Painting step by step

[fluid]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading up as much as I can and watching various youtube videos in an attempt to plan out the step by step painting process. I like working primarily with Vallejo acrylics. So far my approach to my figures is as follows:

1. apply primer to the figure. Do you have to apply a primer or can you apply only a base coat colour… grey for instance.
2. use acrylics to paint the figure
3. apply clear flat coat ?
4. use gradual washes (what medium?) to blend together the colours
5. use washes to highlight the shadows and details.
6. highlight raised detail through drybrusing
7. paint detail parts
8. weather the figure through drybrushing, stippling, pigments.
9. last overall flat coat to seal in ?

So one of my questions becomes…. If I use Vallejo acrylics for all the base colours, what medium can I use for washes and shadowing (steps 4 and 5 above) ?

Do I need to flat clear coat the base colours (after step 2) before applying a wash, as I don’t want the underlying paint job to be damaged by the washes?

Would love to hear your painting process/method.

Thanks to all in advance for your time.

 

[megroot]

I'm a oilpainter but it's almost the same only with another paint.

Always apply a primer before a basecoat. The basecoat is the overall color of the part that you gonna paint. If the color is green then your basecoat is green upon the primer.
For acrylic you don't need a clear flat coat. If your figure is ready and you find him shiney, then you can apply a clear flat coat. But for acrylic it is unnessacery.
The medium for washes is the same as the medium to thin the paint: water.
Wash is a very thin paint.....it's more colored water.
You don't highlight the shadows.
If your basecoat is at the figure, then with a complementair color of the basecoat you made the shadow.
The highlights are with a lighter color of the base: green + yellow gives a nice lightgreen.
I never do drybrushing. I pick every high detail with the lightest color that i need.
The detail parts are on the go wherever i am with the painting. Mostly i paint from top to bottem and from inner to the outside.
And again: i never coated a figure when i'm done with it.

Hope I helped you.

 

[Steve]

"Washing" implies a lot of thinner run over the figure. This is hard to control. A glaze or a filter is the same only with most of the vehicle (h2o) wiped off the brush. Technically you cannot "wash" a highlight, as highlighted areas are raised and the wash will run off. Again the glaze. The application of a clear flat coat is an individual taste, but remember every layer you apply is a build-up on the figure and that can get to be too much. If you have a finish when you are done that is too shiny, THEN apply the flat coat. Some oil painters use a flat coat between the layers of highlight and shadow to seal the oil and allow the work to continue, but with acrylic this is not necessary. Vallejo's work very well using water to thin as in for your wash. There are different schools of thought on the water, ie tap or bottled, but I use tap water and never have had any problem. Out of respect for the extremely few painters who are successful with dry-brushing I will not bad mouth the technique but if you insist, moderator Guy Herrick is the dude to emulate as his dry brushing works very well for him, and his results are phenom. You must remember about the application build up as this can not only obscure fine detail but give your finish a "crackle" appearance like the bottom of a dry lake bed. I think you have a step or two that is unnecessary, so the best thing is to get after it on a figure and see what to keep and what to discard. Get that brush wet and best of luck!!!

 

[gordy]

Great info Steve

The terminology is sometimes confusing , particularly if your background is with armor or aircraft building. "Wash" here in the States can mean something completely different over-seas, e.g. a glaze. Where to an armor or A/C builder a wash is the thinned, runny paint in panels or around rivets.

It might help all of us figurists to create a glossary of sorts hmmm...

 

[Steve]

There is another group who understands "wash" as you describe Gordy. Geezer figure painters who have been around long enough to have learned the terms when they were starting out with aircraft or armor. Say, moi (and the majority of my painting pals around here)for instance. Wargamers use the same term but they MEAN flood it with diluted pigment. A glossary is a great idea. It would have to be international for the reasons you mentioned, but what a great idea.

 

[housecarl]

It might help all of us figurists to create a glossary of sorts hmmm...

That would be a good idea Mr Gordy. How about one of common abbreviations too? As nobody speaks English anymore. I though SBS was Special Boat Service for ages.
Carl.

 

[Paul Kernan]

Although I'm an oil painter, I was told by acrylic painters it is better to add a drop of flat medium (Tamiya) directly to your paint mix rather than as a stand alone coat. Just a drop otherwise you still run the risk of white chalkiness as it dries.

