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
