painting fabric and cloth, layers, inks

[Dekulus]

I quite like this style of painting cloth but I find it's not very smooth, I presume this is a layering method with a small amount of blending.

http://www.miniaturepainters.com/_var/gfx/1830619c9c6034915e21b4225880e80f.jpg

My method is to have a mid range base coat, use ink for the shadows and the lay over a lighter shade on the high points and blend out.
To save time I was thinking of just inking the deepest parts and thinning the ink to the highest points for the first stage. Then I would just have to use a lighter tone on the non ink parts and blend out. This hopefully would save time and paint. What do people think of this method ?

It's basically just inking the deepest parts so you don't ink everything over, even the highest points. I have found in the past you have to wait a while for the ink on high parts to dry before painting them.

 

[Einion]

I quite like this style of painting cloth but I find it's not very smooth...

It doesn't look particularly smooth, but then a lot of production-line paintwork isn't. Although I imagine it's probably a bit better viewed firsthand.

To save time I was thinking of just inking the deepest parts and thinning the ink to the highest points for the first stage. Then I would just have to use a lighter tone on the non ink parts and blend out. This hopefully would save time and paint. What do people think of this method ?

I'm not clear on the method you're suggesting, are you planning on skipping the basecoat? In general though I'd say if it works it works and to try it and see - not just the best way, really the only way to know for sure how something will go.

Einion

 

[Wyrmypops]

I go with layering by default. But I'll differ between a dark basecoat and layer up to the highighting stage, and the other method of using a mid-range basecoat, then ink, then layer back up.

The thing I find specific for cloth is to get the transitions just right. The contrast is what describes the texture of the thing being painted. It also helps to paint the strokes with the flow of the materials cut. Painted with downward rather than horizontal strokes on a cloak, to help gives the impression of its sweeping nature.

I'm also enjoying painting on a bit of rough hessian texture during the layering process. If we call basecoat X or red, mid-range Y or orange and highlight Z or yellow for simplicity sake - then when we layer from X to Y, adding some very thin and light cross-hatching back on X-red with the Y-orange can give the impression of a rougher cloth. Reinforced when we layer into from the Y-orange into Z-yellow and then build up that cross hatching back on the area covered in Y-orange. We end up with the regular transition, overlayed with a secondary layering treatment. The thin streaks kinda stand out as we're not expecting to see them, and alongside more finely woven cloth (without the cross-hatching additions) on other areas it does seem to suggest itself as a rougher cloth.

 

[Dekulus]

Einion: No, I'm basically painting the base coat, ink shading and then layering on top. But as some ink shading is left on the highest parts. i.e. space marine shoulder pad it's difficult for the paint pigment to cover the dark ink. (even on the highest areas) So i thought of being more careful and just inking the deepest areas and thinning the ink at the highest areas.

 

[Dekulus]

Wyrmypops: Sounds good, I was thinking of doing something like that with an Eldar warrior battle damage. The armour pieces are quite nice do battle damage on and show some kind of armourweave beneath the main surface. I imagine i would cut the metal to create a recess to show the mesh beneath.

 

[Wyrmypops]

That sounds cool. Evokes some of the imagery, while appearing different to the weathered armour of other forces. Though I've taken to doing Eldar armour as wraithbone, with a hint of a grain to it somewhere between the strokes we see on chitin and wood. Haven't tried battle damge on any of that, I'd likely have to cut into it too, and try to paint in a kind of bone marrow effect. I think I might employ that weaved trick on Dark Eldar damage armour though.