First attempt at figure building/painting.

[Gavalaar1980]

It all depends on how far you want to go with the figues, however one thing that can make a huge difference is in the eyes. Never use pure white for the eyeballs, use a very pale grey of off white, very pale skin tone. try and paint a thin dark line on the top of the eyeball and then a light pink line around the bottom eye lid, and in 1/16th scale try and add a pupil and then a highlight spot.

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What scale are the above samples? They are incredibly detailed. To get good eye detail some ultra small brushes would be needed? Regarding the pure white it's because I didn't deviate from Tamiyas paint scheme on the model box; I assume it's common practice to use aftermarket acrylics from other manufacturers to get a perfect desired colour? I guess that's the difference between a good painted figure and a really elaborate, stunning figure! Got another Tamiya 1/16 on order with a camouflage pattern next, which will be an interesting challenge...1/16 is my preferred scale.

Thanks for the advice. G

[Tim Marlow]

Hi mate
You don’t necessar need a small brush, a bigger brush (size one or so) with a very good point actually gives better control as the paint doesn’t dry quite so quickly in the bristles.

[Steve Brodie]

they are different sizes
blondie is 1/9th, pilot is also 1/9th yuri is 1/10th. A small brush is actually a disadvantage at times, a size 1 or 0, the brush needs to be good quality thoug. With a small brush the paint may dry on the bristles before you get it near the figure (acrlyics) oils tend to be okay. your figure is very good for your first attempt. but if you want to get into figure painting you need different tones of flesh.

this 1/10th bust face has been painted in oils and has about 8/9 different flesh tones added plus some greens and blues into it as well. that's after it has been airbrushed with green and cream to see the shadows and highlights, but I have been doing this 'serioulsy'for about 18 months now.



it just takes practice, practice and practice.


anything else please just ask always happy to help where I can.

[JR]

I'm certainly not a figure painter, but looking at your work think you should feel good about it. It's all down to practice, and learning from mistakes, or should I say learning from different ideas.

[gothicgeek]

Excellent and tidy work for your first figure!
I'd advise going over to something like vallejo model colour or citadel paints next time as they are much nicer for brush painting.
As said it's the point of the brush that's important and not overloading it.
Figure painting is a steep learning curve but the effort pays back and you'll improve with each one!
Happy painting!

[Gavalaar1980]

they are different sizes
blondie is 1/9th, pilot is also 1/9th yuri is 1/10th. A small brush is actually a disadvantage at times, a size 1 or 0, the brush needs to be good quality thoug. With a small brush the paint may dry on the bristles before you get it near the figure (acrlyics) oils tend to be okay. your figure is very good for your first attempt. but if you want to get into figure painting you need different tones of flesh.

this 1/10th bust face has been painted in oils and has about 8/9 different flesh tones added plus some greens and blues into it as well. that's after it has been airbrushed with green and cream to see the shadows and highlights, but I have been doing this 'serioulsy'for about 18 months now.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1158577[/ATTACH]

it just takes practice, practice and practice.


anything else please just ask always happy to help where I can.

Okay, good points. I agree that the face is probably the key area of a figure which needs good realism to stand out; for example making the face appear more flushed with red as opposed to one flat flesh tone. Regarding the paint scheme on the box the uniform and attachments seem fairly accurate towards colour detail. However, on the next build I shall concentrate on experimenting on with face/flesh painting in more detail with more than just one colour.
Thanks for the tips. G

[Gavalaar1980]

I'm certainly not a figure painter, but looking at your work think you should feel good about it. It's all down to practice, and learning from mistakes, or should I say learning from different ideas.

Thank you. It's good to have this constructive feedback from experienced model makers. G

[Gavalaar1980]

Excellent and tidy work for your first figure!
I'd advise going over to something like vallejo model colour or citadel paints next time as they are much nicer for brush painting.
As said it's the point of the brush that's important and not overloading it.
Figure painting is a steep learning curve but the effort pays back and you'll improve with each one!
Happy painting!

