Help needed - painting Victorian tweed and plid clothing

[Bullshott]

Like it says in the title of this thread. Can anyone give me some help with painting Victorian 'country' clothing in tweed/plaid cloth (best colours and painting techniques). Photos would be appreciated.

I have access to GW and Vallejo paints.

[Orctrader]

Black undercoat.
Paint the area in the darkest colour first.  Just one shade.
Now paint the lines.  All horizontal first.  Then the vertical.  Be as neat as you can but don’t worry too much.
In the squares that you have created touch up with the first colour.  This is what makes it so neat and crisp.
Now highlight the square.
Now highlight the lines.
Colours?  Just use a dark brown for the squares; light brown for the lines.  Or light brown and grey lines.  Or...Just look at some real garments on the web.  Then remember that you are painting an impression or approximation of that as the figures are small.  Don't try to copy exactly the pattern - it just won't look right at the scale.
Photo below.  Close up of the flat flat cap reveals all.

[Malamute]

Great work Orctrader.

[Plynkes]

I'd appreciate any advice too, as I have a few figures I want to paint like this. Trouble is the look I want to go for is the opposite of what Orctrader describes:

Dark stripes on a light background, which to me at least, is much more what comes to mind when I think of hunting tweed:


Any tips for that one?

Will Orctrader's method look any good when done arse-about-face? Can't really see how those lines can be highlighted without fundamentally changing the look. Is it just going to look shit? Must be a way, surely.

[Orctrader]

I'd appreciate any advice too, as I have a few figures I want to paint like this. Trouble is the look I want to go for is the opposite of what Orctrader describes:

Dark stripes on a light background, which to me at least, is much more what comes to mind when I think of hunting tweed:


Any tips for that one?

Will Orctrader's method look any good when done arse-about-face? Can't really see how those lines can be highlighted without fundamentally changing the look. Is it just going to look shit? Must be a way, surely.

Yes - it will work.  You can highlight anything.  In your case paint the main colour - light brown - first.  Then paint the dark lines.  Now highlight the "light" squares.

The important thing to remember - as I said above - is don't try to copy exactly a tweed pattern.  Rather create an impression of tweed.  If I were trying to paint that lady's jacket on a 28mm figure I would have squares highlighted to a very light brown/yellow and the thin lines almost black.  Probably try black lines with a dark brown highlight.

(Oh, and when doing lines you need a decent brush and thin paint...)

Green and blue work well too.

Some more examples

[Svennn]

I have some of these on the go at present (are we all painting Jolly Good Chaps on the hunt?)

I have done a jacket similar to Plynkes' picture. I painted it in the base colour and shaded/highlighted as normal and then added the faint lines over the top. Looks OK. I have done one in reverse and also ones similar to Orctraders method. I was looking for lots of similar but different looks anyway.

[gamer Mac]

I think we must all be painting similar figures. This is a very useful thread for what I am painting at the moment.
Thanks guys (Mind readers)

[Plynkes]

Hmm. Maybe I'll give that a try. I have used a pretty much identical technique in the past on the checked robes worn by Masai women and pretty much pulled it off (though I'm a much more messy painter than Orctrader, and so the task is lengthened considerably by all the mistakes that need correcting). But this tweed jacket business is a little different.

The trouble is from where I see it is that if you do those thick lines with highlights as in Orctrader's pics, it's going to look nothing like the original thing, not even the aforementioned impression. I fancy to capture that look you need to do pinstripe lines too thin to highlight, and without the highlighting you will lose the effect and it will look shit, which is what I was concerned about in my original post.

Think I need to experiment a bit, taking on board all the tips and see how it turns out. Thanks, Orctrader.

[dodge]

Dark stripes on a light background, which to me at least, is much more what comes to mind when I think of hunting tweed:


Any tips for that one?

I've got some tips for that one , but thats another story and no orctraders method won't help for what I had in mind  

sorry but its the end of a hard week.

dodge

[dijit]

I think what you had in ind dodge was probaby what went through y mind too... again a long week and looking to be a longer weekend.

I started doing some scifi troops built out of Gw's Cadian models but converted to have kilts and a Napoleonic Highland infantry look, I've not completed them yet (I was going to get them cast to have loads of them, but never did that either), so when I get them done this will be really helpful, thanks guys.

[dodge]

I think what you had in ind dodge was probaby what went through y mind too... again a long week and looking to be a longer weekend.

What can I say the tutorials great and I've learnt something, but shes a babe, no mistake 

[Orctrader]

The trouble is from where I see it is that if you do those thick lines with highlights as in Orctrader's pics, it's going to look nothing like the original thing, not even the aforementioned impression. I fancy to capture that look you need to do pinstripe lines too thin to highlight, and without the highlighting you will lose the effect and it will look shit, which is what I was concerned about in my original post.

If you want to do pinstripes try exaggerating the contrast.  So a really light - with highlights - brown squares and then a black or very dark brown pinstripe.
Also bear in mind are you painting for the "eye" or the camera?  Some techniques may look great in a photo, but hardly be seen when on a table or in a cabinet.

(I always paint my figures with a view for maximum impact when seen in real life.  It is a happy coincidence that this style photgraphs quite well too.)

[Plynkes]

Ideally both, but I guess you can't have everything! 

Thanks for the ideas, mate. I'll have to give it a go soon, and try out some of these suggestions. Right now the punishing LPL schedule is hogging all my painting time, though (I must confess I'm really starting to find it a struggle), so it won't be for a bit.

[JollyBob]

If I want to give the impression of tweediness, I often just randomly crosshatch with a slightly darker colour.



Doing some in a complimentary colour can work too (green and brown, for example):






It's certainly not as striking as Orctrader's method, and is probably horribly inaccurate, but I like it. And more importantly, I can't be bothered doing anything more. 

[Plynkes]

Dodge, she has a friend, equally tweedy.

I think I prefer her, but then again I like dark hair, and that other one is a sort of dark blond dangerously bordering on ginger, to which I have an allergy.