Author Topic: White Russian Update 05.02.09 Cossack Cavalry added attempted better flesh (Read 14219 times)

Malamute · « **Reply #30 on:** 19 January 2009, 09:08:16 AM »

Hi Dodge,

Your stuff is getting better and better all the time. My only comment would be perhaps try and use highlights on the flesh more. The figures may look a little flat in that respect, your shades and highlights on the clothes are excellent.
Mayebe even an ink wash and highlight on the flesh will bring them more to life. But overall they are looking good.

dodge · « **Reply #31 on:** 19 January 2009, 09:16:42 AM »

Quote from: Malamute on 19 January 2009, 09:08:16 AM

Hi Dodge,

Your stuff is getting better and better all the time. My only comment would be perhaps try and use highlights on the flesh more. The figures may look a little flat in that respect, your shades and highlights on the clothes are excellent.
Mayebe even an ink wash and highlight on the flesh will bring them more to life. But overall they are looking good.

Thanks Mal,

Flesh is my one big issue with painting figures, when I try to get contrast it just doesn't look right , when I use ogryn flesh wash and then highlight I don't lie it much.

I think I am a bit heavy handed when it comes to painting faces can never seem to leave darke creases or highlights on the noses and foreheads, more care I think. Although for a baldy I think udo's head came out quite well.

If I do some more will you help me with what you think of them

I would really appreciate that.

dodge

Malamute · « **Reply #32 on:** 19 January 2009, 09:23:08 AM »

Quote from: dodge on 19 January 2009, 09:16:42 AM

Quote from: Malamute on 19 January 2009, 09:08:16 AM
Hi Dodge,

Your stuff is getting better and better all the time. My only comment would be perhaps try and use highlights on the flesh more. The figures may look a little flat in that respect, your shades and highlights on the clothes are excellent.
Mayebe even an ink wash and highlight on the flesh will bring them more to life. But overall they are looking good.

Thanks Mal,

Flesh is my one big issue with painting figures, when I try to get contrast it just doesn't look right , when I use ogryn flesh wash and then highlight I don't lie it much.

I think I am a bit heavy handed when it comes to painting faces can never seem to leave darke creases or highlights on the noses and foreheads, more care I think. Although for a baldy I think udo's head came out quite well.

If I do some more will you help me with what you think of them

I would really appreciate that.

dodge

Of ocurse I will help you out anyway I can. I agree faces and hands are probably the hardest parts to get right. istill struggle with them, so you are not alone!

Captain Blood · « **Reply #33 on:** 19 January 2009, 09:35:51 AM »

Face painting practice for you, my lad...

By a stroke of good fortune, the forthcoming Victrix French Napoleonics offer the perfect opportunity.

I'd just try to start with a darker base colour (I use Vallejo 'red leather' with a bit of 'sunny flesh' mixed in), and then pick out the highlights (nose, cheekbones, chin, brow ridge etc) in a standard flesh colour.
Then a few tiny final highlights with a 50:50 flesh / white mix on the tip of the nose, top of the cheekbones etc.
Leave the eyes as dark slits. Don't try to paint in eyeballs, cos unless you can do these really well, it's splodgy whites and irises that will make a 28mm face look badly executed.
You do need a steady hand and a very fine point brush (like 00000) to do faces successfully. If you've got those, then the rest is technique and practice.
Don't worry - we'll keep atcha!

Honestly, the more you do, the better you get.

dodge · « **Reply #34 on:** 19 January 2009, 10:04:27 AM »

Thanks guys, I appreciate your support.

Captain you are right practice is what I need. Although the Kevin Dallimore method of painting milions until its right or your dead may actually kill me.

Those Victrix do look tempting and have a lot of nice cheek bones etc... but with the 238 odd figures I have to paint I just can't

With the eyes I was happy with th ecountess and the henchman the others were not good. but when I look at your stuff I can see that you highlight the eyelid as well how do you do that

dodge

dodge · « **Reply #35 on:** 05 February 2009, 09:57:01 PM »

I completed these Cossacks tonight and am quite pleased if not with the photo's the actual 'in the flesh' finish. This first group was done when trying to get more definition in my flesh:

I then had a crack at these and attempted to paint them as Don Cossacks from the Osprey book.

I think I managed to achieve better flesh and overall definition with these

Hope you like them, I enjoyed painting them, let me know what you think

Sorry about some of the photo's focus was a problem tonight

dodge

Helen · « **Reply #36 on:** 05 February 2009, 10:07:04 PM »

Hi Dodge,

They look fab!

Keep up the great work.

Helen

Svennn · « **Reply #37 on:** 05 February 2009, 10:14:03 PM »

This latest lot look great although a bit distant to fully see the faces. I have never ever taken a photo of my minis that looks anything like the real thing so fully know where you are coming from with the in the hand comments. I cant paint faces the Dallimore way so I dont. Try different tecniques until you find one that works for you.

On mass troops I base coat with a colour a bit lighter than the middle Foundry and then wash with Burnt Umber poster paint. Paint in the highlights with the base colour and then very fine tophighlights with a lighter shade. For individual minis I line in the shading using various watercolours by hand and mix many shades of flesh for the skin.

Have you considered doing other things too. Fantasy monsters/orcs/goblins where you can try out purple/green/blue etc. flesh colours, it can give you a different perspective.

Svennn · « **Reply #38 on:** 05 February 2009, 10:14:55 PM »

and how many bloody Russians have you bought anyway? Quite a force so far.

Mancha · « **Reply #39 on:** 05 February 2009, 10:20:18 PM »

Great improvement.

Plynkes · « **Reply #40 on:** 05 February 2009, 10:44:33 PM »

Smashing! Definitely you are improving (though I'm not saying you were bad before - it's hard to say that without sounding as if you're implying the previous ones were poor

).

These are great. I do love 20th Century cavalry. They really add something to the look of the table. Onwards and upwards!

Captain Blood · « **Reply #41 on:** 05 February 2009, 11:35:11 PM »

They look good to me. Nice looking figures, and an attractive paint job.
And your standard is now a great deal better than most of what passes for 'pro-painted' on eBay.

dodge · « **Reply #42 on:** 06 February 2009, 07:11:06 AM »

Thank you very much for the kind words helen and mancha

Svenn I have lots of fantasy but all humans or humanoid no monsters my melniboneans were my first shot at yellow but you ar eright I need to do something different to use new colours

and I have probably about 70 Whites all told plus 130 or 140 chinese for that period.

Plynkes cavalry in 20th century are great, I am looking forward to finding out how effective or ineffective they are against hmg's etc....

Captain I followed your advice no eyes, redish brown followed by 50:50 flesh redish brown then highlight. a great result all round for me

Thank you all so much I reaaly appreciate it, as Plynkes says onwards ........

Malamute · « **Reply #43 on:** 06 February 2009, 08:46:21 AM »

Looking good Dodge old boy

Nothing else to add that the other guys haven't. They are starting to look impressive and your collection is growing nicely

dodge · « **Reply #44 on:** 06 February 2009, 09:27:25 AM »

Thanks Mal, only 20 or so figures until these are complete, and 30 for the chinese.

next up for me is to finish the chinese fortified town, have about 5 buildings to finish, and walls and gates, so that's whats next for me

dodge

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