Woodland Indians Skin Tone

[armchairgeneral]

I would be grateful for tips on getting the right flesh tone for woodland Indians please if anyone can advise me?

[zippyfusenet]

Here's a tutorial from Elaine The Atomic Floozy that I bookmarked a long time ago. She was painting Plains Indians, but I think her technique would work for Woodland people too.

https://atomicfloozy.com/2012/09/26/painting-american-indians-part-2/

[SteveBurt]

I paint Amerindians with a European flesh colour, followed by a wash of Antelope Brown ink (Daler-Rowney), which is a yellowish brown.
It gives a lovely golden skin tone, perfect for Amerindians or East Asians.

[zippyfusenet]

Here's a tutorial from the Flint & Feather guys:

https://pulpfigures.com/files/PaintingFlintFeatherMiniatures.Illustrated..pdf

And another:

http://flintandfeatherplaytest.blogspot.com/2017/03/yet-another-painting-guide-for-flint.html

I gotta admit, my own technique is more primitive: block paint terra-cotta. Sometimes I dry-brush it up over black primer. Once in a great while I high-light with suntan flesh. I am not a very talented painter.

If I recall, you are planning your Kekionga project in 15/18mm. These tutorials are pitched to 28mm figures. I wonder how fancy you can get in the smaller scale?

[armchairgeneral]

Here's a tutorial from the Flint & Feather guys:

https://pulpfigures.com/files/PaintingFlintFeatherMiniatures.Illustrated..pdf

And another:

http://flintandfeatherplaytest.blogspot.com/2017/03/yet-another-painting-guide-for-flint.html

I gotta admit, my own technique is more primitive: block paint terra-cotta. Sometimes I dry-brush it up over black primer. Once in a great while I high-light with suntan flesh. I am not a very talented painter.

If I recall, you are planning your Kekionga project in 15/18mm. These tutorials are pitched to 28mm figures. I wonder how fancy you can get in the smaller scale?

Thanks for those links. Actually my  Kekionga project is 28mm as I already have a 28mm AWI American army. I only paint to a Wargames standard so I just want something simple. I have therefore been lazy and just ordered the Native American Indian triad from Foundry. Just thought I should have a back up plan as recent feedback about Foundry doesn’t bode well.

[Mindenbrush]

The Foundry Native American Triad works well though I have added a red-brown initial layer using Plaka Red-Brown or Foundry Spearshaft A

[abu iskander]

Growing up near a Sioux and Crow Reservation, I never really saw anyone that looked as red as most artistic depictions. So I guess it depends on theatrical or realistic you want your figures. Personally I've seen native persons paler than me and some really dark, but not very reddish or copper in skin tone. More a dark tan.

After a lot of experimentation I settled on Reaper's Tan Triad. You could aways glaze or wash over that if you wanted a bit more reddish tone overall.  You'd be able to search my own posts here and see the range of my tests, except Photobucket...

Edit: Actually there's a bit of it left visible - http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=43122.msg504348#msg504348

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks for that link. All food for thought.

[BillK]

The black warpaint and tattoos on that bow figure (pic above) are really well done.

@Mindenbrush where did you get that woven fencing shown in your photo?

[sepoy1857]

I like to use a base of Reaper HD Sunburn Flesh Followed by a wash of Reikland Fleshshade. Then hit the high points with
HD Sunburn Flesh. Then HD Suntan Flesh. Followed by a final highlight of HD Suntan Flesh mixed about 50/50 with
HD Griffon Tan . Warpaint is painted on after all the flash is done. It looks about right to me anyway.

[Jeff965]

These figures were painted as follows
GW Mournfang brown
Foundry 120 abc Native American Flesh
And then final highlight of NAFc and White.

[armchairgeneral]

Thank you all the replies. Very helpful.

[Mindenbrush]

@BillK - these are the Perry wattle fences. Not bad but I think I will be investing some more time to do them more along the lines of Utgaard's fences
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=102926.60

[FifteensAway]

Having met a full blooded member of the Iroquois - I think he was Seneca, it was a long time ago - I can tell you there was a remarkable reddish tint to his skin and he showed a lot of skin, bald as a cue ball by choice, no scalplock.  Seeing him, I understood with amazing clarity why they were referred to as "red" men.  Though it might be better to refer to it as a "reddish" pink, but not like girly pink at all. 

I paint in 15 mm and have several hundred woodland natives painted but I just go with a reddish skin color and a thinnish wash with a red brown.  Gives a reasonable result if not a precise rendition.  When you have hundreds and thousands (and more thousands) of figures to paint, speed gets really important.

Be cautious of western native American references, there is a strong admixture of Hispanic blood lines in many of the peoples out here plus those who don't have that admixture who I've met (I live in this part of the world) are a distinctly different skin tone. 

Now, that tall gal with the parallel lines tattooed on her chin, well, she caused a full blooded reaction of a different sort.  Plain and simple drop dead gorgeous, that lass was.  Miwok I believe she was.  And her wing-girls were pretty hot, too.

[bluewillow]

Vallejo red leather base. then dark flesh highlight

http://lacewars.blogspot.com/search/label/Conquest%20Indians

cheers
Matt