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how do you so accurately paint all the shadows and highlights on uniforms and faces etc. This is something i would love to master and feel it would give my models that bit of realism there lacking at the moment.
Thanks for any advice
Adam 
Welcome to the site and to the dark art of figure painting.
As the cabbie said to the pianist asking how to get to carnegie Hall.
"Practic, practice, practice."
Many of us have been doing this for years and still continue to grow.
Bottom line as far as technique, it's blending, whether wet with oils or in almost translucent layers with acrylics.
Don't rely on "Flesh" paint. There are none that look likle normal human flesh. My base caucasian tone is Vallejo Red beige. Or Beige red. I add dark flesh tone in varying amounts for native American figures and mix in light skintone for highlights and use it straight for the highest lights.
Get the best brushes you can find. For much of my facial work, I use 3/0, 10/0 and even 18/0 brushes.
Get good, well scuplted figures which will give you a better "canvas" on which to paint.
Pop over to Historicus Forma and do a search for face painting. There are several tutorials there.
If you can find a local club with figure painters, there's no better way to learn than a mentor.
After 30 years, I still see figure painting as a journey.
