The "Smoke" worked very very well for you there Jamie....and your shading looks spot on too..
Ill definitely be trying this method next time

Stockings!

Yep, round to that part of the figure.

Principles; stockings are a thing, knit material, and will seem to shift from light to dark, depending upon the amount of stretch the material is getting (ie, over knees, near the ankles, being compressed by natural movement or legs being crossed)

Reference photo.


So I masked up everything I wanted un-tinted, and reached for a bottle of Smoke paint. This will allow me to tint the legs, while letting most of the underlying colour be hinted at.

I would have liked to done some WIP shots, but once I was rolling, I didnt want to stop!

Here is the efforts after doing both legs, and stocking tops.


Heres my process

- mask up areas to stay in original colour
- lay down pre tints, where I want the effects to be darker; such as the backs of the knees, around the ankles, where ever my reference indicates
- then lay down a smoother, overall coat, to blend it all in.
- (optional) because I am impatient, use a hair dryer to set the first layers, so I can re-mask and do the stocking tops
- quickly, yet carefully, lay down some masking tape to cover the lower part of the thighs, yet leave the stocking top exposed
- lay down multiple coats of smoke
-
peel off all layers of masking tape

inspect work, tut myself where some areas of masking weren't quite perfect, take pictures, and post here.

Then have some lunch.

First, the completed stockings







C&C welcome,

cheers

Jamie

OK; lipstick for anime figures...or any female/ cross dressing figure, come to think of it.

While I have seen this method used for larger scale figures, and for historical/ glamour figures, it can also be used to give your anime lady some 'sizzle'


Here is a quick walk through below



All I did was apply the principles if light and shadow to the lips too.

The upper lip, I added a darker shade to the base red, to create a shadow for the inner part of the lip.

For the lower lip, I lightened the base colour, so as to add some highlights to the bottom lip, where the natural curve of the lip will catch the light.

The last step would be to add some gloss varnish to the lips, give it that sheen we all love on our ladies!

Now; for some acknowledgment!

Bruce, Jim, Bob, Yep, I will rewrite this as article, however it is probably a bit unwieldy and big for editorial standards!

Although, I could do a simple series of segments - Anime eyes, make up for anime figures, stockings and sheer effects, etc, help Model geek become a better reference site!

Cheers
Jamie

Ok, some time became available, so I made a beeline for the bench.

Spent a few hours working and reworking the eyes. I may still go back and tidy them up yet, just a bit; feel free to offer feedback!

Plus, I painted up the bra and panties (panties not yet shown) just to move the torso forward as a whole.

Bra - I thinned down a creamy white colour using a matt medium, designed to allow a colour to be thinned without getting all runny (if watered down too much)

Then I built up layers of white, on the high areas, to show a more solid fabric result. I'll give it the 24 hour test, before I look it over. Wondering if I should give it a coat of satin gloss.......



Then the eyes; added multiple layers of lightened olive green, add the black spot, then the catchlight. And then reworked 2 or 3 times again!

But, if not sure, rework it until satisfied!

Then I mixed some burnt umber and some black, and added eyelashes around the eyes with a 10/0 brush.

Which came out OK, but still, I'll give it the 24 hour test.



Which is where I will leave the eyes for now......

I also did the fingernails while I had the paint out for the lips


Plus I retouched some areas of the hands that the airbrush had missed; hints of grey primer showing through.

Onto the lips!

Nice job so far. Eye's on larger scales are tough. Your model version's eyes almost look like decals.

I use the inverted figure trick to paint 'oposite side' eyes. It does help, you do have to realize that the symetry will be 180 degrees upside down. It does help though.

I second that idea jamie Good anime build articles are extremely hard to find nd this has been great to follow I really think putting it all together as a build article would be the way to go

Colour wheels;

One of those little things that can help when trying to work things out.

Now, I have seen these before, but never really kind of understood them, till I got one.

Usually double sided, they show the relationships between colours, so can act as a guideline as to what will probably work.



the above image shows how I have set the current colour to a Blue green (for her eyes). The complementary colour is opposite it on the colour wheel, a Red orange. Rather then go for a carrot top look, I will move the colour towards a darker shade, which gives me a brown colour, in a warm tone.

So to answer Bobs question about green eyes, rather then agonise (and face repaints) a few minutes with the colour wheel, I have an answer.

Remember, it's a guide only, feel free to branch out, sometimes the end you want is outside the usual "rules"

Now for the other side of the wheel...



This gives an idea of the primary, secondary and tertiary colours, plus possible mixes to get the secondary & tertiary colours (Just run out of that shade of Sci-Fi light purple? Mix red + Blue + White till you get the shade needed)

Oh, one other hint for mixing colours; dating all the way back to little schools. work from light to dark.

For example, If I need a grey colour, I am better off adding small amounts of black to white, as the black will darken the white faster, then by adding white to black. It sounds obvious, but I had to be reminded of this when I first picked up a brush (for something other then the house fence)

Colour wheels can be found on the net, and printed off, or bought at the local arts store for about $5- $6 dollars.

I'd buy one, just because of the limitations of the home printer colour mix process.

