I just started painting figures and have bought a huge load of acrylic paint. However, I find that the acrylic doesn't give a natural tone and texture to the figure. I was told by a friend that oil paint is the best choice. So which is better?

I recently switched to oils.

Still trying to mix a flesh tone I'm 100% satisfied with and working on my technique but I have been a lot happier with them.

The only acrylics I have tried are Tamiya and Gunze which are not real good when it comes to brush painting.

I painted with oils for years, came back to modelling and switched to acrylics. I (personally) think that using oils is a step backwards - the quality of the 'dedicated' Acrylics such as Vallejo or the recent Lifecolor range is such that why would anyone want to use oils?

I'm still using biros as well - I decided NOT to go back to quills...Jim

I'm sort of mixed on oils for figures. It is extremely easy to blend with oils, and they do have a depth, or a richness to them...............but as Jim says, the modern acrylics designed for brushwork have a depth and a richness all their own, and can be made to blend with the use of retarders and a slightly different technique. In short, with practise acrylics can look just as good as oils, and have other advantages too.

Vinnie

I paint with Vallejo acrylics and I'm almost addicted to shape and wet the paintbrush with my lips so I have to stick to acrylics as long as my saliva is not made of turpentine... By the way I've learned to use them and have bought lots of them so I do best sticking to them.

I used to use oil paints, but have children in the house and did not want to subject them (or me) to the smell. I switched to acrylics and don't think they are much inferior to oils, if at all. I agree you should use something to retard the acrylic tone if you want a more realistic finish. For vehicles, I usually brush some colored chalks for a muddy or dusty look and then spray sparingly with Testors dullcoat. I am still experimenting with finishing figures painted with acrylic.

A technique I have discovered for realistic skin surfaces on figures is to first paint the surface with a very light skin tone acrylic paint. After it has fully dried, do a one or two parts water to one part acrylic paint wash over the surface. I use warm skin tone for Northern Europeans and leather for Southern Europeans, Asians, and American Indians. I am still experimenting with Negro skin tones.