Painting with acrylics question

[olly_usafsoc]

Hi,
Haven't been all that active of late but I hope to post some of my work very soon (I know, I know, ive said it before :lol: ). Now, ive been using a tristar German officer for practicing some painting with acrylics (I usually use oils).
However, I find myself unable to make nice, blended graduations to highlights and lowlights, and i find no matter how many graduations i put on they still end up very stark and with a noticable level/barrier between each colour. So any suggestions? sorry if this is a question that has been covered time and time again but i couldnt really find anything of use!

Thanks in advance

 

[Automata]

Oliver,

There are three general suggestions I would make. First, paint your highlights and shades using very thin paint, with the brush carrying only enough paint to tint the layer underneath. Second, make sure you are not making too big of a jump between tones. It sounds like you don't think this is the problem, however. Third, go back over the boundary between two areas with an even more thinned down version of one of the colors. There are different methods used by different painters, but these are common and proven techniques.

Hope this helps,

Barry

 

[slaj]

Oliver, you might want to check the online tutorial I did on www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk

It deals with the painting of a whole mounted figure in acrylics

Stephen Mallia

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by olly_usafsoc+May 11 2006, 08:51 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (olly_usafsoc @ May 11 2006, 08:51 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>However, I find myself unable to make nice, blended graduations to highlights and lowlights...[/b]

Hi Oliver, thin paint (i.e. lots of water) but with very little of the paint on the brush.

You might also like to try a blending medium as well as or instead of water. W&N's Watercolour Blending Medium is supposed to work well.

<!--QuoteBegin-olly_usafsoc@May 11 2006, 08:51 PM
...and i find no matter how many graduations i put on they still end up very stark and with a noticable level/barrier between each colour.[/quote]
How many mixes are you using?

While you're getting accustomed to acrylics it's probably a good idea to work in small colours steps. Unlike in oils where you could blend white directly into a red base, with acrylics you'll probably want to use at least five steps from shadow to highlight.

Even with this you should generally build up colour slowly - five, seven, or more layers to get a transition from one mix to another.

Einion

 

[olly_usafsoc]

Thanks for the replies, one thing it looks as though i have been doing (probably sound incredibly stupid now!) is not thinning the paint down enough and over loading the brush, would certianley make sense now...

shall try the suggestions. Thanks!