WIP Critique First try with oils

[WarhammerAdjacent]

Hi all, sorry if this is in the wrong place - it's sort of a WIP/how do I do this type thread. I picked up some abteilung flesh tone oil paints a while back and finally got around to trying them out on this head. I see the attraction - they blend nicely and the process feels less pressured than using acrylics. So far I've airbrushed on a coat of tamiya flesh, applied a thick coat of 'flesh shadow' and then wiped most of that off, I've then used a base flesh tone to add in highlights. It's a little smoother IRL than my phone pics make it seem.



I'm now a little unsure of what to do next - hence my post. If I were working in acrylics I'd probably try to reduce the size of the shadows a bit and then start painting in the eyes, hair and eyebrows to add a little structure. Do people normally do that with oils too or would it make sense to switch back to acrylics (not least because I feel like I know what I'm doing)? I think I should also be looking at adding in slight shading around the chin area (5 o-clock shadow) - maybe a few tiny spots of black or blue to add a tint to the colours that are there? I'm also thinking a slight hint of red around the cheeks might help.

Anyway, the TLDR is I've got this far, what would be your next steps?

 

[megroot]

Oke,
Normally I don't give a reaction anymore but you need help from all the dinosaures here on the forum who paint with oils.
First: You wrote that they blend nicely, well, I'm not convinced because the blending isn't there. If you use a darker color for shading, please don't take not to much paint. You done it here.
Just a small spot from the shade in your wet basic paintcolor. Then fade it out with a drybrush. then it will blend in smooth and not so hard.
Same for the lighting color.
The painting is lifting from the basecolor in the neck part. That's because you use to much paint. The oil from the paint for the shade is loosing the basecolor.
With this all in mind let the head dry, and start again with little basecolor, and go again with shading and highlighting. Just once.
Let it dry for a day or two (under a lightbulb in a box it is four hours) and start again with shading and highlighting. Remember, only little spots of paint and fading it out.
I paint high and shade sometime's three or four times if I don't feel it is enough. The oils will fade in each other and then the contrast is fading away.

on youtube you can find Milan Dufek who has very good painting video's with oils.
https://www.youtube.com/@milandufek8151

 

[WarhammerAdjacent]

Thanks, I’ll have another bash.

 

[bigtodd]

Like what was said use less paint. The forehead is a great blend. You should be doing this all around the face in each area. Take a 0# filbert brush and dab blend between each color you place. Don't blend each color across each other this will just create mud. If you blend one color into the other too much just take the lighter color and add it back in but carefully blend it in. Everything should look smooth between dark and light colors. Shadows should not be islands of dark.

Practice by making a dark stripe beside a light stripe. Lightly dab blend between each make sure there is a transition between each, but the two stripes are still there. Lightly dab!!!!!!!!

I messed up so many times trying to learn this. I got mud so many times. I finally just picked one part of the face and only worked on it. I got the hang of it and worked the rest of the face.

I used a cardboard palette to soak up oil from the paint. I was always told never use any oil thinners. Did I listen ? Nope and I got a mess that was a slip and slide that refused to dry.

I think you are half way there.

Keep moving forward.

 

[WarhammerAdjacent]

Cheers Todd, I see what you mean about the islands. I suspect I've been struggling to get away from the way I use acrylics. I'll keep playing.

 

[Glenn1442]

I can highly recommend Milan Dufek via youtube. Watched his videos many times. Also, if you post questions, he'll reply.