How to paint a figure head in 35 scale using acryliks.

Modeling Subjects Figures and Misc.
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Hi everyone well here goes for my first real tute as a lot of you wanted over on the armour site. First of i prime the head in a suitable primer.

Then mix some flat flesh with water to a thick ink consistency and block in some colour. You will notice this is slightly transparent,dont worry because you want to build up with several light coats. Make sure you dry with a hair dryer between coats

When you are happy with a uniform look then mix up some shadow, i use a red and brown for this but always mix in some of the base colour aswell to make the colours tie together. Then paint in the shadow areas around the eyes and nose and in the creasesaround the mouth and on the neck and in the ears But allways just touch the tissue with the end of the brush first to take up excess water on brush so you dont flood the face. Allways mix the paint with water aswell and at this stage do it to a thin ink cosistency.

Remember to dry with hair dryer in between coats. Then mix up some very thin base colour to a very thin ink and block in over the shadows , dry then again, dry and again untill you see a smooth contrast between colours.

Now its time to paint in the highlights, mix up some light flesh with the base colour 70- 30 and some water to a thick ink consistency ,touch the tissue and paint in the areas of high lights, round uppercheek bones ,round eyes, lower eyelid ,cheek crease down to mouth.

Now its time to paint in the line accross the top eyelid and a dot for the eye in grey/black and then the eyebrows in the same colour. Obviously you need a brush with a verygood tip for this as its very tricky ,good brushes are essencial for all this work.

[IMG]http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii215/andyargent/figure052.jpg[/IMG

Next stage i have mixed up some of the dark red colour for in the mouth, painted the lips ,top one being darker than the bottom one and painted the teeth in verylight flesh. Notice i havnt used white as its too stark for this size figure also no whites to the eyes as you wouldnt see someones whites of the eyes at twenty foot away in reallife and thats the scale difference and when added makes figures look unreal and cartoon like.

Next up ive mixed up some of the grey/black colour and the flatflesh to a dirty fleshy colour and then added the five oclock shadow and dabbed in the hair line.

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Thanks Bodge that helps a lot.[tup]

Tony the Mutt

3

Last few pics are bad light as its getting dark and daylight is better for photos. I may still do a couple of blend coats and then i need to do the oil treatment so more to come tommorrow.[tup]

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Thanks.

!http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/PerfectLady/smileys/SpongeBob-1.jpg

I’ll be soaking.

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Great toot for the acrylics, Bodge. I did that same Hornet head for a figure a few months back, seriously fun to paint him. Incredible expression. Yours is outstanding!

Steve

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Hi Andy!

It’s Christmas in July!! I got my figure tute that I asked Santa for!

I am going to be greedy ungrateful boy and ask for the complete figure tute as well! [:D] I am almost ready to do a camouflage uniform and I am pretty intimitated to be sure.

Andy you make it look easy! Thanks so much for sharing like this it very welcomed and appreciated. OH BTW I loved the seat cushion and first guy just like you originally did it! Fantastic!!! [tup]

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Thanks SO MUCH for sharing, Andy, this is really a fantasci tute, although you make it look easy. That is simply fantastic painting. I am working up a Hornet head myself, your detail on something that is literally the size of a pea is breathtaking.

Thanks again,

Bill

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Exceeds my wildest dreams Bodge, thank you very much for sharing this with us. Practice, practice, patience and more practice… cheers,

Julian

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Hi Andy!

Thank you very much for doing this… it HELPS! [:D] Looks like it will be difficult for me to continue and use MM emanel paints as it is what I use. Vallejo paints that everybody has been raving about are nowhere to be found at LHS around here in Indy so will order when I have the chance. It is always a pleasure following your work.

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Cheers guys, allways glad to help.[tup]

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AN excellent toot, Andy! Thanks for taking the time to document it all!

I have to say that one think that I’ve noticed as well is the mportance of starting with a good figure head to begin with. Man, when you have sharply defined, well-molded features, it’s much easier to paint something that resembles a real person than those crappy soft-molded plastic heads from some manufacturers. When you have the features in such fine detail, this makes color demarcation and shading so much easier.

People wanting to learn figure painting should start with good figures, where they can get an accurate assessment of their skill. You just can’t do nuthin’ with some of those older figures.

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[#ditto] [#ditto] [#ditto]

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!http://www3.b92.net/ipb_images/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif*.............need to do the oil treatment so more to come tommorrow.*

!http://www.smiliemania.de/smilie132/00000290.gifDid I miss something?

!http://www.innovationbyinstinct.com/services/hosting/clients/accountyp/status/DisasterMaster/%23t1-4.jpg

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Oh sorry about that Steve ,bit busy on other maters but i will get round to it .Doog nice to hear from you. About starting with a good figure my mate Ian can start off with a dog of a figure and makeit look like it was made by Alpine really , but i know what your saying ive often said to people get the right fig and it will almost paint itself and those hornet heads are really well sculpted .

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Better late than never, to finnish of this head i mix up some red and brown to a very thin ink , very thin mixed with thinners and just touch on areas of shadow and this flows on nicely, be careful not to flood the figure though and its best if the head has had several days to dry. well thats it i hope ive been of help. cheers Andy.

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Cool Bodge! I used your tutorial fairly closely for my Russian Hornet heads with a modicum of success. Thanks again for posting this Bubba!

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Bodge - AWESOME TUT!!! While I use pretty much the same technique, I still picked up some useful tips from you! THANKS!!! I can’t wait to try the new tricks out on my delta figures in my MH-6 build.

Thanks again…

18

Excellent tutorial, Bodge! I’ve never really got the nack of doing faces with acrylics in 1/35 and larger, and this willbe of immense help.Copied for fture reference.

Cheers,

Chris.

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AMAZING.(thank you)[:D]

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Cheers guys, [:D]