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[typhoonken]

Any and all comments welcome:

When painting clothing should I be painting ALL facets of the clothes? I mean, all shading/ shadows and all highlights? Or do I leave some areas to receive their shadows and highlights from natural lighting, sunlight, or a directed light source?

And as a follow-up of sorts, should I always paint from a distinct lighting angle, (directly overhead, direct right angle from either the left side or right side), or paint from a different lighting angle on each figure? Am I determining the amount of highlights and shadows or is the figure?
Kinda hard to put this question into words.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[megroot]

Ken,
You paint everything you see on the figure, all that little thiny wrinkles, etc.
You paint the shadows and highlight on every detail of the figure.
With other words, you paint the colors as there was no lightsource.
When you choose the light direction a overhead light is easyer to start with. From a side lighting is very difficult.
Good luck.

Marc

 

[Sambaman]

Ken,
paint everything with your mixes! What you are looking to achieve in minature is way to "force" the highlight and shadow so as to somewhat overemphasize the details. These are miniatures, so we are here to help them come alive, even if that means a slight overexageration of the details.

I would definitely look at the figure from all angles as you paint. You are essentially painting from an "imaginary" over-head light source. But, by looking at the figure from several angles as you work, it gives you a better perspective, and allows you to pick up on small details you may need to correct.

One way I work is to turn the figure completely upside down as I work. This gives you a much ignored perspective, and your light hits the figure differently to reveal any small places that may need touch-ups. I do this when painting faces as well. It not only lets me see under the eye brows and nose to make sure I have them cleaned up, it changes the the way the light hits and really reveals the small places that need more attention. Looking at the piece upside down every once in a while has a way of letting you look at the piece more objectively, and not as the final piece will be viewed. Somehow I tend to see more just shapes and folds upside down, not the overall character, does that make any sense?

Always paint as if there is overhead lighting from the figures perspective, but don't hessitate to view and/or paint from any angle that allows you to get the best results! HTH,

Jay H.
OKC

 

[typhoonken]

Marc and Jay,

Excellent. Thank you very much.

I'm kind of chomping at the bit to make a concentrated effort on a figure, but I have a couple of kits (planes) in mid-assembly I'd like to finish. But then it's on to a knight or a German soldier or a pirate or whatever else I dig out of my pile.

Thanks again.

Ken

 

[John Bowery]

Jay,
Very nice comment and some interesting stuff for me to try. I have heard of looking at the figure in the mirror, but not turning it upside down????. Thanks for thought provoking stuff.
Thanks
John

 

[PeteR.]

At Last! Wish there was one including paintin g of the face