WIP Critique Bust

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baronband

baronband

A Fixture
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
861
Location
West Sussex
Hi guys,
i am pretty new to this and havn't posted a picture before today so i would be grateful if you would cast your eyes over this and i can learn from your feedback. This is the Maurice Corry PIAT Operator. The flesh and jerkin are oils and the rest enamels. I know the uniform needs more depth to it and the eyes scare me a bit now, also i don't think the mud looks right, again feedback appreciated.
Oh and apologies for my photos, another learning curve ahead!
John
PIAT1.png
 

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Hey John, welcome to the forum. Looks like you are off to a very nice start. From what I can see of the jerkin and face you're doing a nice job of placing and using mid tones, highlights, and shadows. The cammo pattern you've done is also very nice. That is definitely not easy and I think you've handled it very well. My only real complaint is the small pictures! If you can get bigger versions posted it would be a lot easier to comment on things like your transitions from highlight to shadow, whether the paint is too thick or not, etc.

My advice for now is just keep at it! It looks like you've already got a good handle on the basics, now just practice and try to refine your skills. Take a look around at other people's work here on the forum and take some inspiration from all the talent out there.

If you're looking to take on a challenge, try to work in some other colors into your next face. A hint of black or brown mixed with the skin tone can produce a nice 5 o'clock shadow. You might try a hint of red around the nose or cheeks, maybe at the bottom of the earlobe. You could add a hint of blue under the eyes. That sort of variation can add a lot more life to the face. Take a look at photographs, put a mirror near where you work, and look at what others have painted.

Keep up the good work.
 
Bailey said:
Hey John, welcome to the forum. Looks like you are off to a very nice start. From what I can see of the jerkin and face you're doing a nice job of placing and using mid tones, highlights, and shadows. The cammo pattern you've done is also very nice. That is definitely not easy and I think you've handled it very well. My only real complaint is the small pictures! If you can get bigger versions posted it would be a lot easier to comment on things like your transitions from highlight to shadow, whether the paint is too thick or not, etc.

My advice for now is just keep at it! It looks like you've already got a good handle on the basics, now just practice and try to refine your skills. Take a look around at other people's work here on the forum and take some inspiration from all the talent out there.

If you're looking to take on a challenge, try to work in some other colors into your next face. A hint of black or brown mixed with the skin tone can produce a nice 5 o'clock shadow. You might try a hint of red around the nose or cheeks, maybe at the bottom of the earlobe. You could add a hint of blue under the eyes. That sort of variation can add a lot more life to the face. Take a look at photographs, put a mirror near where you work, and look at what others have painted.

Keep up the good work.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. Go on this way, John and wellcome here!

Cheers
 
Hard to tell from the photos John.:unsure:
But everything looks to be in the right place, now it's just a matter of gaining the confidence to push the highlights & shadows.
Thanks for taking the plunge and posting,
Carl.(y)
 
Thanks for the comments, Jimmy yes he has the camouflage suit that was being issued near the end of the war. Its probably not clear in the pictures, sorry.
Carl you are right about pushing the highlights and shadows, i am still at the level where i worry i will go too far, i look at it closely and it looks enough but then i notice that from a distance it it needs more than i first thought...if that makes sense!
 
I know what you mean John. There's always that niggle, if I do something will I cock it all up.
Like everything it comes with practice, just keep posting WIPs and stick with it.
All the best,
Carl.(y)
 
I wouldn't worry too much John I'm still struggling with shadows and highlights myself I'd rather go under than over every time too. Bust looks damn good to me I'm still wary of those too I've only done one so far
 
Thanks guys
i'm feeling more confident already!
Feedback is important as i'm not a member of any club and have never been to any shows so this here makes me feel less isolated and gives me confidence that i am heading in the right direction (that and stealing all of your posted tips and ideas of course)!!
cheers
John
 
Looks like your on the right track.
I don't know much about camo, but i can give some advice on the face.
You paint the face with oils. As i'm a oilpainter to my advice wouldt be that you make a darker color from the upper cheekbone downwards to the under cheakbone. Colors using: red with a little black and mix this to the color of a good red wine.
Set a small line with this paint at the under cheakbone and fade it out upwards. Then you get a good five o clock shade. If you have Brown Madder Alizarin paint you can do it also with that.
To both side's of the nose you can ad some more depth with the same Brown Madder. small line at the bottom of the side of the nose, and fade out upwards. At the nosebridge a lighter skincolor, and the nostrils to.
Some very,very small point red at the top of the nose and the ears.
This all together give's alot more interest and depth into the face.

marc
 
Hi Marc
thanks for the feedback, some great tips there, silly question but when you add the darker colours on the cheeks and nose do you do that when the flesh oils are still wet or do you wait a day or so?
John
 
I always do the shading and highlight wet in wet.
Oils need a second run. Therefore I dry the figure in a drybox (wooden box with a 60W lightbulb) for overnight.
The next day i do the shading and highlight again with the paint that whas over from the day before. Thinning this paint with a small drop Liquin (W&N). This will help to fade the color.
Then drying into the box again. Sometimes you need a third run if nessacery (?), but only to put the cherry on the cake.

Marc
 
Hello John:

Well, as so many have said, I agree. . . you're off to a good start
You've started on a figure that requires a lot of subtle decisions
and a variety of surfaces to depict flesh, steel, camouflage pattern,
et cetera, et cetera. I'm guessing that from your note you're just
getting started. And we all had to start at some point. My advice
to you is to just keep at it. We do learn by doing! As simple as
this sounds, I think it is true. So many of the thing that will work
for you, will be accidental discoveries, and doesn't mean that same
technique would work for another figure modeler bloke, you
understand. An interesting phenomenon about how the model
building/painting hobby works. I suggest you get more practice
on less expensive figures so that you get a lot of hours of
experience in. You'll see marked improvement with each figure
you finish. I wish you good luck — Model building / figures is
such an incredible hobby. So much to learn. . . and we never
learn it all. . . . The Miami Jayhawk
 
kansas kid said:
Hello John:

Well, as so many have said, I agree. . . you're off to a good start
You've started on a figure that requires a lot of subtle decisions
and a variety of surfaces to depict flesh, steel, camouflage pattern,
et cetera, et cetera. I'm guessing that from your note you're just
getting started. And we all had to start at some point. My advice
to you is to just keep at it. We do learn by doing! As simple as
this sounds, I think it is true. So many of the thing that will work
for you, will be accidental discoveries, and doesn't mean that same
technique would work for another figure modeler bloke, you
understand. An interesting phenomenon about how the model
building/painting hobby works. I suggest you get more practice
on less expensive figures so that you get a lot of hours of
experience in. You'll see marked improvement with each figure
you finish. I wish you good luck — Model building / figures is
such an incredible hobby. So much to learn. . . and we never
learn it all. . . . The Miami Jayhawk
Click to expand...
Hi
thanks for the feedback, funny you should mention learning from your accidents...that seems to be how i roll!
I am not a total novice, i painted a little years ago but not at this level with great figures, i am if you like only starting to take the hobby seriously and want to improve thats why i joined this great site. To pick up on your feedback when i dabbled at this another lifetime ago i bought some verlinden busts and chucked paint on them from a distance, thanks to your advice tonight i will be hitting the attic, blowing dust off of figures and using them to practice practice practice!! Thanks again for the feedback
John
 
Hi
yet again Carl many thanks
i think i might just have to say goodbye to the wife and family for a week and retire to the man cave, iv'e got work to do!!
 

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