Skin and faces

[cypher]

I really really really (can I say how much?) like my Vallejo brushes. Best money I ever spent on hobby supplies. Only $1 more than Citadel. I think Citadel should give up on the brush business there brushes are terrible. Worst things I ever used.

I usually use the Vallejo #0. #2 is sort of big for me. But it is nice and pointy so I can see it could work on details too. The whole set rocks.

So for today\'s journal lesson, Vallejo Brushes rule the universe! I can\'t wait to get some vallejo paints too. I have to go see Borg sometime and look at J. Haley\'s minis too. I am happy New Wave is close to me

See yah.

 

[cypher]

Ahh today I am perusing all of my minis I painted since I started gaming again the past few months. The first horrors are up here now! It is all for fun! I am using this site to showcase if I am getting any better at this stuff. It should prove to be interesting.

It is really frustrating for a beginning painter to see good stuff and try to copy it. It is not easy to do well. Each time I paint I learn something new and do one thing a bit better than before. Eventually it will converge and I will get everything looking good (I hope!!!)....

So that is it for my journal from now on my submissions are a painting journal. I think it is going to be a fun experiment. I expect to hit the bottom 10 quite a bit for a while still. I have managed 5\'s lately so I am feeling a bit encouraged.

Thanks for your help check out my masterpieces and have a good laugh and remember you all started here too....

See yah.

 

[ZaPhOd]

Hey Cypher! We all started here! Some of us it was years ago but you can always learn new techniques! A little secret that really helped me along was finding Dominic Heutelbeck\'s site
http://www.miniature-painting.net/
He has a heck of a lot of nice minis and I am really trying to emulate his skin tones on some of his Elves.
If you just want a good laugh, check out my \"Crappy Mini or Not\" exhibit at my site
http://www.dreamwater.net/zaphodsminis/crap/craphome.html
It always cheers me up when I am feeling blue and violent! Yes, the bugbear was one of MY first minis many years ago!

 

[cypher]

I plan to eventually put all of them into the crappy mini or not show

I think it is funny to put them here. I am laughing at them.

 

[cypher]

I will tell you the funniest part is that I am one of the better painters around my area. Most of them don\'t even paint! This one guy painted his DnD mini all blue. Just smeared it all over it. Sooooooo they aren\'t so bad when I am gaming. But compared to what is up here it is failry dismal in comparison...

My biggest drawback is I paint fast. It takes effort to slow down. I think to achieve the high quality painting it requires several hours at least maybe even more. When Jim tells me he spent 3 hours just polishing I squirmed. I couldn\'t put that much time into it. The results are great I just can\'t sit still that long.

I am noticing that if I keep applying layers they come out much smoother. The more layers the smoother the result. The downside is it takes a long time to do that.

Lastly for some reason my scans don\'t look like what it does in person. In person I am happy with them. But when I scan them they come out all funny, colors melt away, details disappear, etc. Also in person you can not really see it so close up like in a scan so the defects aren\'t so obvious. I think most of these people with top knotch stuff also know how to take pictures and alter them to make it look better. I am playing around with some software to try to get it to look more like it does in person.


So really I am not very upset with my efforts I think I have improved alot and I am generally happy with the results with the amount of time I put into it. I am aiming for a look like s-deans Roman legion or Shrouds Boris figure. That is the sort of quality I hope to achieve in my painting. I think that is top knotch stuff don\'t need any better. Stuff like Haley is really Art not a gaming piece. You buy that to put on your desk at work and look at all the time.

I was at the mini painting site again I like his style. Very colorful and cheery. He did his highlander very nicely. Mine is dismal in comparison.

Thanks for the tips see yah around.

 

[ZaPhOd]

Hi Cypher! Don\'t worry about taking your time! I find that I can spend hours doing one little thing. Usually it will turn out much better in the long run. Especially for a D&D character. Since everyone is going to be looking at him all night, you want to be proud of the job you did! Not only this but you can tell when you have rushed and I am sure your friends can as well! The layering is indeed the way to go IMOand with patience you will be a great painter!

 

[cypher]

I am getting more patient and I am encouraged I have improved alot since I started. Most of the work I need to do now is detailing. This is really the time consuming part. I can paint a 5 in about 8 minutes. What makes them better is the details. Takes some patience.

 

[ZaPhOd]

Just to quote Han Solo \"Don\'t get cocky kid!\"
Seriously though, the progression is apparent. I would not recommend painting a \"5\" in 8 minutes as it will not be a \"5\" IMO. I guess if that satisfies you then go for it. I amhappy to spend 5 hours painting a \"5\" though I figure it would probably be a \"6\".
Keep it up though. Can\'t wait to see the evolution!

 

[cypher]

Haha I am being cocky but it is true! What I think the best one I ever did got a 5 and I spent about 3 hours on it. I did one in 8 minutes and got a 5.6. I don\'t think the second one is nearly as good as the first one. Which is why I was very frustrated with this place.

 

[ZaPhOd]

You willsee the thoughts of the voters are not always consistent with the truth young Jedi!

 

[cypher]

Yes I know in reality it is a piece of junk
It is good for games though. Like I try to tell yah, NOBODY I play with really paints at all. Some do but they just slop on paint real flat and thick and hides the details. Until I found this amazing stuff on the internet I thought I was the jedi master of painting dude... so it is real humbling to see the world\'s best at work!!!

Anyways the patience technique works alot. I think it is the most important technique I learned so far...

See yah

 

[Badaab]

Flesh tones?

Hmmm, well here\'s what I use for most (read \'all\', haha) of my flesh tones. It\'s something I\'ve been working with since about 1996, and has worked well.

Basecoat is Citadel Dwarf Flesh, which is then shaded by a mix of Dwarf Flesh and Citadel Scorched Brown (about 70/30). then go back in with the Dwarf Flesh and clean up. Highlight your Dwarf Flesh with Citadel Elf Flesh, then highlight that with a fluid mixture of Citadel Skull White and Elf Flesh... and you\'re good to go!

Badaab

 

[Homellop]

painting faces tutorial

Hi.You can see it at:http://www.homellop.homestead.com/artpintEnglish.html
Vallejos only

 

[Justus]

IMO,your article is one of the best examples of acrylic flesh painting on the net.
<http://www.homellop.homestead.com/artpintEnglish.html>
Your gallery with the Dragonrune Ogres is great. What are the odds of seeing your other 2 work-in-progress translated from Spanish?

thks