How to paint studded leather?

[Nuwanda]

Heyhey

I apologize for my bad English, I\'m from Germany. Anyway, I have a question. I want to paint the studded leather armor of \"Karl Oakbriar\" (Reaper). Usually I use a dark brown (scorched brown) followed by a drybrush of lighter brown tones. However, the color sticks to the damned studs, which tend to grow in size until they look stupid while the color somehow doesn\'t get into the right places.

Any suggestions on how to solve the problem?

 

[Einion]

Hi and welcome!

Originally posted by Nuwanda
Any suggestions on how to solve the problem?

Don\'t drybrush

Einion

 

[Nuwanda]

All right. You suggest I have to use a wash to create shading then? I\'ll try, although I hate inks. Do you really think that it\'s possible to use wash without drybrushing afterwards?

 

[Cleezy]

Your probably best, to build up the colour by using layers. Then inking to get the shiny leather effect.

Drybrushing will only pick up on the most raised areas of the figure.

 

[Nuwanda]

I never heard of that technique before. What does \"Using layers\" mean?

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Nuwanda
You suggest I have to use a wash to create shading then? I\'ll try, although I hate inks.

No need to use inks, washes can be done with normal paint thinned down. But you don\'t have to wash, layering on the dark colour carefully is how the majority of advanced painters work.

The technique is to use very dilute paint and apply lots of coats so you don\'t build up a lot of thickness, even though there may be 20 or 30 \'layers\'.

Originally posted by Nuwanda
Do you really think that it\'s possible to use wash without drybrushing afterwards?

Course - lots of painters don\'t do any drybrushing, except on groundwork.

If you\'re looking to paint quickly then drybrushing and washes are a great way of doing it but if you\'re seeking to paint to a higher standard you use these techniques very little.

Einion

 

[GreenOne]

Originally posted by Nuwanda
I never heard of that technique before. What does \"Using layers\" mean?

http://www.coolminiornot.com/article/aid/273

 

[Nuwanda]

Thanks for your replies.

The problem is: If you use techniques other than wash or drybrush you really need to look for the structure of the mini\'s surface und think about the exact spots where light falls etc. If you use the two above methods the color automatically stays where it should be. Or am i wrong about this?

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Nuwanda
If you use the two above methods the color automatically stays where it should be. Or am i wrong about this?

Sorta, depends a bit on the surface.

Here are two obvious problems:
if you drybrush with a lighter colour to highlight something like creased trousers the highlights are on the outside of the creases, not on the upper faces of the creases where they should be;
similar thing with a wash - it goes into a crease and, if you hold the figure upright it settles downwards, not onto the underside of folds where it should be.

Holding the mini upside down to dry can help with where a wash settles but still you don\'t get shadows everywhere they need to be.

Both methods generally lack subtlety. Another thing about drybrushing is it brings out all texture indiscriminately - any roughness in the mini surface or the paint is exaggerated.

Washes work for around raised detail since they go into the recess and are held in place by surface tension; almost all of use use \'em for this kind of thing. But not for the basic shading on quality paintjobs.

Army painting? Sure, different standards so use both as necessary. But show painting, if that\'s what you\'re after, you need to work more deliberately.

Einion