Lifecolor flesh paints on Modelu figures
I love Modelu figures - he says boldly, based on one small batch of them! Truly brilliant (in my humble and beginner opinion). As such, I want to do them justice with the paint job. I got nice results using Humbrol paints for the first batch I got, these were ok in terms of my paint job.
Specifically regarding the skin... I used Humbrol flesh colour but adjusted with white or light grey or leather brown for variation. I don't often go around staring at people intently, so it was my best judgement as to whether the flesh colour was ok... but I think it was fine. I did notice that for the boy of the Tony and Tommy pairing, it looked like a splodge of paint across his face. I think this was probably a combination of the very fine contouring of the face, and me using too thick paint. I did it on a hot day so I think the paint was probably drying on the palatte before I got it onto the face, and I hadn't adjusted by adding water to make it more of a wash. But the other figures seemed fine, as per the night time shots on my profile page.
I then treated myself to a Lifecolor flesh paint set. If nothing else, it gave me confidence that I was using sensible flesh tones. I used plenty of water to thin them down. I couldn't get the Lifecolor thinner as there seems to be a shortage of this product. I applied one thinned coat for the base coat. All of them now have this. I then started to build up layers (thinking washed and dry brushing) and that's where I started to run into problems. The boy in the cap seemed fine, although he does seem to be wearing some rather goth-like eye makeup. The chap in the chinos and blazer seems ok. But the guy in the grey demob suit with the suitcase... oh my word!! If I need a back story for him... well he is an unfortunate warrior who got bad facial burns in battle. Either that or he is the layout's Freddy Kruger. So why the difference? How can the blazer guy look fine, and Freddy looks a nightmare? Well, it may be a function of using water rather then Lifecolor thinner, but it seemed ok for other figures I've got around to. So I think it's possibly a case of too many layers, applied too soon before the previous layer dried, and possibly using paint on a palate that had started to dry up and therefore go a bit gooey.
If you are going to use this paint/figure combo... please do bear in mind that the paint seems to need thinning, and don't allow yourself to use paints which have started to congeal on the palette, and do let the layers dry before applying more. I may be talking guff, or be wrong in my estimation of my error, but these points must surely be worth considering for the newbies among us,
Photos attached for illustration... not necessarily complete yet, and other figures have barely been started apart from undercoat.
Also, these guys look fine from 3' away... the camera is cruel in picking up detail. But ideally, I'd love to produce something that can fool the eye even in close-up shots.
If anyone has any further insight before I embark on facial painting for the other figures, please do pipe up... these products deserve a decent paint job, and if you can help a beginner, that would be great!
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