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I've always been dissatisfied with painting denim on models, and getting around to Malifaux, it seems that the material is just about everywhere. Trying to go for a method of painting that make it look unmistakably like jeans rather than blue khakis or simple cloth.

Google search turns up unrelated articles considering denim/jeans are something that, in real life, people apply paint to.

I found a guide on Wyrd magazine 12, but I was hoping for more considering it even states it doesn't go far enough.

Part of the problem is getting the texture to show ..at tiny sizes ..

Base Coat White

Using 800-1200 thread count scrap of linen over a tiny piece of sponge press in the texture prior to the base coat fully drying.
(beats trying to paint the texture at this small a size) Note by Linen I do mean fine linen not Cotton ..not poly..not broad cloth..note you can find it at higher end fabric stores ..you do not need much a square foot will be more than enough so ask for scraps ...still will not be very cheap (5-10 bucks ) since this stuff is almost 90 bucks a yard.

Then wash with blue to blue black ink till you achieve the tone your looking for..may need to dry brush a bit to fade it out enough ..

A fine woven silk should also work ..might even work better..

morfydd wrote:
Part of the problem is getting the texture to show ..at tiny sizes ..

Base Coat White

Using 800-1200 thread count scrap of linen over a tiny piece of sponge press in the texture prior to the base coat fully drying.
(beats trying to paint the texture at this small a size) Note by Linen I do mean fine linen not Cotton ..not poly..not broad cloth..note you can find it at higher end fabric stores ..you do not need much a square foot will be more than enough so ask for scraps ...still will not be very cheap (5-10 bucks ) since this stuff is almost 90 bucks a yard.

Then wash with blue to blue black ink till you achieve the tone your looking for..may need to dry brush a bit to fade it out enough ..

A fine woven silk should also work ..might even work better..

This. Get the actual texture in and wash it down, it looks way better than the inconsistencies of brushing and is in many ways easier.

I haven't tried it before, but I don't think I'd try and physically recreate the texture.

I think I'd try to focus on some of the larger scale features of jeans, the way it darkens around seams, the way it creases in the same points and those points become more faded, the way it fades where it bends around the legs.

Maybe at 54+mm scale I would try and paint the texture, at 28mm I'd consider (not sure it'd work) just drybrushing the texture, but only doing diagonal and vertical swipes with the brush instead of random directions. And intentionally doing it so it's a slightly scratchy drybrush rather than a smooth drybrush.

I think colour selection would also be important. Start with a dark blue that would be the original colour of the denim then mix white it rather than using a lighter blue so it looks like that dark blue has faded out.