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I'm sure there have been a lot of threads; this will not be the last, but I would like to know if someone has any good links to simple face painting. Most of the techniques I see require either 1) a lot of different paints, 2) as much time as you spent painting the miniature, or 3) an air brush. Is there a fairly simple method that allows you to get a respectable table top standard without spending a ton of time? Most of the youtube videos I've watched seem a bit advanced and this is definitely where I would like to improve.

This video to me was very good and I feel I can recommend it. The problem could be just the language (italian), but iirc there are visual cues and hints (brief graphic representations for thinning or subs with paint to water percentages), and the "action"speaks for itself, so to speak... This, and there are not big technical forms of speach. The most important parts of speech may be the "general tips" on blending - don't overload the brush, stroke darker tones away from the source of light, stroke the light tones towards the source of light, don't rush and take your time (this last one is a hard one ^^)

Also, if memory serves me well (and it usually does), in the first half it treats tabletop quality faces, in the last half showcase quality is explained, but in both cases it is with glaze-layering.

If you're looking for something that takes little effort:

Basecoat flesh
(optional: purple ink the eye sockets)
drybrush with bone
(optional: glaze cheeks/nose red)
wash brown
(optional: paint eyes)

Painting eyes: Paint the whole eye brown. Then either paint a dot of white in each corner of each eye or paint the whole eye white then add a dot of dark brown to the eye that touches the top/bottom of the eyelids.

At this point it may be worth adding a thin glaze to the eye otherwise the white will be too stark. Yellow, red, brown glazes all work well (on colder paint schemes even a particularly well thinned blue or green can work)!

For those with poor fine brush control, or models that face down, it is fine to leave the eyes shaded instead of adding white/pupils.

Watched this one the other day. It's long, but it's a good video.

Years ago GW used to put old WD articles out as a pdf. The basic method given was:
Basecoat with Cadian fleshtone.
Wash with Reikland Fleshshade.
Highlight with Ushabti Bone/ Ratskin Flesh.
Second highlight with Ushabti Bone.

I have adopted this technique described on a website called "From the Warp".
The article is about skin tones but he demonstrates on a face so its all good.
I find it fairly easy with good results.
Linky:
http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/how-to-paint-rich-skin-tones-and-their.html

nareik wrote:
If you're looking for something that takes little effort:

Basecoat flesh
(optional: purple ink the eye sockets)
drybrush with bone
(optional: glaze cheeks/nose red)
wash brown
(optional: paint eyes)

Painting eyes: Paint the whole eye brown. Then either paint a dot of white in each corner of each eye or paint the whole eye white then add a dot of dark brown to the eye that touches the top/bottom of the eyelids.

At this point it may be worth adding a thin glaze to the eye otherwise the white will be too stark. Yellow, red, brown glazes all work well (on colder paint schemes even a particularly well thinned blue or green can work)!

For those with poor fine brush control, or models that face down, it is fine to leave the eyes shaded instead of adding white/pupils.

This is the process I use for a good tabletop standard face (without the first 2 optional steps). It's simple and quick and works perfectly well for anything short of entering a painting contest.

For the eyes I tend to go with the dark brown/black eye with a small white dot in the corner. From a couple feet away it looks just right. I've also found that painting the eyes with the mini UPSIDE DOWN seems to help get it in the right spot for some reason (trick given to me by one of the former GW guys near here for those who have trouble with eyes).

I really like the airbrush method used by Buypainted, as seen on youtube here.

Yep, as above:

1. paint with the desired fleshtone
2. ink with the desired ink (obviously a brownie colour)
3. highlight with original fleshtone
4. highlight with lighter fleshone

Thats how I have always doe it.