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Hi!

I've been playing miniature games for almost two decades now but I've never been a good painter and never really liked painting (probably due to my lack of skills), but now I've decided its time to get better!

I would say I know the basics fairly well but would want to take my painting to a new level. My real worry though is painting flesh, and by flesh I mean pail Caucasian flesh. I have been looking for a good tutorial but so far I haven't found any that I liked. Most tutorial that I've read are quite simple and doesn't seem to bring the flesh to life, so to speak. Most of the tutorials I've found use some kind of beige base color (like dwarf flesh and the likes), a brown wash, and highlights using a paler beige. The result looks OK, but rather dull, and that's a technique I can already master. I want the mini to look more alive.

So, does anyone got any good advice on how to paint flesh so that it looks fairly realistic? And/or does anyone know of a good tutorial on how to paint realistic flesh? If anyone does, that would be great!

I use a dwarf flesh coat over chaos black primer, then use elf flesh to pick out detail.
you can then use a brownish wash to give it some depth - simple and quick, and great for beginners - I use it for my I.G troopers. Hope this is helpful !

Yes, that is a quick and simple technique and it looks OK, but I want to take it up a notch. I want my minis to look more alive so to speak.

for my skin I use Talleran flesh and then go one of two ways:

dark way, used for painting things that aren't elves:
wash with levi purple then highlight with Tflesh mixed with a little bleached bone. add three more highlights with a little bit more BB each time

light way: used for elves

same as above but with no wash

hope that helps

Thanks DPBellathorm, I'll definitely give it a try!

Anyone have more suggestions, feel free to comment!

A more avarage way of pale flesh is:

-Black primer

-Scorched brown

-Dark Flesh

-Skull White, Rotting Flesh, Tallarn Flesh(2:1:2)

-Skull White, Tallarn Flesh(2:1)

Thanks Necanor, but do you have any pictures of the result? I suspect it would look similar to the traditional way of painting ie. OK but not very realistic.

Tallern flesh...well ok ANY flesh color and Ogryn Flesh wash over that. IT puts out so much detail its just gorgeous. Than use a lighter flesh color for highlights on the checks. Chin if there is no beard and forehead.

Thanks for the input Vasarto, but that seems to me like the basic way of painting flesh. It's good for beginner and looks totally OK, but I'm looking for a more advanced approach with a more realistic result.

I really appreciate all the answers that I get i really do, but most of the advice I've got so far has been of rather basic techniques which I already know.

I'm looking for something a little more advanced but first and foremost a technique that will give me a more realistic paint job. Not the usual "flesh color, brown wash, brighter flesh color highlight"-approach since I already know that.

I'll be very thankful for any such advice!

This is what a five second google search found.

http://www.paintingclinic.com/clinic/flesh.htm

No offense, but next time instead of criticizing other people suggestions, why don't you go do a little search yourself.

there are plenty of Tuts online about it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
just google

painting skin tones miniatures

and you will find all the suggestion you need, even with pictures!

Titanbravo, first of all, I am really grateful of all the replies I've got, I really am and I've tried to be clear about that!

And my intent have certainly not been to criticize other peoples techniques or suggestions, and I do not believe I have done so!

I want my miniatures to have a certain look and I have tried to be specific about it. I have also been specific of what kind of techniques I already know of and that those are not what I'm looking for.

So if someone gives me an advice of a way of painting flesh that I'm already familiar with and specifically not want any help with I believe that I am entitled to inform that person that however thankful I am for the answer that was not what I was looking for. Otherwise I wouldn't get the help I'm actually looking for and then this thread would be pointless, which I trust you understand.

And if you would have done your research a little better you would know that I've already done some research, which I state in my first post. But since I couldn't find anything I liked I turned to the collected knowledge of this forum which is one of its purposes I assume, people with the same interests helping each other.

And as it happens I've already looked into the page you suggest, and that is just another example of the kind of flesh painting I'm not looking for. Its just a little bit more advanced, but the result is just the same.

In his defense, he did state that he had the basic technique down in his original post... but thats neither here nor there.

Check out this giude using Vallejo model colors. I think this is what your shooting for as its much more advanced and is used for historical type and real life models...

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/blog/2010/03/painting-a-face/

Thanks heavybolter, that was more what I was looking for! It's a shame he doesn't explain how he makes the redness on the ears more in detail. But I suppose it is achieved the same way as the unshaved beard (but using red instead of black).

c0un7_z3r0 wrote:Thanks Necanor, but do you have any pictures of the result? I suspect it would look similar to the traditional way of painting ie. OK but not very realistic.

I will upload some pictures to this thread tomorrow.

Thanks Necanor, I would really appreciate that!

Hi mate, ive just put a post up with three different marines, with three different skin tones if you like drop me a pm and il give you the steps