Native American Indians

[mrmstwk]

Need some help on painting Native American Indians, colors, techniques etc, please?

 

[Venko]

I always thought it is Native Americans, not Indians

Here is a good article about colors for ethnic skintones: http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1310

 

[Nap]

Hi there

This might be of use

Andrea Press released this book on painting American Indians. The book is 44 pages in full color, detailing six projects ranging from simple figures to larger busts and dioramas.

The book starts with a history of the American Indian, showing pictures and locations and some artifacts. The book then moves to the projects:

Painting Andrea Miniatures 1/10 scale bust- this show techniques for eyes and a step by step on doing a dark, weathered Indian skin. Also featured is the painting head dresses and feathers.

Skin Tones- Includes step-by-step instructions for painting Hidatsa, Comanche, Sioux and Mohawk warriors with color guides

The Descent- This is a very large, involved diorama of an Indian and Guide going over a waterfall in a canoe. It details the methods used for the base, water and figure conversions. This is seven comprehensive pages of magnificent diorama making.

Crazy Horse- Shows how to convert horses and paint with an airbrush for skin tones on a 90mm mounted figure. Also included are sections on shields and war paint.

The Persecution- This is a two figure 54mm vignette made from Michael Roberts figures and includes the figure conversion and the construction of the base.

Mother Nature- a series of pictures of female American Indians in diorama settings.

Nap

 

[Russ]

Hey, there -

I'm new to figures and busts, but I've completed one native American bust, and working on another. I've also done a couple of Caucasian busts, and here's what I'm finding for flesh tones. For reference, I've been working with Mission Model Paints (MMP) acrylics.

1. Once primed (the bust, not me), I like to start with a base of MMP 119 Sandgelb RLM 79, a somewhat dark sand color. Alternatively, lay in a base of MMP 142 Mahogany if you want to start with a darker base.
2. For a starting point from the base, I've been experimenting with a 2:1:1 mix of MMP 033 NATO Brown 033: MMP 019 Dunkelgelb Late 1944: MMP 086 US Army Sand. I feel that's a little closer to the mid- to light-range of Native American flesh colors. You can adjust from there to your eye. I have a Sioux bust posted here on PF on which I used a Mahogany base coat, and am working on one I got from Nap using this mix described here.

Some other tips I've accumulated, including from modeling planes and AFVs:

1. Pay attention to the type of light under which you paint. Fluorescent, incandescent, and natural daylight - as general categories - tend to elicit different hues of a given color
2. Mission Model Paints, I've learned, can have adhesion problems if they are too diluted, so if you thin for airbrushing, keep the paint % at no less than 10% for the finest line work, and 30-40% for general spraying.
3. I like to let each coat dry at least overnight, both to cure and to "settle" the appearance.
4. I'm currently experimenting with different approaches, i.e.:

• Neutral-ish base (RLM 79), highlight and shadows added;
• Dark base, highlights added and then blend between the base and the highlights;
• Light base, then lay in shadows, and again blend between the two.

Hope this makes sense, and helps at least a little.

 

[Russ]

OH, AND - The lighting scheme and background color(s) you use in photographing your work will play tricks with the apparent color as well. My sons have commented that my busts look different in the pictures I take than they do in real life, in the same setting.