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A Face Painting Tutorial

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  • Guest

    #1

    A Face Painting Tutorial

    OK, lets get this thing under way. Following requests by fellow members, this will be my attempt at an SBS on face painting. I can't make any promises that it will turn out any good, but I'll do my best to give an idea of how I personally go about it.

    My subject will be this Tommy's War bust, another generous gift from Richard Pearce:



    The subject is a captain of the 2nd Bn, South Wales Borderers at Tsingtao, China in 1914. Tsingtao was the location of some German forts, laid siege to, and eventually captured by a joint British/Japanese force. The Germans perhaps gained more renown for their spirited defence. Our man appears to be based on the chap in the photograph.

    The kit comes in three parts:



    This look to be nicely modelled and moulded.

    Cleaned up and temporarily assembled:



    There are a couple of areas that concern me. The first was some resin that had to be removed and a hole filled under the left eye, and the second is that the right eye appears to turn a sharp corner. It seems that the box artist has solved this by having the eyes look to the left, something that I do a lot anyway (it's easier, evades problems like this, and adds character and expression).

    So, the basic materials:



    My brush of choice is the Pro Arte Prolene Plus Series 7 0000. Being synthetic, they are harder than sable brushes, which makes the point easier to control. They don't last long, but they are cheap. Ordering them in sixes usually ensures that you'll receive an unopened batch.

    The face painting palette:



    I use Vallejo Model Colour acrylics exclusively. I find the cover and flow ideal for the way I work. No mediums are used except for a bit of tap water for occasional thinning.

    They are, from top left:

    1. Flat Black; 2. Off White; 3.German Camo Black Brown; 4.Red Leather; 5.Black Red; 6.Dark Red; 7.Flat Red; 8.Flat Flesh.

    The next three are for hair and eye variations;

    9. English Uniform; 10. Dark Green; 11. Andrea Blue.

    Obviously, we're going for a white European skin tone here. I will refer to the colours by the numbers I've given them for the most part, otherwise it will all get a bit tedious.

    My basic method is to work with un-thinned paint and by applying as few layers as possible. Any blending is done when adjacent colours are still wet, or by feathering, stippling and dry-brushing.

    I'll now go away and paint the face, try to remember to take photos, and report back with SBS photos.
  • Jim R
    SMF Supporters
    • Apr 2018
    • 15604
    • Jim
    • Shropshire

    #2
    Hi Peter
    Most interesting to see the magic happen. You mentioned those brushes a while ago and I bought some and have to agree that, even in my unskilled paws, they are excellent.
    One question please. What do you lay out your paints on? Do you favour one of those stay-wet palettes? Do you put out all the colours at one time or only as you need them? I know that's 3 questions but I lied :rolling:
    Thanks
    Jim

    Comment

    • Guest

      #3
      Hi Jim - I use the plastic lids of food cartons, but nothing stay-wet. I tend to put out most of the colours I need at once, though a little at a time.

      Comment

      • Guest

        #4
        I also forgot to point out that although the bust is 1/10 in scale, the basic technique I use applies to all scales. The only difference with the smaller sizes is that there is less scope for detailing.

        Comment

        • Richard48
          SMF Supporters
          • Apr 2018
          • 1883
          • Richard
          • Clacton on Sea

          #5
          Roll up folks for this extravaganza.I shall be donning my pinny and cloche hat and selling beverages and snacks when Peter calls an interval.No throwing popcorn and when using the facilities please be mindful about hygiene.
          IF you sprinkle when you tinkle please be a sweet and wipe the seat!!!.
          Tickets please!!!!!.
          Carry on Mr.D.
          Rich.

          Comment

          • BattleshipBob
            SMF Supporters
            • Apr 2018
            • 6778
            • Bob
            • Cardiff

            #6
            Yes please!! A nice bag of wine gums for me. Tried to do faces but looked like a case of nasty sunburn then like a badly done clown so this Peter would be most welcome. Thanks for the thread

            Comment

            • scottie3158
              SMF Supporters
              • Apr 2018
              • 14189
              • Paul
              • Holbeach

              #7
              Peter,
              chair pulled up let me know if I am to close and getting in your way. Let the magic happen.

              Comment

              • Tim Marlow
                SMF Supporters
                • Apr 2018
                • 18871
                • Tim
                • Somerset UK

                #8
                Nice subject Peter. I blogged this one on on the old place, I seem to remember I found the casting a little crude in places....and I had to strip the face a couple of times...he looked like morph at one point LOL...
                I’m sure yours will come out far better.....

