Finished Flats

[billyturnip]

I'm not entirely convinced I've quite got the hang of flat painting but I certainly enjoyed this new experience. I now consider these two finsished. If anyone has any tips or advice they'd like to share please do. It will help when I do my next one.
A big thank you to Ulrich who sent me them as a birthday present, cheers mate!
I've included the first one I painted and posted here because I think these newer photo's are better.

Roger

 

[Bluesking]

Roger,
I wish I'd been that good with my first attempts - hey who am I kidding - wish I was that good. Remember it is all in the the contrasts between light and dark.

 

[ciospy]

Are they in 30 mm? If so, wonderful faces.
Set them on a black velvet for next photos, to better see the contrasts.
Like told by by Bluesking, maybe needed a higher contrast.
Go on this way !!
Beppe

 

[billyturnip]

Thank you Stephen.
Beppe, they are 90mm. The plan is to frame these so I will see what they look like with a black background, thanks.

Roger

 

[Dan Morton]

Well done Roger! Some lovely butternut shading on that Confederate. I think you got the hang of it.

All the best,
Dan

 

[billyturnip]

Thanks Dan, this project was a whole new learning curve but a lot of fun.

Roger

 

[Sambaman]

Roger, first let me say I think both of these guys turned out very nicely. I do notice one thing on the confederate that I can't pull my eye away from though. The shading on the bed-roll looks backwards to me. You have a lovely over-head lighting effect on his shirt, and then when you get to the bed-roll it looks as if the light is hitting him fom the lower right with the highlights predominently on the lower portion of the roll. Does that make sense? It tends to present a tiny bit of confusion to my eye on the lighting. Don't take this wrong, they are both lovely figures. Thanks for posting!

Jay H.
OKC

 

[billyturnip]

Jay, thanks for pointing that out. I can see it now but didn't before. I've learnt a lot about lighting doing these and I think most of it will apply to round figures too.
There's a couple of things that have been pointed out so I'll be going back to them... they ain't finshed yet.

Roger

 

[petermh]

As an acw enthusiast I really like these fiigures
I think you've mastered the lighting of the figures very well I can see the point re the bed roll though

 

[billyturnip]

Thank you Peter. I've just come back to Pf after putting that right and one or two other little bits.
Cheers,
Roger.

 

[Roc]

You definitely got the hang of it, fantastic work.
Thanks for sharing.

Cheers
Roc

 

[EdC]

Roger,

Graet job on your flats. It is good to see another member trying their hand at flats.

You have the color scheme down. I would suggest that you be more bold with your lights and darks (highlights and shadows). A good way to approach flats (this advice was given to me by Knorad Schulte in another forum) is that you break the figure down into the basic geometric shapres that are common, squares, clyndiers, cones, balls, rectangles. Looking at the figure's body you can visulize the arms and legs as clyndiers, the body as a rectangle, the head as a ball shape.

Now think about how the basic shape would be lite using the same light source you are using in your painting. Visualize the highlights and shadows in a darker color such as blacks, whites, and shades of grey. When you have the mental picture in your mind then look at your figure and transfer the image to your figure. This exercise will help you visualize the highlighting and shadowing better.

Also, don't be afraid to be more bold in your contrasts. What gives a flat the 3D look is the blanace of the dark to light using a large contrast. Also make use of shadows, paint them on. In your figures you have some, but I don't see any from the rifle for example.

I would suggest that you take a look over at the British Flat Figures Society's galleries and take a look at the figures on display there. Many of today's leading flat painters have their work posted. Study their use of light and shadows.

Again, a great job. Keep them coming.

Ed Cepauskas

 

[billyturnip]

Thank you Roc and thank you Ed for the excellent advice. It makes perfect sense. I'll follow it closely, cheers.

Roger