After many requests about face painting on my last Post, I decided to explain it here for this stats from the beggining. This is a quite simple example of how you can do a face ok, things can be more complicated but thats not the point, I realy wanted to keep it simple, so I divided it on 4 steps . This head is from Alpine 120 mm range.

In order to keep it simple I will use only 3 main colours. Of course at the end I will had more colours, mostly as a veil/glazze integrated with the others before, for chromatic variety.
The objective is to break the fear and when you are ok with this tecnhique, you can advance for a more complicate one.

FIRST STEP
The Colours are from Vallejo range



I put the Brown Sand 70.876, not diluted, comes strait from the bottle so the cover power is bigger, here I must push the painting to leave only a thin layer and don´t cover the details of the figure


Normaly 2 layers is enough - the objectiv is a uniform color with no spots wen is dry



Now I put a heavy wash of Red -Brown 70.892, diluted almost with 90% of wather, in all the face- then I clean the face, gently with a brush (dry and clean) that will act as a sponge taking out the excess wather - leaving a thin layer with no spots


The Result is the acumulation of this color in the lower parts - causing more definition on the face

I insist in same Key places, to mark them more - like under the eyebrows - sides of the nose- lower part of the face/shin - this time the painting is less diluted 60% - the point is to place the shadows so the lights will be oposite (logicaly)

Here we have a base to work in
SECOND STEP
After that I continue with the Lights using the "classic" sistem - several passages adding more light colour in each passage- I start with the Brown Sand again, because he became darker with the wash, so this will be Highlight 1

- The following steps are a little borrer, but important, I mix tinny bits of Flatt Flesh in the Brown Sand and start constructing the lights, the colours should not be very diferent, other wise is too marked. I´ve diluted a little bit the painting on the lights but not too much like 30% - enough to be fluid

... and more flat flesh ...

... and more ...

beggining to take shape ... As we had more light colour we reduce the areas
Like on the shadows there are specific places to put the lights, although those can change, but in this head - the forehesd-uper ears- under the eyes- over theuper lips- uper shin - the highest is the nose

I marked with blue the light areas

Lateral view, I reserve some places, because I know I´m going to put shadows on it after- It´s important to know that -to imagin the finished figure - one good example is the beard zone, the base + red brown wash+ the blue veil to simulate the beard is far enough - if you put base+4 shadows + blue veil becames almost black and unnatural remember in Figures painting LESS IS MORE

In order to stay simple is necessary to do 6/8 highlights in a face like this, wich is far enough. The last light is on the tip of the nose

This the last High light - I continue on the next

THIRD STEP

- I made a mix from Red Brown+ Base (Brown Sand) - more diluted for the shadows 50-60% and apply this has shadows. The important here is that there are no big diference between the base colour and this one, mostly slightly darker - if you put too much Red Brown you will have a BAD surprise (unless youre doing an indian)- so the integration of colours will be "pacific" with no big diferences


As I insist, with more passages- tose places became darker- so once again PLEASE put the right colours on the right palces (yeap that´s ... Painting)
Breaflly I gave volume with Lights, so now I give profundity with shadows ok
Be gentle with the shadows - it´s here most peoples "damage" the work made so far


Now make a small coffe break, get away from your figure 5 minutes at least, than look at her- make a revision and see where he needs a "touch" - is there brushstrokes/marks ?? normaly yes - so make a veill with Brown Sand (base colour) very diluted and pass in this zones to soften them -

charge your brush, then take out the excess wather by simply touch (not rub) a absorvent paper, so the wather goes out and the pigment stays, with this you should pass on the place you see the strokes to smothh the transition, you should finish the movemment in direction of Light ok (don´t finish on the shadow) or it will stay a small mark of light colour - the movement must be fast to leave only a glaze- other wise you deposit too much pigment and again this leaves a mark

FOURTH STEP

Almost finish - Funny part of the thing - adding tonalities- I make some veils diluted 90% and apply it in several passages

The 1 is flat red 70.957, I apply this on the cheeks , carefull I don´t touch the extreme light or shadow, only the frontier, leaving one redish veil on the cheeks. I also apply this on the year lob





With dark Prussia Blue 70.899 with a small dot of Brown Sand (base colour) I pass in all the beard /moustache zone. The 1 passage you see nothing at all, lbut after 3/4 passages is ok, and if you heavy/several days unshave look like passe 3 more, you can also a dot of black, carefull not too much !!


Marked in blue places of beard
I put Medium Olive 70.850 on the templates, giving this a cold tonality - 2 times is enough

Please note that this glazes must be very subtile, bether pass 4 times , instead of one very strong, ok - be pacient and enjoy your paintings - moste of all try to learn with your mistakes, if something went wrong, take it as a lesson for the future, the only way to learn is working !!!

Hope also that you understand that this kind of articles is very time consuming and needs a lot of work to make wath looks a "simple " SBS. From my part I will try to make something like this for you in the future, of course regarding my possibilities.
Finally I want to dedicate this article to my friend José Costa, who is the lucky owner of this head and is going to make the rest of the bust. Moddeling is a Hobby allways remember that things will run bether and you will have more fun !!
Wish you nice paintings

This is a very useful and well made SBS thank you for taking the time and effort to produce it for us.
Obrigado,
Scotty.

This is fantastic! Not only in your taking the time to illustrate for us who are still trying different approaches, but also the technique itself is appealing. I have slowly taken to glazing (if that is the correct term) for uniforms, so am very interested. Will take record of your approach.

Again, thank you!

Regards,

Adrien

Thank you for sharing these tips, fantastic. Booked marked for future reference.

I agree with Bob above.
Cheers
John

Thank you very much for this excellent sbs and for your time.

Regards,

Francisco

I agree these SBS do take a lot of time so thanks very much for doing it

Hi Paulo.
Thank you for making the time and effort to do this SBS,

I look forward to using the method on my next Bust out of the blocks.
Mick

Wow, thanks so much for this detailed tutorial, awesome work. Thanks so much again...

Cheers Borek

Thank you, Paulo, this will be really helpful. I'm new to acrylic paints and this will give me a useful basis to work from,
Cheers,
Pat

Not to short change anyone else that has posted a face painting SBS on PF;...but his has to be one of the most straight forward approaches to painting a face with acrylics that I have seen......I agree, sometimes less is more...….Thanks Paulo......

Wayne

Well ... Planeteers you leave me with no words

Thank you all for reconnizing that, it worth every minute I spend doing it !!

thanks Kevin, of course you can use it on show´s . About the next ... let´s see ...

Many Thnx Paulo!!!!!!! A huge help all-around!!!!!

Dear Paulo,
After many failed attempts at trying to paint faces with acrylics, I followed your SBS closely. I was delighted with the result and how quick it took.
"Hope also that you understand that this kind of article is very time consuming and needs a lot of work to make what looks a "simple " SBS. "
Yes, I do understand this and I thank you for your efforts - it worked for me!
Cheers,
Pat

Hi Paulo,
may I add my thanks to you for this SBS?
I am just getting back into painting after almost 40 years, so I won't be posting my results here any time soon....
I KNOW it's not a competition, but I will wait until I have something I'm not ashamed of.
thanks again!
Neil

That's a fantastic SBS mate. Can I please ask how do you do eyes? By the SBS you presented it was after you have finished the face completely .
Desde já agradeço a atenção.
Cheers
Paulo