this will be a step by step article on how I paint figures. I will use the 1/32nd scale Tamiya Corsair pilot.

here he is in grey primer.

I will follow. I need all the help I can get with this.

I also will follow. You can can always learn

The most important part of any figure is the face, and the most important part of the face is the eyes so this is where you should take a lot of care to get them correct. I start with dark shadows around the eyes to frame them.


at this point I am only trying to frame the eyes so if it looks a little raccoon like that is ok because I will bring the face color close around the eyes later making the shadows less overwhelming

next the pupils are added to the eyes making sure that they are looking in the same direction, I chose to use brown for this figures eyes.

next the darker parts of the face are painted with dark brownish red to shadow them.


around the face under the nose and in the mouth also the area below the chin

the next step is to apply the shadow values for the entire face, I prefer to work from dark to light so this step is the base for the rest of the face.

Glad to have come across this. Doug, what pant type are you using -- enamel, or acrylic? Cheers, Tat

hello Tat
I use acrylic paint, I have used many different brands in the past but now I love the Reaper Miniature brand of paint. It has a very fine pigment and stays wetter longer allowing you to blend better. It also dries very flat and they have a lot of colors to chose from. I will post some pictures of the paint soon so you can see what I am talking about. They are American made but they mail order and so I am sure you will be able to get them if you want to try them.

Doug

Thanks Doug -- look forwad to seeing more! Tat

these are the Reaper Mini paints,

The colors I use to paint faces on white guys are the ones in the picture,
Pure White, Pure Black, Orange Brown, and Clotted Red, I will refer to them as PW,PB,OB, and CR in the following description .

to begin highlighting the face I mix CR with OB and paint the areas of the face that are touched the most with light from above, the forehead, nose from bridge to tip and the upper cheeks.

then PW is added to the mix of OB and CR slowly making the colors lighter and lighter as the brighter highlights are brought onto the face. eventually I will stop using the CR and put down a mix of OB and PW for the highest highlights like the tip of the nose and the forehead and a little bit on each nostril and the upper lip and lower lip. Also the eye lids both upper and lower are given a brighter highlight. the last highlights are mostly PW with just a little OB for areas like the top of the cheek bones and the foreheads upper part.

the flight helmet and goggles are now blocked in using orange brown with a little black mixed in and darker in the low shadow areas.

the highlights for the helmet are done very much like the face with the orange brown and black mix lightened with white more and more as the highest areas are highlighted.

the helmet is final highlighted with bright tans with lots of white in them, then the googles and the head phones are painted in grey shades also with very bright highlights to give them a three dimentional effect.
the contrast between highlights and shadows is stark but it makes the different parts of the figure stand out and look more real.

Thanks Doug for sharing your technique. This is an area that I'm not so good at and this could help me a lot ! The figure is shaping up REALLY nice ! Are you going to do the whole figure for us ?
Also, what do you use for Primer ?
Thanks a lot !
Tom

Hey Tom
Thanks for your kind words, yes I am going to do the entire figure, and I use a primer in a spray can called Bright Touch, that can be had at automotive supply stores like Autozone. I will take a picture of it and post it here soon so there is no confusion. It is very similar to Tamiya spray primer but comes in a large can and is much cheaper in price.

Doug: I am enjoying your work can always use a new trick or two.

this is the primer I use it is touch and tone not bright touch, sorry I guess I was thinking of something else but this is the can so it is as you see it.

the flight suit and Mae West life jacket are painted in with the darkest shades, the suit is simply orange brown with black mixed in and the life jacket is palomino gold with clotted red mixed in. Palomino gold is a very deep school bus yellow color.

highlighting the life jacket


the life jacket is highlighted with white mixed into the palomino gold more and more as it goes higher and higher up the shoulder.

the flight suit is highlighted with white being mixed into the mix of orange brown and a touch of black to keep it grayish


you must take your time and make sure that the areas of the suit that catch the light are the areas that get the highlighting, and as you work your way up the shoulders make it brighter and brighter with more white.

painted the belt and the pistol holster

lots of bright highlights again to bring them out

back view note the very high highlight on the top of the belt and under the holes in the belt.