Hells_Clown Posted June 18, 2005 Share Posted June 18, 2005 Any help/tips on how to learn blending? After all this time it's still frustrating to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted June 18, 2005 Reaper User Share Posted June 18, 2005 Blending or layering? They're two different things. Blending you're working with two colors at a time, while they're wet. Layering you're putting a wet color over a dry color to create a blended *effect*. I'm more interested in troubleshooting for you, actually, HC. I know I've explained layering before--what exactly isn't working for you? If you can pin down a couple of factors that confuse you or that aren't working, then chances are I can help. :) And, any chance you'll be making it to GenCon or Origins this year so that you can get some in-person tutelage? --Anne :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells_Clown Posted June 18, 2005 Author Share Posted June 18, 2005 Well golly...in that case, both. I made the mistake of buying a Confrontation mini (I told myself I wouldn't do that till I actually knew how to paint, but the Dark Side is seductive...) and was trying to make it look purdy like on the card. Anyway, I'm wanting to both highlight a section on the cloak (The Darkness Hunter is the figure I have) and blend said highlights so they look natural. Does that make any sense? As for Cons...I dunno, when and where are they? I pity anyone who has less money than I do. It would be nice to be able to go, or even make it up to Reaper central someday. Alas...we shall see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pewtermonkey Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 HC, Vallejo website has a pretty good and detailed tutorial how to create *blend* effect with layering. Below is the URL: http://www.ttfxmedia.com/vallejo/cgi-bin/_...elcolortecnicas I think this article is also in the Darkson Designs Painting book --PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchyWolf Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Besides the host of ideas and tips within these lovely forums, here are a couple other spots to get good help from: www.coolminiornot.com has a bunch of articles on various painting topics The Jenova Project: http://www.jenova.dk/ has some lovely articles. Jenova is a frequent poster to these forums as well. http://www.paintingclinic.com/ Dr Faust's Painting Clinic has a mixed bag of goodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted June 21, 2005 Reaper User Share Posted June 21, 2005 Well golly...in that case, both. I made the mistake of buying a Confrontation mini (I told myself I wouldn't do that till I actually knew how to paint, but the Dark Side is seductive...) and was trying to make it look purdy like on the card. Anyway, I'm wanting to both highlight a section on the cloak (The Darkness Hunter is the figure I have) and blend said highlights so they look natural. Does that make any sense? As for Cons...I dunno, when and where are they? I pity anyone who has less money than I do. It would be nice to be able to go, or even make it up to Reaper central someday. Alas...we shall see... Both? Sorry, don't have infinite time right now! However, as wet-blending is a tricky technique unless demonstrated in-person, and also a non-essential technique, I am going to say that layering is your best bet. Which means you do it just like the Vallejo article says: figure out your shadow color. Paint the entire surface with a solid coat of that color--with MSP's, it will usually take two layers, with the paint thinned 2:1 paint/water. Then either add white to the shadow or figure out what your midtone color (the color you actually want the surface to appear) is. Take your midtone and shadow colors and mix them, 50/50. If they're MSP's, thin 'em with water/gunk about 1:1 paint to water. Get a very little of this mixture on your brush, make sure your brush still comes to a very nice point, and point the tip of your brush toward the place the paint will stay dark/shadow colored. Leave a little bit of the shadow color sticking out--you don't want to paint over all your shadow. Pull the brush back away from the shadow; lift the brush from the mini at about the point you would like your highlight to be at, or at the highest point on the surface, whichever you like. Repeat ad infinitum, using gradually lighter colors and leaving a little bit of the previous coat sticking out from underneath each time (i.e. your highlights will become smaller and brighter, per the Vallejo article). I'm going to stop there; do you understand all that? If not, give me specific questions and I'll troubleshoot. Cons Reaper will be attending are in Indianapolis, IN (GenCon), the 18-22 of August, and in Columbus, OH (Origins), next weekend--the 30th through the 3rd of July. I am also considering coming to the Con out in Denver, CO next year in...February, I think? But that's not sure yet. And I make it up to the Chicago/Wisconsin area at least a couple times a year. Where are you from? --Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisler Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 If Anne makes out to Denver in February, that would be Genghis Con, the dates are the 16th-19th which is President's Day weekend. Yes, we would love to have her out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells_Clown Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 Where are you from? --Anne I'm down here in sunny and humid Houston. Right next door in Texas terms, but still quite a drive. So close, yet so far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted June 23, 2005 Reaper User Share Posted June 23, 2005 Where are you from? --Anne I'm down here in sunny and humid Houston. Right next door in Texas terms, but still quite a drive. So close, yet so far... Then you have *absolutely* no excuse not to make it up here. If I can drive twelve or sixteen hours cross-country for a Con, then by all the gods you can drive eight hours to visit Reaper and get a tour and an hour or two's worth of lessons! Heck, come on a Saturday--get yerself out of bed at 6 a.m., get here at 2 p.m., and you can spend four hours painting with John and I in the Asylum 'till the store closes! And if I can't fix your issues with layering in one hour, then I need to hang up my hat and quit the painting biz. Going back to my previous question--did you understand the layering explanation and if you didn't then exactly what didn't you understand? I'm serious here, H.C., we are going to break that blending/layering block! --Anne the Paint Tyrant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 That's 8 hours to get from Houston to Denton, which should be done in half that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted June 23, 2005 Reaper User Share Posted June 23, 2005 That's 8 hours to get from Houston to Denton, which should be done in half that time. Ary, I'm a painter, not a geographer. If it's only four hours he has even LESS of an excuse!!!! --Anne--clueless about distances unless the distance in question is in millimeters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 And thus I have less of an excuse, huh? Actually, mine is that four hours one way equals eight hours total. After spending the day painting, that's a long drive home, and hotels aren't exactly cheap (especially if you're on a strained budget as it is). One day we'll have some excess money and a more reliable car and an older child so we can make the trip maybe once a month or so. That is if we don't move up there first. I need to find a decent job there, first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixminis Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 I think I was in a car that made it in 3 hours once... about 72mph/average... 224 miles... the quick way through Ft.Worth vs. Dallas... but I'm not recommending a 3 hour drive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 Especially through those small Texas towns where the cops have nothing better to do than pull people over for speeding, expired registrations or inspections, having a red car, or having the tinting too dark on the windshields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hells_Clown Posted June 24, 2005 Author Share Posted June 24, 2005 Yes I think I got the gist. Mayhaps one day I will have some extra money (yeah, riiiiiight) and be able to make it up there. Now here's another problem: When I thin my paints to do some layering, the lighter top color almost always comes out chalky looking. I'm thinning it with water usually, though sometimes with a future/thinner/extender mix I made some time ago. I get some on the brush, let the excess soak up on a paper towel, then carefully put brush to metal. More times than not I get a chalky, nasty looking coat and have to cover it up with another layer of the primary. sometimes this will make it look good, but not always. I don't think an hour or two will help....I need years of teaching. I am bordering on hopeless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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