Hi guys. This is my first bust so please feel free to let rip - if I don't know what I've cocked-up then I can't put it right!!
Painted as usual with oils over acrylics.

why the face is shining??

very good

As Damian mentioned, if the oils are a bit shiny. May be add a couple of light coats of flat when fully dry?

I like the colors that you chose for the clothing and breast plate (?). I also like the unusual base. It adds to an effective presentation.



Keith

Great work Dave.
Your beadwork is tremendous.
Hopefully you gonna take other pictures when the paint is dry.

marc

I will put a flat coat on when the paint is fully dry. It doesn't actually look as bad as the pics, but it is a bit glossy.
Thanks for commenting.

Dear Dave, as you say, photos can sometimes distort stuff.

Looking at it, it doesn't seem too terrible at all! As you say, the rules can change a bit when you paint in bigger scales. From that particular photo, I'd highlight further up the bridge of the nose towards the forehead, and I'd highlight those prominent lower eyelids as well. Whatever you do, do learn with it and most importantly - have fun with it!
Please let us know how you get on

Hi Dave
Nice Job Paint

MAB

Thanks guys,

I have another bust next up - so I'll take the lessons from this one and learn from them.

Dave, actually I think this bust looks VERY promissing. I think after it has dried and you hit it with some dullcoat, you will probably really like the results. I would love to see more angles and msybe some better closeups. Thanks for sharing!

Jay H.
OKC

It's a shame that the face is so shinny.
Because you chose good colors and tones.....

Do you diluate your oil paint? with what? Try Ennamel thinners from humbrol.
Most of the times I use that medium to help having mate paint


JP

JP - I use white spirit to dilute the paint, which is essentially all that Humbrol thinners is. In this case I beleive that it's the colours that I mixed - one of the components in thie flesh mix is (appropriately) Indian Red, which ALWAYS seems to dry glossy however much it's diluted.
It'll get a flat coat once it's had time to completely dry.

More pics? here's another angle:

And another view:

Hello Dave,

Actually your flesh tones are excellent. Warm and deep. I like it a lot.

Now the problem with the gloss.

IMO it comes from the white spirit. As a rule, I NEVER dilute oil paints. I use them straight from the tube on a paper palette. I leave them 10-20 minutes so that the extra carrier oil is absorbed by the paper, then I'd start mixing the colours.

Pick up the paint with a flat brush (best for large areas), remove the excess by dragging the hairs on the palette a few times and apply in very THIN coats. The thinner the coat, the flatter the result.

If you need to have more 'flow' to the paint, mix Liquin to the paint in MINUTE quantities (a very light dip with the brush is usually enough for a chestnut-sized blob of paint).

The paint will get flatter and flatter as it dries (that usually takes 2-3 days).

I always like to impart a slight sheen to my skin tones. Somehow using the above method, sometimes the paint dries too flat to my liking!

Nobody's perfect! :lol:

HTH

Quang

PS. I'd suggest you wait a few more days for the paint to settle before taking further action like adding a flat varnish coat. Q.

Thanks for the compliment on the flesh tones Quang - I do put the oils on a paper pallette for about an hour before use - it just doesn't seem to have worked in this case!

Hi Dave,

compliment to the very nice painting of Quangs superb bust! I like the way you paint. If you can reduce the shine, this would be very good!

Best regards

Bruno

Hi Dave

I think I am not alone with my interest in pilipili busts.

It is a super bust and I like your flesh tones, I have sometimes the same problems with the gloss. But when I use the last two or three oil-paints as a kind of washing, I get a mate paint.

Ulrich

Thanks Ulrich.
I'm a big fan of Quangs work too. I have the 120mm Cavalier in the to do pile and a couple of others finished.

Then it's, as I suspected, the white spirit. Next time, try to do without it.

HTH

Quang

nice worl my friend Dave . Youre courageous and attempt manyand difficult things ,soyou improve alot . Bravo

Costas

Many thanks for the compliment Costas.
I would rather paint a figure that I like and perhaps stretch my abilities; than I would do something just because it is easy!
I have to keep improving because I want to win the FOTM sometime!!! LOL

Quang - I will try and get some Liquin next time I'm in the art shop and try that out. Some colours react differently to others when thinned with white spirit, so it is worth experimenting.