New Try At Flesh Tones

[Jim Patrick]

I was in a little rut this weekend. I really didn't feel like doing too much. I managed to work on some figures for a friend but nothing else really. Tonight I decided to try a new flesh tone mix. Critique it hard please. I wasn't ever really satisfied with my old flesh tone as they lacked some red in them. I tried adding different shades of red but was never really satisfied. What do the rest of you think? More contrast, shadows, more red, what? Tell me what you think please as I personally find nearly all of your flesh tones better than mine .

Thanks,
Jim Patrick

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hey Jim!

I think it is really looking pretty good. I would suggest using a little browner red perhaps, like Cav brown. That would deepen the shade a little more. Also, maybe add abit more of a 5 O'Clock to the things that wrap around the mouth, like you did above the eyes.

 

[Pete_H]

Looking good, Jim. How about a bit more depth of shadows around the eyes. Cav brown works wonders (good call there, Anders).

 

[Jim Patrick]

Ok Anders and Pete, Cav Brown it is. Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it .

Jim Patrick

 

[Jim Patrick]

Ok, I didn't want to go too far (I bet I said that often during my youth :lol: ) so I'll put what Iv'e done here so you guys can see the difference. More or stay there?

Jim Patrick

BTW Anders, I tried to add a 5 O'clock shadow but I guess i diluted the paint too much.

 

[Edson]

Hey buddy, I think is a really good work , what you have done, Keep on!!, I don´t know if the chain mail is already painted, but if it´s done I would suggest less shine, try with the graphite of a pencil #2 in all the chain mail , and just some highlights with pewter pencil, to get the atention in some specific parts.

About the clothe, I think have a good contrast, just tru to make more sutil de blending, is the only think I guess.

Keep the good work man! :lol:
Cheers
Ed

 

[Pete_H]

Jim,
Perhaps it's the silicoil fumes affecting my brain or the photos, but I don't see much of a difference. What I was getting at is that the folds around the eyes and the spot between the nose and each eye needs a bit more outlining. This will really make the eyes pop out.
Although I'm from the "Light Side of the Force" (i.e "an oil painter" versus those from the "Dark" side of the Force - acrylics painters :lol: ), I've been told by a fellow San Diegan who happens to be one of the best acrylics painters out there (don't worry, Timmy, I won't mention your name since I know you shy easily ) that Cavalry Brown is a great "red" for acrylics painting. I've also found it to be a great color to undercoat reds that lean closer to Mars red in oils.

Hope this helps. If it doesn't, then blame the silicoil fumes ........

 

[JP PRAJOUX]

I myself would put deeper shadows on the "sides" and behind the helmet. It will make the face look "inside" the mail and not "next to" the mail.Hope you understand ?
Nevertheless I like the skin tones.
I also think that the color of the beard looks too much like the leather lining.
I hope it will help
Best regards
Jean-Philippe

 

[Franco]

Dear Jim,

Looking good. I for one like a lot of shading and contrast therefore I agree with Jean-Phillipe's comments. I also read that Marion from Switzerland uses a red black mix for her final shadow. You can place this at the deepest shadows of the face.

Good job eitherwise. Well done.

Franco

 

[Guy]

Well done Jim......I think you are on the right track.

 

[KeithP]

I like the deeper dark tones. You are making good progress!

Keith

 

[Roc]

Hey Patrick,the face is looks great, the only thing I would add to it is some deep shadows with Sepia, on the sides and under the helmet, just to give it a little depth.

Continue the good work and happy painting.

Roc.

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hey Jim,

I definately think that you are on the righ track. I can see a little difference. For the outlining of the chain mail and the 5'Oclock Flat Brown works super. Either right out of bottle or maybe even with a tad of black, but your skintones look light enough that you should be able to get away with just the flat brown.

 

[Jim Patrick]

Thanks for all the help guys. I think next ime I try this flesh mixture (I'm writing what I did down so hopefully I can repeat it :lol: ) I'll add a litlle English Uniform to the base. Iv'e always felt my base skin tones were a little too light thus not really leaving me much room to go with highlights. Oh well, you paint and you learn.

OK, I added Cav Brown around the eyes and it just didn't darken it enough. So I added some brown and this worked a little better. Finally, the black I added for the upper eye lids was used VERY sparenly under the eyes.

Jean-Phillipe and Franco, I looked at what you siad about the face not sitting "on" the chainmail but "in" it instead. I added a diluted straight flat black around the edges. Hopefully this has acheived what you were talking about. As far as the leather lining matching the beard, I agree. Although not readily apparent in this photo, I repainted the lining a dark leather followed by a atraight Orange Brown (#981) highlight on it. I went over this several times so as to ensure it was Orange and not yellow. I probably should have thought this out better and painted the beard a more yellowish blonde instead of a brownish blonde.

Pete, I don't think it was the silicone ( :lol: ) fumes you were sniffing. I have a hard time tweaking my flesh tones than I do any other part of my figures. I was making baby steps in my "teaking" instead of giant leaps. After your posting, honestly, I laughed. I decided then to take some giant steps and brave a new world. Funny thing about all this is, to me at least, every time I think Iv'e done something "new" I read other painters magazine articles and they were doing it all along! Well, not so funny if your'e in my shoes. By the way Pete, what were you doing sniffing silicone fumes? I want touch the fact that you were "burning" silicone with a 10 foot pole!

Thanks again to all of you,
Jim Patrick

 

[JP PRAJOUX]

Congratulations, I think this is it, great job on the skin...
With the close up picture, I think that you should enlarge the right eye pupil a little bit. I think we can see too much white and that it will look more symetrical like this.
Just my opinion !
Great work nevertheless
Bye
JP

 

[Manfred]

Contrast and depth is much better now. I like the changes.
Jean-Philippe has a point with the eye. It looks as they are not 100 % symmetrical on the sculpt, too.

 

[Anders Heintz]

Hey Jim!

A big Atta Boy!! Thats really looking a lot better. Very impressed with the improvement from the first pics (and it wasnt even bad to start with!) Keep up the great job!

 

[Pete_H]

One helluva improvement there!