Hi, I have recently rejoined the hobby and have started to paint figures. I have quite a few bottles of Model master figure paints, ie: light skin tone, medium, etc. I have my old Shep Paine books and am trying to blend the different tones to shadow and highlight the faces with not much success, any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Rocco,

Try the CD-ROM MXpression by Olivér Kovács, Painting a 1/35 scale figure with acrylic colours.

A few test figures and a running laptop next to your workbench will make you a 'master' within a few sessions.

Hi Rocco..
Which Model Master? The enamels (petroleum base) or the newer acrylics?
You may find that the techniques work differently for the two different types of paint. I'm VERY old school and use only enamels from Model Master, with very high quality brushes. Starting with the deepest lines and recesses, I paint in my darkest burnt sienna, and mix with a pallette lighter and lighter tones of tan, then light tan, working from the deepest lines out to the tops of all surfaces. I'm no master like Shep Paine by a very long way, but I find that if I paint continuously and do not let the paints dry fully and cure, I get a kind of natural "blending" as I paint each lighter tone on the previous darker shade. This works well with petroleum base enamels, but I have no clue if acrylics will behave the same..I would think no.

Not that I recommend myself as any expert..I'm far from that...but on a simple level, you might want to look over my feature on the Assault Infantry Platoon for my current diorama project..page 3 has pics of my basic figure painting technique in sequence. It's simple stuff, but to get re-started on a nearly beginner level, you might find something useful there. I would be pleased if I contributed some help..
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/4894&page=3

I'm sorry, I do use enamels. Also have a small collection of Humbrol tins. That's what I used in the 70's. The 3 hobby shops here in Rochester only carry Model master, Tamiya, and scale RR paint.

Rocco,

The hobby enamels have to be blended before they're hard-dry, and they will blend best while they're still wet. The longer they dry and set, the harder it becomes to blend them until, eventually, it becomes impossible.

You can SLIGHTLY extend their drying time by using turpentine (instead of mineral spirits) as a thinner since the hobby enamel paints are often too thick and heavy to paint with straight from the bottle. Another trick is to mix the hobby enamel with artist oil paints to create your shadows and highlights (from the base hobby enamel color).

For example, you can use burnt umber artist oil paint to darken your hobby enamel flesh color and white artist oil paint to lighten the flesh. You can do the same with uniform colors. Black Panzer uniforms can use black and white artist oils with the black hobby enamel (actually, start with a dark gray instead of pure black). Olive Drab hobby enamel can be shaded with raw umber for the shadows and white or yellow ocher or raw sienna (for a "greener" or "brighter" look) for the highlights.

(This is actually how I transitioned from hobby enamels to artist oils for figure painting many years ago. I gradually used fewer and fewer of the hobby enamel colors and finally just went to oils alone.)

To blend, use a brush slightly moistened with thinners and "stipple" along the edge between the two shades. Once the colors are blended, use the same brush to gently smooth out the marks left by the stippling by using a normal "brushing" motion.

The main issue with blending the hobby enamels is that they will reach a point when setting / drying when the moist brush will no longer gently soften the paint and allow it to be blended. After that point, the thinners will cause the paint to "lift" in chunks and chips, ruining your work.

If, while you're trying to blend the hobby enamels, you notice that the moist brush doesn't seem to have an immediate effect, be careful! That's usually the time when the thinners will "eat" into the partially dried paint and cause it to lift and chip rather than blend smoothly. Only practice and experience will let you know if this is getting ready to happen.

There are other shading techniques for hobby enamels that use glazes applied on top of the underlying colors, much like is done with the modern acrylics. However, these techniques are not actually "blending" since the two colors (underlying and top glaze) are not mixed together to create a new third shade. However, if you're trying to master the techniques explained by Paine in his books and pamphlets, you are using a true "blending" technique which should not be confused with "glazing" techniques - apples and oranges, so to speak.

HTH

Hi Rocco,

for figure painting I can only recommend the blog of the massive-voodoo-team.

They have tutorials for anything you can imagine (regarding figure painting) but mostly for Acrylic paints.
But the theory (light&shadow, contrasts, etc) is universal.

Massive Voodoo

You will not find more experience about figurepainting in one place on the net (at least in english language)...

Cheers
Thomas

I can't really explain more than Mike did, and he's one of the best figure painter's you'll find on the internet. I myself have used it quite a lot, and I love it. It blends really easily, the only drawback to the paints as a whole (not just blending) is that some of them tend to have a shine once painted. I think it might have to do with the consistency of the paint (too thin probably), but a layer of dull coat over it works amazingly.

Good luck and happy painting, sir

-Conor

Thanks so much for the replies so far. Mike, one thing I know I must do is just practice. With my airbrush and with the figures. I'm lucky that the 2 days I work nights, I can bring my art kit in and have at it between batch jobs!

These 2 guys are works in progress. The figures' tunics and boots are done entirely in Model Master. I blended colors on the fieldgrey for the highlights/shadows, and the Dot44 camo is more or less unchanged. It's important to thin the paint a bit when you're shading so it runs into the recesses and seams. Makes it a lot easier, and it blends better with the base coat. As you can see there is a shine on the fieldgrey, it's not awful, but like I said is an easy fix.



The camo on this para is Vallejo (which is worth the investment too) but the straps and gear are MM


(I've just noticed a few flaws on him as well...)

I am by no means an expert, but I figured this was a good picture example for you.

Hope this helps

-Conor

I can't comment on painting with oils or enamels, as I use only acrylics, although I occasionally use oils for weathering or washes.
My main contribution in this thread would be, to warn against 'over emphasising', by which I mean trying to paint things that are not suitable for the scale. An example are eyes. Eyes in 1/35 figures need very little emphasis, because they are hardly visible, and should not be. Imagine a real person, standing in front of you, at a distance where he would be the same size as a 1/35 figure. Can you see the white of his eyes? Painting bright white eyes, and a coloured iris, on a 1/35 scale figure all to often makes them look frozen in fear.
Likewise over emphasising the shadows on a 1/35 figure(or even any figure) can maker them look like Mayiln Manson on a bad make-up day...

My technique, for what it's worth in this discussion because I paint with acrylics, is to start with a very light flesh colour as the base, and then darken gradually, layer after layer, washing the face more than painting, which gradually darkens the recesses. The eyes get a fill of Ivory, and then a dark dot, leaving just a hint of the ivory visible.

enjoy your panting regardless, it's al about having fun.

i have used this and have had it come out pretty decent for my first time. doing this, i found that using acrylics are quite easy when done right.

http://zyclyon-tutorials.blogspot.sg/2009/03/painting-head-by-calvin-tan-head-is.html

Super! Thanks for the link.

Cheers,
Joe

Thanks for the tips. I'll try some tomorrow. Conor, those figures are VERY nice! I saw the whole thread with the other images. You can almost feel their pain!!