What IS blending?

[Sauce Devil]

Or perhaps I should ask \"how do you use blending?

I\'ve used blending for a long time but somehow the effect always seems a little muddy and I get better results from simply dabbing on dilute paint.

The answer should be that it\'s a way of merging highlights or shading to the base color, but is that strictly true?

sometimes I see different colors being merged together - purple into blue for example - and it makes me wonder if I am using the technique correctly.

 

[lahatiel]

Might as well ask how many grains of sand are in a beach!

All kidding aside, what kind of blending are you talking about -- as in, what technique? There\'s wet-blending, layering, glazing, feathering, juicing, tinting... no matter how you go about doing it, the goal of all the techniques is to move between one color and another smoothly, without seeing stark transitions between the two. Now, that could be going from a base color on a robe to the highlight color on the peak of its fold, or it could be going between two wholly different colors across the armor plates of an Eldar craft. But the smooth transition is the goal of all of them, and I don\'t think it really matters, for the most part, which technique you use -- just use the one with which you\'re comfortable, and can achieve the best-looking result.

Originally posted by Sauce Devil
I\'ve used blending for a long time but somehow the effect always seems a little muddy and I get better results from simply dabbing on dilute paint.

From that line, it sounds like you\'re trying to wet-blend and it\'s coming out muddy, but when you try layering or glazing, it looks better... if that\'s the case, why worry about the wet-blending? Just stick with what you can already make look good. Personally, I can\'t wet-blend very well, so I do stick to layering and glazing. However, I did just recently stumble across EricJ\'s tinting tutorial again, and I might give it a shot next time just to see how it works for me.

 

[airhead]

I\'ve been biting my tongue to keep from posting a smartazzed answer.

(it is when you put ice, rum and strawberries in the blender)

Wet blending is verydifficult with acrylic paints. Make up your goop with extra retarder so you have time to work the acrylic.

Most painters I know use layering or glazing (juicing is glazing taken to the extreme). Lots of articles in the article section.

 

[fieldarchy]

I\'ve seen many different approaches to blending from different artists.

Allan C (according to Jeremie) glazes on his different shades of color. This takes a long time but the glazes go on so thin that it allows other colors to peak through the layers. This gives a nice gradation.

I used to start with my darkest color and go up to my lightest color but this left some streaks and unfinished blends in areas. Then I started going from my midtone to my highlight and shadow. I would glaze in the shadows quickly and then build up the highlights--this gives a smoother transition and is easier to acquire.

Jeremie basecoats in his midtone, washes his shadow over the midtone and lets it dry by using a hair dryer. Then he\'ll put on thick layers of his highest highlight color and then take the tiniest amounts of paint to blend between the highpoint and the shadow color. Gives a very nice look. And is fairly easy to work with in all honesty.

Blending is something that you\'ll have to watch others do, get their explanation as to what they are doing and then just try it for yourself.

Eventually you will find techniques and consistencies of paint that you will be comfortable with. For instance the consistency of paint I use is different to that of let\'s say Anne of Reaper, or even Jeremie himself.

Also you\'ll get different results with blending depending on what type of palette you use. Yup, you read that correctly.

I used to use the ceramic flower palettes and it meant I always had to keep my paint diluted, it would start to thicken and give me problems. Just a few months ago I switched to a homemad wet palette and I liked it so much I broke down and spent the $25 to get me a wet palette and replacement parchment and sponges that will likely last me more than a year and a half.

The wet palette allows your paint to stay moist longer. Really the paint never dries out on it. When it starts to thicken you add more water but it never gets crusty. And it takes a tiny amount of paint about 5 hours to really coagulate (sp?) on the palette.

Using a wet palette I\'m also able to draw out a very tiny amount of pigment on my brush effectively giving me properties of a glaze. This is how I achieve my blending. I paint with glazes and also with thicker layers of paint. I find that you have to use the two to get the smoothes results.

But we could talk on this subject for years. The best thing is to sit down and try it yourself. If you have other painters in your area get together and just watch what they do. Take notes on what they do differently. If you ever go to conventions don\'t be afraid to approach people and ask questions. That\'s what I did when I started out and I was able to develop my skills faster. I still always ask for help from those better than me.

So practice, practice, practice. And never stop asking questions. Remember, the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

 

[redarmy27]

Whew, Meg! Great answer! :beer: Very encouraging since I\'ve just started to get the hang of it myself. You\'ve just convinced me to buy a wet palette!

Back to practicing, practicing and more practicing...

Cheers,
Jake

 

[fieldarchy]

Hey Red,

Glad my words of wisdom could help someone

Everything I said was true. The thing with art is there are basic \"classes\" of techniques--blends, washes (glazes are a subcategory of washes), dry brushing (or as some people call it Non-wet blending ), dipping, etc.

But when you start getting down to the nitty gritty, everyone will give you different answers.

I mean, post a model here and look at all the different feedback you get. Everyone says something different:

\"I like the monochromatic feel it\'s great! Purples and teals are wonderful\"

\"Well the model isn\'t my favorite and I don\'t like purple and teal and monochrome doesn\'t work for me but still well executed\"

\"Your contrast is wonderful I hope I can paint that way someday\"

\"You know you\'re contrast really could use a little bit of help\"

These are some of the feedback remarks I\'ve gotten over the years or seen people write . . . nothing wrong with them at all. All very true depending on your taste, style and comfort level.

For instance painting my spell singer was out of my comfort zone. I don\'t usually do such dark and brooding characters but this one just said ANGRY to me. So I painted him that way. Should I have probably gotten a Demonette and painted it in purple and teal? Yeah, I may have won a Demon Trophy then but oh well. I at least learned new techniques, new color choices and I know I\'m capable of a different style of painting than what I normally execute.

As for the wet palette--it will change your painting life. I love mine! And seriously not that expensive from Dick Blick. Just make sure you get your replacement parchment and replacement sponges. The parchment lasts forever! I\'ve been using the same sheet for over a month. You just wash it off when you\'re done and let it dry out. Then when ready to paint again just wet it down and voila! You are ready to paint!

 

[ChasePalaver]

All of the above is true. One thing that holds pretty true for blending, no matter what you call it is, dilute dilute dilute and patience patience patience. If you you don\'t have patience you are wrecked & should stick to drybrushing & washes. Why don\'t you post a pic here & let us see what you are meaning for better feedback!!!