what is it with faces first?

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DennisMech

New member
Everyone seems to do the face first on a mini! I think I must be the only one who doesn\'t. In fact, I usualy do it last other than a few small details, and really savor it. So what do you do, and why?
 
Chrispy

Chrispy

New member
Well, usually I\'m tired by then, and the face requires some subtle shading, that if you mess up on in the early stages, you can correct but it\'s harder doing last. Also, a mini with a face gives you a sense of what the person is like. If it looks a little ticked off, then emphasize that. Or if a mini sculpt is just silly, make it funny with eyes crossd or something!
 
ZaPhOd

ZaPhOd

Super Moderator
Yeah

I agree with both of you! A face really defines character, so getting it right is important! Easier to start over early than late! Also, that character starts demanding that the rest of it\'s body and stuff gets some color :D
 
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AAvH-Darkblade

Guest
I start with the eyes, then face, other flesh and work out from there. Get the eyes right, and the mini has soul; get the face right and the mini has life, the rest is dressing (literally lol).

:cool:
 
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wightzombie

New member
usually after painting down all the base colors i start with sticking out hands and weapons and then move in. if a model has a tall helmet on or the arms are in or low ill start on the head area. or if anything needs to be painted seperately from the mini like arms or a backpack ill do that 1st. i dont like jumping in on the head as i feel slighty intimidated at all those small features. like to warm up on simpler stuff.
 
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Daan

New member
I start with the face because it\'s the part I mess up most of the times. Better to mess up and start again on just the face than on the whole mini. :)
 
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aon14

New member
I paint colours from inside to out.
This is a common method in that you reach past bits of the figure you already painted less.
Flesh is often the most inside of everything, so flesh and face early on.
Seeing as how the shading around hands etc will tie key parts together, I tend to leave this until anything bordering on flesh is painted.
 
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GarnetJubilee

Guest
I used to paint faces last but I ruined too many with bad eye-jobs and if the eyes are screwy, it pretty much ruins the rest of the mini imo. I now do the faces and eyes first so that it doesn\'t hurt as much to strip it when I screw up. That\'s less often now, though, so perhaps some day I\'ll be good enough that I don\'t have to worry about what order I paint them in..
 
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MrMorden

New member
Originally posted by GarnetJubilee
I used to paint faces last but I ruined too many with bad eye-jobs and if the eyes are screwy, it pretty much ruins the rest of the mini imo. I now do the faces and eyes first so that it doesn\'t hurt as much to strip it when I screw up. That\'s less often now, though, so perhaps some day I\'ll be good enough that I don\'t have to worry about what order I paint them in..
Click to expand...

Do you blow the eyes to bad they can\'t be repaired? I have several minis that started out with terrible eyes. I paint back over the surrounding area and do them again; some of them are now my better work. I don\'t think I\'ve ever botched the eyes so badly it ruins the whole face...you\'re not overreacting to a minor problem, are you?

BTW, I do eyes last. I like the idea that the entire mini is an unfinished form, then I breath that last spark into it.

Sometimes as I do the eyes, I scream:

\"Life! Give my creation...liiiiiiiiiiife!!!\"
 
tooshy

tooshy

New member
Face-off...

I really struggle to get faces right, so for me it\'s one of the hardest things on a model to paint (not to mention the rest of it too!). I therefore jump right in and give it a go.

If I can get the face right, it \'means\' something to me. It\'s like the model now has an identity and that gives me motivation to get the rest of it right. Plus as Chrispy says, depending on the character of the face, it will determine how you paint the rest of the figure.

Needless to say I have quite a few models with faces partly done that are now back on the shelf \'cos I just couldn\'t hit the \'sweet\' spot with how they looked.

OH MY GOD....IT\'S THE EYES DAMIT....:eek: lol

(ahem sorry Chern-ann for that outburst, it won\'t happen again......for a while)
 
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Grumbold Ironbrow

Guest
mini philosophy....

Originally posted by AAvH-Darkblade
I start with the eyes, then face, other flesh and work out from there. Get the eyes right, and the mini has soul; get the face right and the mini has life, the rest is dressing (literally lol).

:cool:
Click to expand...

Dang Darkblade, that was almost poetic...;)


I always start with the face, get it to where I can seeit and feel the character, then paint the rest. I save the final highlights and touchups on the face for last. Kind of like starting and finishing with the best part...:p

Cheers,
Grumb :cool:
 
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finn17

New member
Hit the nail on the head there....

Originally posted by AAvH-Darkblade
I start with the eyes, then face, other flesh and work out from there. Get the eyes right, and the mini has soul; get the face right and the mini has life, the rest is dressing (literally lol).
Click to expand...

Darkblade has explained it better than ever I could. Get the eyes/face wrong and it\'s all wrong...everything else can be adjusted/fudged.

I have ruined too many minis by leaving the face till last, screwing it up and stripping the lot.

I can keep dipping a head until I get it right, then either protect it with masking, polyurethane varnish, or just being careful.

Once you are satisfied with a face..you can\'t fail..:bouncy:
 
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Errex

New member
Well, I usually do faces and eyes last. I find it easier to match the mood of the face once the rest is done, so I don\'t end up with a cheerful guy wearing black dragonscale armor. That would look just odd...

Also, I like the effect of it all coming to life just as I finish adding details to the face.
 
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ripperdoc

New member
Doing the eyes first is a new thought to me. I\'ve always blocked in the undertone flesh on the face and then painted the rest of the mini and done the pupils last.

I just tried doing the eyes first and it looks great I cant believe I never thought of it before.
 
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elouchard

Guest
interesting, I always try to do the face last as I don\'t want to mess it up when painting armor or clothing.
 
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aon14

New member
Originally posted by MrMorden
<<sniiiip>>
BTW, I do eyes last. I like the idea that the entire mini is an unfinished form, then I breath that last spark into it.

Sometimes as I do the eyes, I scream:

\"Life! Give my creation...liiiiiiiiiiife!!!\"
Click to expand...

Umm....
Do you find the eyes of your figures watching you as you move round the room?
You can get help for that sort of thing nowadays ;^)
 
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