too thick and doesn't achieve the skin look and enermals are better, is this true? cause all i got is tamiya acrylics.

 I'm just starting in 1/35 figures and by no means as accomplished as some of the others who have posted, but generally I use oils for the face(Blending) and Vallejo acrylics for everything else. They dry a lot faster and as long as you thin them they cover excellent,IMHO. They're not as durable as enamels, but unless you plan on juggling your completed figures acrylics should work fine for you.

Great stuff there, Al.

Hermes...how's part 3 coming? Still recovering from those bike rides?

Read a figure tutorial and it says "acrylics when are dry are just too dry and unrealistique for flesh color on figures, enermals are better canse there smooth..." 

Well it doesn't really matter the paint use on the figure as look as it looks good, it just eyes and shadows that I can't do right, as well as highlights.

Here are some of my figures painted with Vallejo and Citadel acrylics:

An excellent tutorial so far,

I will be keeping an eye on this one. I've tried painting faces with acrylics but failed miserably. The shading thing threw me for a loop. The mini gallery was a great idea. I've already picked up a few pointers that I always rush thru, the prep work. So I would like to thank you for sharing this tutorial.

Hermesminiatures wrote:

So, anybody still following this? I was kind of surprised to hear no Part 3 questions...

I'm still here!  After reading part 3, I had some questions about glazes.  Before I asked them, I wanted to look at the photos again but that was when Photobucket went all skrewy!

I read your descriptions about the glazes, but having never tried it- I am hesitant to give them a whirl.  DO you have any other photos that show the progression of shading using them, or perhaps a photo showing a typical glaze in a cup/on a tray so I can get a better feel for their consistency?

Thanks for the toot, and the help!

Hermes - Thanks again for putting this together.  The third installment is great.  I have worked with glazes before and I really enjoy watching the figure come to life.  Now only if I could paint a pair of straight eyes.

Hermesminiatures wrote:

The key to learning this, like most of the other techniques, is practice, practice, practice.

Ain't that the truth

Doug 

Okay guys, I'll see about adding some more photos of mixing and applying glazes.

Hermesminiatures wrote:

Okay guys, I'll see about adding some more photos of mixing and applying glazes.

Thanks, I'll be watching for those!

Dougums wrote:

Now only if I could paint a pair of straight eyes.   Doug

To check on properly aligned eyes, I keep a small mirror on my bench. When I've added the irises, I look at the face in the mirror. I don't understand why that makes it easier to see the alignment, but it does. It's like when you get your haircut, the barber/stylist is watching your reflection more than directly at you.

    Thanks for the tip ajlafleche! I will give it a try.

    And ditto that dupes, some figs just dont stand up on thier own. I need some bases. 

Dougums wrote:

And ditto that dupes, some figs just dont stand up on thier own. I need some bases.

For a figure that's to be displayed by itself, I mount them on a 2 inch cube from Michael's. I stain it, add groundwork et voila, a base. If you want to display it next to a piece of armor, they also have 1/8 inch circles and other shapes. These can be painted  and will allow you to give your display as sense of scale. The blocks sell for a dollar and the smaller pieces less, I believe. Running a piece of brass rod or even paper clip up the heel allows you to drill a hole in the base to make the figure more stable.

Hey, we are still waiting on pins and needles for part 4!!!  Any idea when it will be posted?

Thanx's

I've been pretty busy lately but I'm almost done with it. Should be posted within a week if things go as planned.

Also, I'm going to be pretty upset if somebody doesn't actually start posting some photos of all the figures that they were so eager to paint when I started this tutorial....you've already got all the needed info to start painting!