# painting figures



## chrisb (Jan 3, 2008)

Watched a few videos this weekend on painting figures. Acyrlic paints seemed to be the way to go. Thinning the paint with water was done on the videos. Has anyone used acrylics from craft stores? 
What is your favorite recipe for flesh color? White, tan and red?


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Yup. I use craft store type acrylic. 

For skin color, I take "Raw Sienna" and lighten it with white to get the complexion I want. Once in a while I add a touch of red, like for the sunburned boy. Careful with red, the tiniest drop will turn all your carefully mixed color RED. 










I tried a more expensive acrylic in the tubes, but went back to the cheaper bottles. Just seemed easier to work.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

We use them all the time.

Best color for flesh is "flesh" (yeah, they got that) but I like to mix in varying amounts of tan or brown to make everyone a little different.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

I find that most skin colors can be mixed from some combination of these four colors; white, black, raw sienna and burnt sienna. I usually use a thin wash of cinnamon to accent the forms. 
Chris


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Now you have a response from *the* expert.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Painting figures is a very subjective thing. A look that one of us may love could be totally unacceptable to another. The range of human skin color is immense, so it's a pretty good bet that no matter what colors you use, there's someone walking around today that it matches! Just like our trains, there's a prototype for everything. It's just a matter of finding the right look that works for you personally. When it comes to what we each like, there's only one expert, ourself! 
Chris


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Chris is spot on with his comments. A few techniques I like to use are first painting all the skin a light brown or tan color. Then I dry brush the "flesh" color over it. This leaves the recesses a darker color. Then I use a wash on the skin. A wash is a very watered down paint and it flows over somewhat tinting the flesh and (to me) giving it a more realistic look. Finally I drybrush a lighter color of "flesh" over the high spots.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

Whilst making the 'wash' color, add a tiny drop of windscreen washer fluid to it, that will let the very thin paint & water mixture 'flow' better as it kills the surdace tension.


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## BnEgscale (Jan 4, 2008)

I have tried several diffeent manufacturers flesh colors but have settled on Model Maste's Skin Tone Tint - Lt. (They also make a dark) I also do the wash as a second step to add highlights. The combination works well for what I want.


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## Fritz (Jan 11, 2008)

Hi, 

Since I have to shade and lighten my colours anyway, I might as well mix my own skin colour as I need it. Mainly from white and yellow, with a bit of red. I use acryliics and use alcohol (meth spirit) as a painting agent. 










Most of the time I paint some of my mixture on the back of my hand. If I can´t see it anymore, I have a good match. 

Have Fun 

Fritz / Juergen


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Your technique is certainly effective.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Fritz,

What does the alcohol do for your paints?


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## Fritz (Jan 11, 2008)

Hi, 

With alcohol the (water based) paint dries faster and sticks better to the underground. Sometmes I use very thin washes, which I blow with a haidryer to the remotest corners of a model or figure and can see the result within a few seconds. 

When working with acrylics in a creamy consistance, the acolohol slighty disolves the paint underneath and mixes with it, resulting in very soft edges. 










As Chris said, there are many styles of different painting techniques. Since I use my figures mainly on layouts, I try to get the message across for onlookers, maybe 3 - 5 feet away. So I have to exaggerate lighting and shading a bit, which often gives my figurs an expressionistic look when enlarged on the PC screen. 










The metal figures in the samples were modelled after Carl Spitzweg characters. They are sold in some souvenir shop up and down the country. 

Have fun 

Fritz / Juergen


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