Layering

[Hells_Clown]

I'm having trouble getting the hang of layering. By layering I mean painting a surface then painting over it with another color but having the first layer still show through. For instance, washing skin with a dark color then putting a lighter color on top so the darker color comes through. When I try this I either have paint that is smooth and looks good but is still too thick and covers the previous layer totally or paint that is too thin and doesn't cover the bottom layer at all. I can't seem to find the middle ground here.

 

Any help?

[Ishil]

I'm having trouble getting the hang of layering. By layering I mean painting a surface then painting over it with another color but having the first layer still show through. For instance, washing skin with a dark color then putting a lighter color on top so the darker color comes through. When I try this I either have paint that is smooth and looks good but is still too thick and covers the previous layer totally or paint that is too thin and doesn't cover the bottom layer at all. I can't seem to find the middle ground here.

 

Any help?

 

Painting over a layer of colour with another layer so the first one also shows through is called washing or glazing, not layering. It's used to adjust the overall colour, like if you want to make the original colour lighter or darker, or to smooth over existing layers. It requires rather thin paint: of course that is runny, so you have to be careful. Wipe off most of the paint, leaving just enough to brush on without it running where you don't want it. It usually needs several applications.

 

Layering is applying several layers of increasingly light (or dark) paint. The thing is that each layer occupies increasingly small areas. Paint the first layer, then the next one just inside the first layer, and so on. Each leaves a little of the previous layer visible. It's like a ziggurat, viewed from above. Each layer needs to be quite similar in colour to the one before, or you'll get clearly visible transitions. If that happens you can either alter the colour of your paint and redo the layering, or use glazes to make the transitions smoother - but that tends to destroy your highlights.

 

Layering is the most important. Get that basically right, and then practise glazing/washing to perfect it.

 

Ishil

[psyberwolfe1]

Painting over a layer of colour with another layer so the first one also shows through is called washing or glazing, not layering. It's used to adjust the overall colour, like if you want to make the original colour lighter or darker, or to smooth over existing layers. It requires rather thin paint: of course that is runny, so you have to be careful. Wipe off most of the paint, leaving just enough to brush on without it running where you don't want it. It usually needs several applications.

 

Layering is applying several layers of increasingly light (or dark) paint. The thing is that each layer occupies increasingly small areas. Paint the first layer, then the next one just inside the first layer, and so on. Each leaves a little of the previous layer visible. It's like a ziggurat, viewed from above. Each layer needs to be quite similar in colour to the one before, or you'll get clearly visible transitions. If that happens you can either alter the colour of your paint and redo the layering, or use glazes to make the transitions smoother - but that tends to destroy your highlights.

 

Layering is the most important. Get that basically right, and then practise glazing/washing to perfect it.

 

Ishil describes what layering is pretty well. Here is a blog/tutorial I wrote on the subject that has some pictures that should help you understand these concepts.

[Serenity]

Hells_Clown, it is possible to paint with little or no layering as Ishil defined it, but using glazes as you described in your post.

 

How to blend by olliekickflip explains such a technique in great detail. Even if you don't use Aaron Lovejoy's method in all its glory, you will still learn a lot about painting with translucent layers of paint.

[Ishil]

Hells_Clown, it is possible to paint with little or no layering as Ishil defined it, but using glazes as you described in your post.

 

How to blend by olliekickflip explains such a technique in great detail.  Even if you don't use Aaron Lovejoy's method in all its glory, you will still learn a lot about painting with translucent layers of paint.

It certainly is, I just think that layering is easier to grasp from the start. Using glazes on the whole of the figure is a slower, slightly more advanced technique. In my opinion anyway.

 

Ishil