painting a face step by step

[homellop]

Hi folks.
Here you are a brief description of how I paint a face.
This is not the only way and these are not the only colours you can use to paint a face.But this is my way and my colours.
Here in Planet figure you can find some other aproaches to this subject(specially I can recomend Anders Heintz's article.
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/i...howtopic=1104)

I've chosen Elite's 1st reg New York 70mm. figure
First of all I always prime(?)my figures to get an smooth surface wich admits acrylic paints.I do it with tamiya spray primer.I apply two light coats and let it dry one day.

[homellop]

When the primer has dried I paint two thin coats of Brown sand 876 as base colour

[homellop]

Once the base coat has dried(few minutes) I mix some Basic skintone 815 to the Brown sand to get a first light and apply it to the most prominent parts of the face.

[homellop]

Adding some more B.Skintone I get a second light.
Lights have to be applied enough diluted because they tend to paste.

[homellop]

Again more Basic Skintone,almost pure,to paint the third and last light.

[homellop]

Now let's go with shadows.
Adding some Burnt Cadmium Red 814 to the Brown Sand I mix my first shadow

[homellop]

second one

[homellop]

For third shadow I use Cadmium Maroon 859(that is in fact very similar to adding some black to the B.Cadmium Red)

[homellop]

At this stage I've painted three rude lights and shadows with no blending at all.
I've,basically,drawn the most important features of the face to give it character and live.
Now the fun begins.Is time to blend those brushstrockes using the same shadows,highlights and base,very diluted.
If I have to blend a third light with a second,I'll paint with second light over the third and then again with third over the second,until the frontier between the two tones has disapeared.This is achieved through the transparence properties of acrylics when are correctly diluted.
It's hard to explain the correct dilution degree but,usually,it takes from a milky consistence to dirty water

[homellop]

Tonight details and special effects.
Hope this helps

cheers
jaume