Painting Goggles/Glasses etc

[Helen]

Hi Guys,

This girl needs some advice on how to paint goggles and glasses. Infact, anything that has a lens etc.

I need to paint some goggles both on the face and on the hat for my BH Asienkorps.

Appreciate any advice given.

Many thanks.

[Glitzer]

While mirrorshades are easy, I've got no idea how to paint glasses. Googles on hats are easy, paint the hat, add some colour to the rim and paint gloss finish on the glas after sealing. That worked fine on my paratroopers. Same should work for glasses too, but you'll have to paint an eye on the glass, which might get tricky.

Others paint glasses in very bright blues (almost white) or silver. I don't like that myself, but it looks OK.

[Wirelizard]

I wound up doing the goggles on my Pulp Figures airmen pale blue with a tiny white highlight.

Sure, glass isn't "really" blue, but it looks fine - see my avatar for one example.

[Malamute]

I wound up doing the goggles on my Pulp Figures airmen pale blue with a tiny white highlight.

Sure, glass isn't "really" blue, but it looks fine - see my avatar for one example.

Agreed for the lenses I use a dark blue, followed by mid blue then a white dot just off centre. Finally a drop of gloss varnish on the lens. That should do for glasses or goggles or binoculars etc.
For a different look on sci fi figures I have used green with a white highlight for a more futuristic look.

[Keith]

I use a dark blue/grey, pop a bit of a darker shade around the bottom of the lens and a lighter shade around the top (in a curve that goes around the lens to about 3 and 9 o'clock). Lastly I touch in a 'glint' or two in light blue and then white around the top of the lense (about 10-11 o'clock).

Sounds like a lot but is very quick 

[Orctrader]

Try this...
I thin my paints quite a lot anyway, but if that’s not your style usually, try it with this.

Take a mid tone blue and some white.
Paint the lens with the blue
Mix in a little white to the blue and paint a layer leaving some of the first blue visible, moving up and to the left – slightly.
Mix in some more white, another layer
Repeat until you’ve worked up to just white near the top of the lens.
If this is all new to you, try some practice on a piece of card or plasticard, much bigger than you need for the figure.  This will show you what the paint is actually doing and you can see what works and what doesn’t before transferring the technique to the actual figure.  This reduces frustration no end.

Sounds like real work, but actually takes far longer to describe it than actually painting it 

Couple of examples below.

[Helen]

Thankyou guys, I'll try and do my best with your advice.

[Overlord]

I would be very interested to find out how RJ gets his effect. It looks very realistic.



http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=5881.0

[Mancha]

I would be very interested to find out how RJ gets his effect. It looks very realistic.

I'll be interested to read RJ's response as well, but until we hear from him I'd say that looks like a chrome NMM effect.  If you look at a chromed car bumper you will see the sky reflected on the upper curve of the bumper and the pavement reflected on the lower curve.  So the glasses have a sandy yellow on the bottom and sky blue on top, with a white glint to denote shininess.  The glasses look like they're done the same way and end up looking as if they are mirroring the environment around them (at least they do to me).  Did I get this right RJ?

[Ray Rivers]

Hmmm...

Looks to me like he uses a "reflective" technique. 

The bottoms of the glasses appear to a reflection of the skin, while the top a reflection of the hat.

Nice effect that...

[Prof.Witchheimer]

I've received that RJ fig today (won on ebay last week) and here comes a close-up of the glasses, just click on the pic in attahcment to see the large version

RJ, hope you don't mind

[Overlord]

I've received that RJ fig today (won on ebay last week) and here comes a close-up of the glasses, just click on the pic in attahcment to see the large version

RJ, hope you don't mind

No wonder it looks so effective.   RJ has painted a miniature landscape in each lens! 
What hope for us mere mortals 

[RJ]

Thanks for all the Kind words everyone, he was great fun to paint.
And thanks to the Prof for posting a close up, i was going to but my camera couldnt handle it 

The technique i used on the glasses was to get a horizon reflection as Overlord and Mancha said.

I start by painting a sandy colour and a dark blue colour half and half and then highlight up leaving some of the shade colour showing. Then a tiny dot of white at the top to show the sun glare.

Hope that helps out guys and thanks again for all the comments.

[Hammers]

Very effective. I've got to try this.

I think I'll make this one sticky 'till a time when get wowed by something else... ;-)

[dadlamassu]

My paint techniques don't match you folks.

I just paint them metallic blue with a silver highlight (sometimes).