when starting out with freehand

[J2FcM]

is there a certain consitancy that helps freehand, or should it be approached just as highlighting layers.... thin layer after thin layer to build things up...

I have thin paint can be a hoe sometimes with little swirlies, and not so thinned paint has a problem flowing, or making odd marks. So I figure it must be a build up process?

 

[demonherald]

pretty much...the key thing when using thinned paints for freehand is how much you have on the brush.
too much and it will pool up too little and you\'ll be so busy trying to get paint off of your brush you\'ll mess up the freehand.

practise on spare model parts or even sheets of plastic spryed up till you get a consistency of paint and a quantity on the brush where you cn do a nice evn coat in one-2 sweeps..

When starting freehand keep it simple....
simple shapes simple designs on a simple background..As you develop your confidence and skill you can have a go at more complex designs...

work preferably over a colour that didn\'t involve mixing that way any mistakes can be easily painted back over and tidied up.

plan out what you want to paint and break it down to basic designs..Mark these lightly first with white and then build up over the outlines..

good luck and be sure to post WIP..

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by demonherald
pretty much...the key thing when using thinned paints for freehand is how much you have on the brush.
too much and it will pool up too little and you\'ll be so busy trying to get paint off of your brush you\'ll mess up the freehand.

thats it. hit the nail on the head there. having a go at freehand yesterday and i still kept making that mistake. practice practice practice eh?

 

[TAB Studio]

If you have testors dullcoat. a spray before the freehand effort makes mistakes easier to remove without a total loss to the paint below, also magic wash to thin the paint and it seems to help the flow for me also

 

[Manus]

Its a good idear with the layer of dull coat or varnish, it will also give you a more even surface to work on.
Personally I use a faily thin paint and a small brush for freehand stuff, seems to do the trick for me. I\'ve also found that 2-4 layers of paint make things look good, if you put on too many layers you won\'t be able to see most of them anyway and it\'s wasted time/work. For most of my freehand I just use 1 highlight.

 

[Mason Storm]

So I figure it must be a build up process?

Yes, exactly. I usually like to work with a little thicker paint than normal for control. However, the process is basically the same as when you are painting the rest of the model; work from the shades to the highlights, blending or layering your way up.

 

[J2FcM]

Alas... I whine about pictures sucking. And yet they still continue to do so... I need that light sheild disperser...

 

[Antar000]

it\'s looking pretty nice so far.
keep at it, you\'ll master it in no time.

 

[Manus]

yep look fine to me too.
I think you are holding your camera a little to close to the mini. Further away will give you a lot cleaner pics. Then use macro zoom or photo/paint-something to enhance afterwards.
Wich mini is this btw?