Started this popular figure.
so far, primed, and working on the face/ helmet.

More as I go,
cheers

Too true mate.
Derek

Hi Jamie,

Great to see you starting work on a new figure.

Just remember that when you switch from large scale to small scale, you need to increase the level of contrast between highlights and shadows.

In other words,your highlights need to be lighter and your shadows need to be darker.

As you switch scales, you find that the same rule applies in reverse. There is less contrast required in larger figures.

Keep taking your pills mate!!

do you have some close ups?

More work

Crawling along with this piece.
Did the leather chest piece, as a base coat, with a touch of red for warm tones....which didst photograph that well.

After base coats in white, used Vallejo sunny skin tone.
After several days from the bench, just looked a bit too orange for me.....

So put an order in to Ian (Busso Boy) at Empire Hobbies, for Andreas paint sets, Flesh, white, black.


More next post.

Revisit

..so blocked in the tunic with GW foundation Red,

And started using the Andrea flesh set.

Tony dropped the hint that as the scale of the figure shrinks, I have to exaggerate the shading effects more.

So hopefully the Andrea set will help me "learn the process" rather then spending brain power trying to mix my own shades, then for highlights, shadows etc.

Practice the basics first, then from that solid foundation, practice more skills!!

So this is all foundation work so far. Have already redone the eyes about 4 times, the 5th has been left as white so far.

As a very good friend of mine once said on the Dojo floor, "Learn quickly, forget Quickly. Learn Slowly, forget slowly."

Cheers


Post script; Better quality photos, minus flash, will be taken tonight.

Hi Jamie,

Nice work mate, it's coming along really well.

I like the fact that you've shown your colour charts too and you keep a record of your highlight and shadow skin tones for future reference. Wish I was that disciplined!

I'd concentrate on getting the eyes right before doing any more on this figure. Eyes are the single most important part of painting a convincing face and usually the first thing people look at when examining a figure.

A little tip I learnt years ago is to always paint the figure's right eye (on your left as you look at it) first. This is because most people are right eye dominant. I don't understand the science to it all, but it really does work.

Another tip I've found helpful is to have a small mirror on your table while you're painting, and use your own eyes as reference. It sounds silly, and looks even sillier, but one must be prepared to sacrifice one's dignity and sanity in pursuit of excellence.

Thanks for the tips

Particularly the eyes.

So far, have done them in leather brown, umber, Blue and green (yurk to the last two)

Will add the mirror to the work bench....

And as for dignity of the painter, well, as I approach the work bench, I done a stainless steel bowl, some length of red cloth, an enormous false mustachio and beard, then hold a 40cm ruler like a gladius, then think in Latin.....

"Vallejo painto applicatiuos execo" which very poorly translates as 'Valljo paint apply do!".

If you ask if I went to similar lengths for the China Lady, be prepared for the fact I might answer!!!

As for sanity, well, I tried sane once; very , well, beige.

cheers

I'm looking forward to completion of your work!

Good work sofar.
Looking forward to the finish.

Marc

Return to the figure

After putting the figure to one side, life got on the way.
Looked at the results, and wasn't happy, so broke out the can of Bed Red Oven Cleaner.
primed and base coated.

Base coats are the GW line of foundation paints, excellent covering power.

Photos are of revisited figure, after all the above.

Face I am not happy with. Using the Andrea flesh set. think the problem was the tool holding the brush. Oh well, one extra thing I know that doesn't work for me.....

So the face has been re coated with flesh base, ready for rework tonight.

cheers

Leather work, base coat with Andrea black

Ok, here is the figure with the breast plate painted, and the first layer of Andrea black laid down. Really looking forward to using this, seeing how its going to turn out. Base coat is almost a panzer grey, the 1st highlight is almost a Luftwaffe grey, just a bit lighter.

Using some blank 'business' cards to track what I am doing, and see what experiments will work before I commit brush to figure.

Plus, it helps me find out what formula worked and what didn't...
So using the idea of base, highlight, shadow, etc, and keeping a record.

This is going to be a gift for my step father for this Australia day, so I am putting myself under pressure to complete and base the figure....

self inflicted....

Cheers

Better get a wriggle on Jamie, Australia Day is not far away (26 Jan for those of you who don't know).

Good luck mate. You've made a great start.

More work on figure

Having done much of the breastplate work, moved onto the tunic and skirt.

Used the basics of dilute paint for building up layers (a return to basics, I know, but too long away from the brush makes me have to relearn the lessons)

Base is a Red cut with a dash of black, red straight out of the vallejo bottle was too bright for scale. Made it a brick red look, but was happier with that.

Shades and highlights was done using burnt umber in the mix, or adding yellow. Tony, thanks for the hint on "pushing" the effect as scale shrinks.

May have pushed some of it too far, but tick tock, tick tock.

The cloak I am using Andreas black paint set (Thanks to Ian at Empire Hobbies for supplying the set) for shading and so forth. Makes it a grey shade though, not a rich black...Oh well, I am committed to this effort now..

Head is still separate, will tackle the face and helmet tonight.

Cheers

Great progress Jamie!
Keep up the good work.

Regards,
Marcel.

Thank you

Tony and Marcel,
thank you for your encouragement

cheers

Jaime,
Great start!

more work

Did a whole bunch more work, but not on my usual computer... so images arent loading properly!!




So after I finish mucking around, I'll try and upload some pctures...may have to wait till Tuesday though..

cheers!

Basework- photos didnt upload

Ok, hope this works...

Nope, it didnt...

Hi Janus!

Good painting, so far.

But...:

Unfortunately this figure has a lot of historical mistakes.

From the helmet to the cingulum it is a legatus or praefekt, from the cingulum to his feet it’s a centurion.

Also the leather bandage at his arm is “Hollywood style”.

To be historically correct, you have to change many things.

I changed him into a correctly praefactus.

Greetings