My first real attempt with oils ................

Nicely done. Was this an experiment or are you looking to change to this medium?
Bill

Not sure about nicely done , but thank you ...no experiment I am new to the hobby and while I prefer oils its really tough with so many people saying so many things I have painted a few other bits but this is the first one I posted................I usually do the following..

Prime some times in black but usually grey
Then a base coat acrylic usually a sand colour
I then mix my oils and apply a layer of the particular skin tone I am trying to get and then thin it back
My next effort is usually where I get it wrong , in that I dont do enough to to make a good contrast so while I know more or less where to put the highs and lows perhaps not enough difference in the skin tones
Eyes ,lower and upper eye lids in acrylic and the rest in oils

Uniforms ............maybe too much paint I dont usually thin it and of course am poor at shading so feel free to add your thoughts have sent you one of my other bits

Better....but try even thinner oil layers...less painting a wall more building up colour and light...

Ok will do

There is a technique called 'dry-brushing' which is useful for blending. When you apply contrasting colours
( Darker shade+middle tone+light tint ) wait about ten minutes for the paint to settle a bit, then gently pass
a thicker absolutely dry brush over it a few times to blend the colours together. The important thing here is
to be gentle - practice a bit until your confidence builds up - and you'll find that a greater and more realistic
contrast can be achieved.

Mike

If only to sense how thin oil coats can be and to understand ow Mike is blending..try looking back at some of Ron Clark’s posts..Kagamusha here..there are all degrees of oil usage..those who only do skin and maybe leather, those who paint acrylics as basecolours and use oils for shade and highlights..and the ones who use oils only.Ron uses whatever material works best for the application. And even is rumoured to use an airbrush at times

Yes I follow him he is a master and a bit of a legend!

Master....far from it!....just an average joe.
Legend....certainly not for the right reasons....that's for sure.
Yes...I have been known to use an airbrush in some of my work....and many other things that go against the accepted 'rules'.....but rules are constraints on creativity in my book.

I too have just started and have gone from acrylics to oils. The confidence to try and inspiration came from him.