First off, apologies for being a pain but I hope that I may ask those stupid questions that maybe some one else in my position may not like to ask but could learn something from the answer anyway. If what I ask has been covered then please give a link if you know it rather than waste your time which I know, and appreciate, is precious.

Last night I watched a few videos on painting figures with oils. I went to bed thinking I had nothing to worry about as it looked so simple. On getting home from work, I picked a test figure, base painted the face with Acrylic Brown Sand. When dry, bless those hair dryers, I did as the video and slapped some oil on, a shadow and a first highlight (this is an experiment, not a keeper). Picked up a brush and started stippling to blend the two together. Only thing that happened was that I just lifted the oil paint off leaving me an oily acrylic surface.

Do I have to let the oils dry off some before stippling? Do I need a special brush? Why do videos make the dark arts look so simple?

Thanks in anticipation...

Graham, no need to apologize! I'm a sophomore painter, so I am glad for questions others ask, especially because they're questions I don't think of.

Graham, from my experience this is normal. Painting with oils, or the way I do it anyway, is very similar to using acrylics. The shadows and lights are built up in very thin glazes or layers. Paint on, wipe off, allow to dry and repeat until the desired effect is achieved. It's a bit of a long drawn out process, much slower than with acrylics.
My first experiments with oils and my impatience resulted in thick layers of oil paint that wouldn't dry.

Roger.

Well, as a oilman I can give you some answers.
First: I let the lineseedoil soak out of the paint on a indexcard. That take's about 15 minutes.
Second: I transfer the pigment from the indexcard to a white tile (my pallet).
Third: I do that with all the colors I gonna use.
Fourth: I mix the pigments for the color I want and then with a very thin amount of WhiteSpirit I make the mix a little fluid.
Fift: Then I start painting over the basic layer from acrylic.
Six: I let it dry for a half hour and then with a clean brush I go gently over the paint and what stays on my brush is the paint that is to much.
Seven: I repeat this steps when the acrylicpaint isn't covered again and again. With this steps I don't have thick layers of paint.
Eight: When the acrylic is covered I go shading with the complementary color. I put some small dot's into the crevets from the fould and start with a clean brush movements from deep to halfway the fould.
Nine: I do the same with the highlight color. Put some small dot's at the top of the fold and with a clean brush movements from up to halfway the fold.
Ten: Let dry into a drybox.
If you find the contrast isn't enough, bring out more highlight on top and deeper shade into the deepest fold.

Marc

Very well explained Marc.

Roger.

Kicked myself at the first point, I did see about putting paint on card to draw out the excess oil but forgot to do that......

Thanks for the very detailed reply Marc

Marcs covered it pretty well, another SBS you may find useful is this by Ron http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/my-way-with-oils.52194/ he's not only a A1 painter but a very friendly bloke who will only be to glad to help
Steve

Thanks for that Steve, looks very interesting. Going to have a quick skim through and then study it tomorrow.

OK, with sincere apologies to Ken at Mil Mart for misuse of one of his fine figures.

I have had fun just having a play to get a feel for oils. I know it's wrong but I will have to let it dry a bit/lot before I try to get some more shadow on the lower cheeks. I am too impatient to do this right until I have had a good play around but even making a mess, I can see how smoothly oils can be blended. As you can see, I don't mind making a fool of myself in the interests of learning but that doesn't mean I am not taking it seriously.

I'm by no means an expert but I'd say Carl was right you need cut the oils more with some turps/white spirit till they flow more like an ink than a paint but it might be different for flats
Steve

Graham,
If I look to the picture I can only say that your paint is to thick. If the paint isn't allready dry you can take a clean brush and whipe off untill you have a very smooth layer of paint.

Marc

Yep, agree with the others your paint is too thick Graham. Don't worry though you've found out about it and what to do quicker than I did when I was slapping it on mine.

Roger.

Thanks guys, yep it is too thick through repeated swinging between light and shade but at least I have learned what not to do ;-)

Dear Graham

As already pointed out by others, the layer of oil paint is too thick indeed.

Also, when you are using oils, do not expect to finish the part you are painting in one session. Many of us oil painters lay out the overall shades and highlights and blend them in the first painting session and then let it dry. Then, when the oil paint has dried sufficiently, you come back to enhance the shades and highlights with thin glazes. These can be blended too with a fine brush too. We call this the wet on dry technique. Be careful however, make sure that you do not thin the paint too much. It takes some/much practicing but you do not want to end up with a so-called wash because then the paint will flow all over the place due to capillary action. Repeat this wet on dry painting and blending until you are satisfied with all shades/highlights/details.

Then a question from my part: the colour of the uniform, is that fresh oil paint or the acrylic undercoat? If it is the acrylic undercoat, then the surface is too glossy. Oil paint will not stick to glossy surfaces and when you try to blend you just will push the paint around. Make sure the undercoat is dead flat and you will notice that the oil paint will stick to it.

Hope this helps.

Best regards

Jhan

Graham! ..Have a look at this! ... A fairly good guide in the use of Oils! .. However, it does concentrate on 120mm figures which is what some of us have suggested you try! ..as from here you can move up or down scales, dependent upon your own fancy! .. Look at Chapter 3 .. Now you do not really need top end Oils, as these can be expensive! ..the W/N Winton range will be more than adequate.

I have this Mag! .. once I locate it, I will forward it on to you.. as I am done with it!.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/28438814/Verlinden-The-System-Vol-1-Figure-Painting

Regards,

Mark

Many thanks Johan. The uniform is from way back. I think it was airbrushed acrylic with a satin varnish, don't ask why, I cannot remember lol. I did base coat the face with matt acrylic, Vallejo Dark Sand. As I have noticed a few surface imperfections on this, I will be stripping it and starting again anyway.

Not sure I have the patience for oils, unless I had quite a few projects on the go but I will continue trying to get to grips with it.

Many thanks again for the help and advice, it really is appreciated.

Many thanks Mark, just downloaded it will have a read when I get home

Graham
there are several ways to approach with oils ,the basic idea is to get your undercoat as close to the finish you want "but not all the time "
Personally I much prefare to base paint in Humbrol or Tamiya with an airbrush if poss ,if you are using a brush for the humbrol paint don't stir but pick out some pigment from the bottom of the tin put onto a no absorbent tile, dish etc and mix in a little white spirit to aid flow, this way the paint will dry matt and give a good ground and key for the oils.
Re the oils I prefare to use artists quality as there is more pigment and less oil and no need to soak out any excess .
the method of putting on a card draws out the carrier medium "oil" and can in some instances cause the paint to drag and also means you end up applying too thick a coat .
You want only a very fine skin of paint .
You will need several brushes for lifting off the excess paint all dry and not been used until the day your painting "best left overnight before use" keep separate brushes for your blending again totally dry ,stippling is probably the wrong description it is more like feathering the two edges together with a very light touch ,and as always quality brushes are essential IMHO When all is dry you can go over and ad further highs and lows with a thinned mix with a little white spirit added.
I don;t use acrylics as a base as I find it causes to much shine but plenty of modellers do with great results.

All said here is just my method and there is much much more to be learned .

Ron

Thanks for that Ron