HELP!!! Chalky looking flesh!!

O

OrkyDave

New member
Hiya, following advice from painters on this site I have started to water my paints slightly to get smoother coverage on my miniatures. This has had mixed results but my flesh has been going tits up since doing this, and although the blends and highlights are nice they are not smooth and appear \'chalky\'. I never had this problem before thinning the colours.

I am using Citadel paints and water. Any suggestions on what ratio to mix the paint and water to?

Also any suggestions on other substances to mix in with this? I have heard floor polish and washing up liquid do something to pigments to assist smooth painting- what products (preferably available over the counter in the UK ) and also to what ratio?

Sorry if this has been brought up before but I am at my wits end as faces are focal points and mine are looking naff due to using a technique that was supposed to help improve my painting! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers
OrkyDave
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
A pic would help bunches.

Possiblities:
1. You have not thinned enough - cut your paint content in half again.
2. A pic would really help.
3. you have overthinned the paint. The pigments are losing cohesion.
4. A pic would really help.
5. you are drybrushing. Thinned paints do not lend themselves to this very well.
6. A pic would really help.
7. your water needs some help. try a glazing medium mixed with your water.

and finally,
8. A pic would really help.
 
Avelorn

Avelorn

Sven Jonsson
Another possibility is that your paint haven\'t dried enough before you do the next layer. (I did that mistake alot in the past). Putting stuff in the paint won\'t generally help with the chalkyness.. you often have to be even more careful then.
 
R

Rodnik

New member
Yep..a picture would help.

Also, the primary cause of chalkiness (in my limited experience) is the overuse of mixing white to highlight.
Since fleshtones are generally a muted \"reddish/brown\" the overuse of white would/could cause them to move even more to the pastel side of the colors----causing a percieved chalkiness. Basically, the same effect that using white in a truer red would cause---except in the realm of flesh the effect is not *as* apparent. This problem is amplified by using more water in the mix.

If you\'re not using white to highlight---

The problem can be caused by mineral-rich water. Try distilled water.

The chalkiness can be caused by a breakdown of the binders----as suggested above, use a medium with the water to replace the binder.

Airhead pretty much hit all the possibilities----

Kev
 
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Ogrebane

Active member
Apart from a picture I have found especially with GW white if it isnt mixed proberly then it tends to go chalky. Also if the paint is old and the pigments have seperated it tends to go chalky. If mixing it using distilled water and flow medium dont help. Chuck it and buy a new paint.

Also apparently a pic would help.
 
S

supervike

Super Moderator
Originally posted by Avelorn
Another possibility is that your paint haven\'t dried enough before you do the next layer. (I did that mistake alot in the past
Click to expand...

I have this problem! Other than straight up patience, can you tell us how you corrected this? Tips or pointers!


a picture of popeye would help (oops I\'m cross- threading again!)
 
D

darthfoley

Active member
I don\'t do this (yet), but many painters keep a small hand-held hair dryer at the table to speed up drying times on layers in cases such as this.
 
O

OrkyDave

New member
My digital camera is naff but will borrow my parents at the weekend to get a pic up, if only to stop people posting a pic would help!lol

Starting from dwarf flesh and highlighting by mixing with kommando khaki and bleached bone- no white. (scorched brown washes though...) Mixing the paint pots well so no pigment seperation either. Shall try distilled water and longer drying times- it may be that i\'m just an eager beaver!

Thanks for your help- hopefully the helpful pic will be up by the weekend!
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
Dave are you painting straight from the pots? (cardinal sin #1)

GW paints can go 1:1 paint:water or even 1:2 for layering and even thinner for glazing. Minumum is 1:1 though. Someone told me that if you can cover it in one coat, you need to thin your paints more.

Sorry for the posting pics thing, aside from the fact that one would be a lot of help, that was no way for me to treat a new member - welcome to the forums. Come on down to General Discussion and I\'ll buy you an e-pint.
 
freakinacage

freakinacage

Well-known member
i have this problem (although i have been painting a load of \'pastey\' looking figures so it\'s what i need!). i find a few thin washes of a warm flesh tone (nottoo light and not too dark) brings it to life
 
J

Jericho

Consummate Brushlicker
Khaki is a really bad color for pigment strength... just to let you know. Could be causing problems with consistent coverage, it does that if there\'s a large jump in the color at all.

Anyway I use Citadel paints 99.9% of the time and never have any problems. I don\'t add nearly as much water as the people online always say to, and not once have I had a problem with thick paint. I maybe have 1-2 drops of water mixed in with 5-6 drops of paint. I\'ve done upwards of 20 layers on a model without thinning more than that, and never have any issues with lumpy texture or loss of detail.

Experiment, see what works for you. Don\'t blindly follow everything that gets put on the Internet, it\'s always more complicated than people make it sound. Some colors need more thinning, some need less. Experience is the only real way to figure that stuff out, unless someone\'s willing to break down all 76(?) current range paints and the 9-10 discontinued ones in an article... probably not gonna happen tho :D

I prefer hilighting with a near-white in the color range I\'m using (ie. Space Wolf Grey to hilight blues, because it keeps the blue hue all the way up better) but white has never given me problems before.

So... back on topic! I think adding too much water can be the problem if your paint loses consistency. Can get patchy and grainy at times when you water down too much. Pics would definitely help... but that\'s been said a million times already and we shall have to wait for the weekend I suppose.
 
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DrEvilmonki

Active member
I use floor wax and water to thin my paints. It may help with your problem but I am not sure as I haven\'t had the issue myself. Here is a link

This should tell you some ways to use the wax and also what brand name it is in your country.
 
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