Thank you and yeah I have heard of Vallejo paints, will give them a look. The face is the key area of a figure to add realism I think. Next build I shall go into more detail. Not sure that Tamiya have many flesh colour options other than the flat flesh acrylic?

[gothicgeek]

Thank you and yeah I have heard of Vallejo paints, will give them a look. The face is the key area of a figure to add realism I think. Next build I shall go into more detail. Not sure that Tamiya have many flesh colour options other than the flat flesh acrylic?

Tamiya paints are lacquer based and are terrible for brush painting.
Vallejo, Andrea, citadel etc are water based and are superb on a brush. Keep the paint well thinned and apply several coats. It'll dry in seconds in a warm room or waft it with a warm hair dryer to speed things up.
I use lots of transparent layers to build up colours and that allows smooth transitions.

[Gavalaar1980]

Tamiya paints are lacquer based and are terrible for brush painting.
Vallejo, Andrea, citadel etc are water based and are superb on a brush. Keep the paint well thinned and apply several coats. It'll dry in seconds in a warm room or waft it with a warm hair dryer to speed things up.
I use lots of transparent layers to build up colours and that allows smooth transitions.

Ah I see. The lacquer based acrylic paints are a thicker viscosity than water based. I did notice the Tamiya paint did congeal quite a bit but I managed okay. You'd think manufacturers would produce the best possible paint for their models but seemingly that's not the case!

[gothicgeek]

Ah I see. The lacquer based acrylic paints are a thicker viscosity than water based. I did notice the Tamiya paint did congeal quite a bit but I managed okay. You'd think manufacturers would produce the best possible paint for their models but seemingly that's not the case!

Tamiya paint is really good through an airbrush!
Vallejo and it's ilk are different beasts.
Mix some kind of flow enhancer to it (soap) and it won't leave water marks.

[Gavalaar1980]

Update Tunic button detail now added...

[dalej2014]

Nicely done figure, neatly and well painted.
As for your question - I'd say first don't be afraid to deviate a bit from the colours given. Use those as a base reference, but you can go lighter or darker. CLothes in real life will have different dyes, get dirty, fade in the sun etc.
To add a "3D" effect to your model have a look at washes and dry brushing. Picking out details can be done with a "pin wash" in the same way that vehicles are done. You'll need to varnish first! As others have mentioned try different paints. I like Vallejo myself, but any water based acrylic is good for figures. Hope some of the ideas help, but keep up the good work! Most of it is practise, practise, practise, and you're off to a great start

[Gavalaar1980]

Nicely done figure, neatly and well painted.
As for your question - I'd say first don't be afraid to deviate a bit from the colours given. Use those as a base reference, but you can go lighter or darker. CLothes in real life will have different dyes, get dirty, fade in the sun etc.
To add a "3D" effect to your model have a look at washes and dry brushing. Picking out details can be done with a "pin wash" in the same way that vehicles are done. You'll need to varnish first! As others have mentioned try different paints. I like Vallejo myself, but any water based acrylic is good for figures. Hope some of the ideas help, but keep up the good work! Most of it is practise, practise, practise, and you're off to a great start :smiling3:

Many thanks for your advice, and compliments. This model was entirely brush painted with Tamiya paints, as per the scheme on the box. I didn't do any research about Tamiya paints, just carefully and methodically painted the model, only to find out they are actually designed for airbrushing! For the next build I've ordered some Vajello paints for the face so I'm starting to deviate. G

[dalej2014]

Many thanks for your advice, and compliments. This model was entirely brush painted with Tamiya paints, as per the scheme on the box. I didn't do any research about Tamiya paints, just carefully and methodically painted the model, only to find out they are actually designed for airbrushing! For the next build I've ordered some Vajello paints for the face so I'm starting to deviate. G

Great stuff, and no worries. Look forward to seeing how you get on.