                Comment

                • Steve Jones
                  • Apr 2018
                  • 6615

                  #9
                  It's a PDiddy special! The crowds are flocking. I hope there is enough room in the bench room.

                  You are a star for doing this for us all. Many thanks. It may well inspire me to have another go at figures. Good luck sir.

                  Can you feel all those eyes looking at you :smiling5::thumb2:

                  Comment

                  • Guest

                    #10
                    Oh blimey, no pressure then!

                    As Tim says, this face has some issues. Apart from those already mentioned, the eyes are different sizes and one is further from the side of the nose than the other. However, struggling with adversity is part of what it's about and hopefully it will at least give you an idea of how I paint.

                    Comment

                    • Ian M
                      Administrator
                      • Dec 2008
                      • 18255
                      • Ian
                      • Falster, Denmark

                      #11
                      Good on you for doing this Peter but could you attach the photos full size and not as a thumbnail ? It will make it much easier to see and follow what is going on.
                      Group builds

                      Bismarck

                      Comment

                      • Guest

                        #12
                        Will do Ian.

                        The only trouble is that I find the full size a bit too big and can't seem to edit and format my own pictures. Any tips?

                        Comment

                        • Guest

                          #13
                          Next part, and lets talk a bit about inspiration. Apart from admiring and studying the work of the many fine figure painters out there, I've always looked to fine art for my inspiration. In particular, I've spent many hours studying the early renaissance works in the National Gallery.



                          What you'll notice about these faces is that the flesh tones are built up with thin layers of glaze over a grey (grisaille) underpainting. This is something I've talked to Rick Edens about, that although I don't build up the tones in the same way, I do like to use greys in the shadows. The effect gives depth to the tonal range and makes the pink tones really zing.

                          I'm off to actually start the thing now.....

                          Comment

                          • Guest

                            #14
                            I feel that posting the progress shots full size is going to take up too much room. By clicking on the thumbnails viewers should be able to see a full sized picture anyway.

                            The first stages:



                            The first thing to do is decide where the light's coming from - in this case from the front and above. He will also be wearing a helmet, so the shadows around the eyes will be deeper.

                            I first drew in the darkest shadows and lines with black brown and some of the finer lines with a mix of black brown and flat flesh. This immediately gives the desired expression. After that, I blocked in the main areas of shadow with a mix of black red and flat flesh, then blocked in the highlights with the basic flesh tone. As I went along, I redefined and painted in the lines and wrinkles that emerged. The whites of the eyes were filled in, then a line of dark red was drawn under the white to define it against the lower lid, which was then painted in with a pinkish white.

                            I added the eyebrows at this stage with shades of English uniform so as to better understand the tones around the eyes. The eyes were then defined by painting in the pupil with blue, lighter to one side, dotting in the pupil in black, then adding a highlight in white.



                            As I went along I gradually added increasing amounts of white to the flesh colour and started to build up the highlights along the nose, across the cheekbones and on the brows. This is an on-going process and develops as the tones fall into place. By working with subtly different layers, the various tones tend to blend in.




                            Blending the tones on the cheeks is a bit harder. The process is about achieving a subtle transition from the highlights to the deepest shadow. I tend to use flat flesh mixed with black brown for the beard areas, which has the advantage of adding more shadow the the bottom of the face. The intervening areas are shaded in with the various reds added to the flat flesh and blended while wet, but also by thinning the colour, stippling and dry-brushing. At this stage I usually block in the hair and add the ears to start try and get a picture of how the details are balancing out.

                            More to come......

                            Comment

                            • Guest

                              #15
                              Further progress:



                              Here I've started highlighting further, building up to a pure white on the nose, cheeks and forehead. I've done further work on the chin, again building up the highlights with fleshy greys; mixes of black brown, flat flesh and white.

                              I next blocked in the neck, making it darker under the chin and lighter at the sides and back. All the while I've been going back and forth, adjusting the tones, and blending and redefining the details. All colours are mixes of the reds and black brown added to the flat flesh. I find that if you use the flat flesh as a base, you get more consistent tones than by trying to mix a a flesh tone from scratch each time it's needed.

                              We're at that lovely stage now where the basics are done and the rest is a process of refinement and detailing.

                              Time for lunch.......

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