please try and help

[diosytexas]

can i have a little help... hello i'm new to the hobby and i'm trying to use oil 's. i have two bust's on the go at the moment,well one i should say because while i'm trying to paint that one the other is covered in oven cleaner[great tip i got from this site]. i have all the reading on how to do it anybody could want. my problem is doing it. firstly have i stated to big. should i have started on a smaller kit. second.. can i use the verlinden method as an example to what i'm doing. undercoat,then base coat remove most of base coat so far so good. verlinden then just applies high light and then tit white. but i want the effect i see from the people on this site. where you have the base then a reder shade going into a yellow colour then the white as a high light.when i try to do this it all goes pear shape i get a dirty look. do you add these shadow while the oil is still wet or do you wait and do it when it's dry. i have tried this but i get a chalkey look.six weeks and i have not painted a face yet. sorry about this being so long but i cant think of a way to explain it i hope yoy understand what i'm asking any tips please. thanks dave.

 

[herbwf]

Hi Dave,
Welcome to the site and the hobby. A couple of quick questions/comments. Where are you located in the UK? There are a few site members from England and I know theere is a very large club in the London area. Learning from a book is tuff, not impossible but tuff. If you can make a club meeting or event in your area where you can talk with people one on one and watch them work, it will come much faster. I'm not sure I would try something as big as a bust until I was somewhat comefortable with the technique I had chosen.

I have not seen the Verlinden technique done on something the size of a bust, and I have'nt been in this part of the hobby long enough to pretend to know what technique is best, but there are other techniques used by many in the hobby that may give you a better sense of realism. Look in the gallery section of this site. I'm sure you wo'nt find too many done in that technique.

Whatever technique you choose and whatever medium you choose. Have fun and please yourself FIRST. The rest will come with time and practice.

Cheers,
Herb Forgey

 

[Guy]

Originally posted by herbwf@Jan 9 2005, 10:13 PM


I have not seen the Verlinden technique done on something the size of a bust, and I have'nt been in this part of the hobby long enough to pretend to know what technique is best, but there are other techniques used by many in the hobby that may give you a better sense of realism. Look in the gallery section of this site. I'm sure you wo'nt find too many done in that technique.

Whatever technique you choose and whatever medium you choose. Have fun and please yourself FIRST. The rest will come with time and practice.

Cheers,
Herb Forgey

Hello Herb and welcome to the planet Dave. If you click on my gallery links at the bottom of this posting, you will see all sorts of figures and busts with the flesh on all in the Verlinden technique. I have been using this technique since 1990 and like the results myself. But take a look and judge for yourself.

 

[diosytexas]

hello, first thanks for the replies, i live in the midlands and the shifts i work rule out any chance of attending any clubs, i cant find one that happens on a weekend so it has to be trial and error or books. GUY your wok is great i have spent hours looking before joining. do you stick to the verlinden colour guide or do you have your own colour system that you have addapted. also with the shadeing do you apply it wet on wet or do you wait for it to dry. also what shade do you use. many thanks dave.

 

[Guy]

Thanks for the kind words Dave. I use the Verlinden way for flesh just as it was written years ago in one of their books. I use Humbrol #121 for the undercoat for flesh (2 coats) and after the Humbrol dries, I use a mix of 20% Burnt Sienna, 40% yellow ochre and 40% raw umber. I apply over the dried Humbrol #121 and wipe off excess leaving the Humbrol showing through the highlight areas. while the base is wet, I apply Cadium yellow to the highlight areas and let it set for an hour. I then blend it into the base in the highlight areas. Now I apply Titanium white to the same area I applied the Cadium yellow and also let this set for an hour. I then blend this into the wet base and as the last step. add a dot of red to the upper lip and blend carefully and a dot to each cheek and blend carefully. All this is done wet on wet. I hope this helps and don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[diosytexas]

GUY,your a gem. dave.

 

[PJ Deluhery]

I'm not sure what the "verlinden method" is, but the method I use is outlined below, and it works for me. When I first started with oils my biggest problem was putting WAY too much paint on the figure. I finally learned to thin my oils to almost the consistency of milk, and to use VERY small amounts of paint and spread them out very well. I find now that they dry faster and flatter as a result. I also use a crock pot for drying, as this speeds up the process and flattens some colors like blues and blacks. The crock pot also allows me to "freeze" and preserve my work in process and avoid distrubing something that is finished with later painting.

Steps:

Undercoat - I use white
"Block in" all basic colors in acrylic with value as close as possible to the oil
Apply base coat in oil - keeping in mind the above advice
Apply first highlight wet on wet - sometimes this should set a bit before blending
Apply second highlight wet on wet - again may need to set
Repeat the above with first and second shadows
After the figure is fully dry, touch up the high highs and low lows with wet on dry

Happy Painting!

 

[diosytexas]

sorry about that forgot to log in. cheer's pat.

 

[herbwf]

Guy,
One of the great things about this hobby is learning new stuff! Your photos are great, especially the Huron bust. I basically use the method outlined by Shep Payne in his figure book but I tweak it a little each time I use it, mostly by fiding colors I like to work with.

I'll be starting another project soon and will be looking for some receipts for Native American skin tones. From what I saw on your site, your input would be great to start.

Thanks,
Herb Forgey