 

[Steve]

I have never found reason to use flat medium. All the acrylics I use are dead flat. You can make them shiny by working them too much but a shot of clear flat takes care of that.

 

[Jim Patrick]

There used to be an article by Mario Fuentes (originally in Historical Miniatures) that explained acrylic painting prefectly. It used to be on Vallejo's website, it's no longer there now. Too bad. You may be able to find the issues of HM on eBay.

Jim Patrick

BTW- Try Andrea's new painting with acrylics book. Looks very promising!

 

[gordy]

There used to be an article by Mario Fuentes (originally in Historical Miniatures) that explained acrylic painting prefectly. It used to be on Vallejo's website, it's no longer there now. Too bad. You may be able to find the issues of HM on eBay.

Jim Patrick

BTW- Try Andrea's new painting with acrylics book. Looks very promising!

Is this the one ?

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sl&tl=en&u=http://www.vallejo.si/MCNavodila.html

 

[fluid]

Thanks all for the help

It's good to know that I'm some what on the right track. I come to figure painting from the armour and aircraft painting that I did a number of years ago. That explains the wash terminology.

A couple other questions.

- From what I understand a glaze is like a wash, except a lot of the liquid is removed off the brush before applied to the model. But if that is the case how does the glaze then flow into the shadows and crevices? Would a wash not be needed to get into those places?

- My initial thinking behind the flat coat was that I didn't want the wash or glaze to damage the base layer. If I use acrylics and ensure that the base layer has dried sufficiently... I can than use an acrylic wash/glaze with water or respective acryclic thinner and it will not damage the dried base layer? Wont the water in the wash/glze reactivate the dried paint of the base layer and damage it?

Thanks again to all. I'm about to start on my first figure this weekend... 90mm greek hoplite frm Miniature Alliance Warrior Class.

 

[Jim Patrick]

Is this the one ?

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sl&tl=en&u=http://www.vallejo.si/MCNavodila.html

Yep, that would be the one. Funny it's not offered in the English side of their house. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

Jim Patrick

 

[Jim Patrick]

...That explains the wash terminology...

Calling it a "wash" in the traditional sense would be a mistake.

...From what I understand a glaze is like a wash, except a lot of the liquid is removed off the brush before applied to the model. But if that is the case how does the glaze then flow into the shadows and crevices? Would a wash not be needed to get into those places?...

No. By removing most of the paint from the brush, you will find yourself painting glazes, or controlled "washes" into the crevices, or the places where shadows should fall. Just remember you will build up your shadows with several layers.

...My initial thinking behind the flat coat was that I didn't want the wash or glaze to damage the base layer. If I use acrylics and ensure that the base layer has dried sufficiently... I can than use an acrylic wash/glaze with water or respective acryclic thinner and it will not damage the dried base layer? Wont the water in the wash/glze reactivate the dried paint of the base layer and damage it?...

As long as the acrylic paint is initially flat, there should be no problems with the paint "glazing" up. A lot of painter's use hair dryers to speed up the drying process. Once you use it for awhile, you will have a "feel" for the drying time which usually is no more than a couple of minutes. When you remove 90% of the paint and water from the brush, you will find it doesn't "react" with the base too harshly.

*REMEMBER THIS!!!!!!* Make sure you use DISTILLED water! Normal water, even bottled drinking water, has materials added to it for our benefit. This is not for the benifit of the paint. Materials added to water can, sometimes, have a harsh effect on the paint causing it to "frost" up. Go with distilled water.

Jim Patrick

 

[megroot]

Here is the articel of Maurio Fuentes.
http://www.vallejo.si/MCNavodila.html

Marc

 

[gordy]

There is another group who understands "wash" as you describe Gordy. Geezer figure painters who have been around long enough to have learned the terms when they were starting out with aircraft or armor. Say, moi (and the majority of my painting pals around here)for instance. Wargamers use the same term but they MEAN flood it with diluted pigment. A glossary is a great idea. It would have to be international for the reasons you mentioned, but what a great idea.

Exactly!

Thanks I'm looking at different ways to make a glossary user friendly

That would be a good idea Mr Gordy. How about one of common abbreviations too? As nobody speaks English anymore. I though SBS was Special Boat Service for ages.
Carl.

LOL ! Great point Carl