Just a handy tool to have.

answer: yes I think so..good "how to" articles an painting anime figures are relatively hard to find ....

Brian, Andy, Bob & Jim,
thanks for looking in and commenting, appreciate it.

happy to detail what I do, plus share some lessons others have shared with me....what goes around.....

few other pointers that I haven't actually mentioned yet....

- Using acrylics, I prefer to thin my paint to a consistency like melted butter
- better control by using multiple thin layers rather then a few (or one) thick layer (general guide for painting)
- I actually draw excess off my paint brush, using an old scrap of t-shirt, to control how much I put down.

as for inverting the figure, I usually only do it for the off hand side, then do the other eye with the figure right way up. Yep, have repainted a lot of eyes in my time.

As for hair colours/ eye colour I'll touch upon using a colour wheel in my next post.

again, I do encourage questions, either here or by PM, I'll share what I know...and admit when I dont!

BTW; should I give some thought as doing this as an article for Model Geek?

Cheers

Jamie

Thank you Jaime, these are the kinds of "tricks" involved in making the work easier, and getting better results that just cant be learned on your own easily. I would sincerely like to thank you for sharing these techniques with us here.

She's looking really fine. Green eyes....what are you planning for hair color?
BTW..nice pic to go by!

Hi Jamie,
This is really coming along nice.
Looking forward to seeing her in the all together.
I tried that inverting the figure to do the eyes, I just couldn't get on with it, probably just need to practice .
Andy

Hi Jamie looking good mate .
Thanks for the tutorial too , I really want to paint good figures so I'm on to this build .

One other thing - looking at the enlarged photos, I can see the I need to retouch both eyes to get them symmetrical. I'll let everything settle first, before I come back to it.

One other thing is the people sometimes struggle to get the eye done on one side (usually the side opposite your painting hand.)

Here's how I (after being told by others) have managed it.



Invert the figure.

Works for some, maybe it will work for you too!


Cheers for now,

Jamie

A couple of pointers about eyes.
- Whites aren't that white (already touched upon)
- the Iris themselves take up about 1/3rd of the visible portion of the eye (whites to iris ration)
- and generally speaking, the eyes follow the movement of the head.

Look all the way to one side while turning your head. Then, while still keeping your head turned in that direction, look the other way, using only your eyes. Uncomfortable?

So to keep things real, we better follow what happens naturally.

Also, I found it hard to get the proportions right, until I painted in the lips. Then 'Click' - and I could 'see it'

So if you are struggling a bit with the yes, don't be afraid to mark in the lips, it will help!

This is what she looked like, after I added some dark blue to the olive green, and painted in the lips



And suddenly, there as a face there.....

The whites of the yes.

I have seen (& used) flat whit for doing the whites of the eyes.
Which can lead to a 'bug eyes' or staring look. It;s more realistic (and less stark) to cut the whites of the eyes of with a little flesh tone.

I used Vallejo Light Flesh (70928) and this worked quite ok for me. Not a brilliant white, still rather pale.



I started at the edges of the ye, then moved into the centre from there. Several light coats were required. already, the face has more life to it, though still missing a lot.

Then onto the iris - a olive green is the colour I chose, and.......



Not much in the way of covering power. Even with multiple layers, it would struggle. Plus, my reference shows a darker base colour, plus a slightly darker outline, defining the outer edge of the iris, as below (you may have to squint and get close to the screen)



OK, enough squinting, lean back, blink a few times, and lets get on with it!

Hi Jeff,
thanks for looking in, and the suggestion.

I like the idea of glass eyes, I feel as though that is something I am not game enough to attempt just yet.

If I was sculpting a larger bust, then yes, I would definitely give them a shot. given the relatively small size of the eyes, and the need to 'set' the direction in which they are looking, I'd rather go for the option of painting by hand.

still, a good idea!

Ok,
here is how I set myself up, work bench wise.



my paints, my paint tray (with a layer of aluminium foil - for easy clean up) my reference note, and a magnifying glass.

Out of shot is a double sided make up mirror, I will use this to look at the figure in reverse - by looking at a 'flipped' image, we can see the work from a fresh perspective, and can often spot what is working, and what needs tweaking.

The figure it self is currently resting on a old wheat sack, sitting inside a snap-lock bag. The wheat sack will deform to the way I need it to support a figure, and the plastic bag means I don't have to stress about paint smudging or dust & fluff collection.

Onto the eyes and lips now!

Jamie,

She's looking good, but the skin is easy. Wait until you start on her eyes!

You may want to use a set of plastic doll eyes, but I do not know how small they need to be. You could use something like these:


This 5mm sample is from Glass Eyes Online.

You would have to drill out her existing eyes and fit them from the inside of her head...kind' a macabre!

Alright, painting of face (& cleavage)

Following the same paint formula I used for the hands and legs, here is the face painted up, just with an airbrush.



Due to limitations of camera operator (me) it's not as sharp as I want. We can see how the flesh tones are lighter on the forehead and breasts (less muscle tissue - highlights too) and darker around the eyes, nose, neck and cleavage (either more muscle tissue, or a natural shadow spot)

Plus the cheeks have a degree of blush on them too. (that's where I added some sunset red to the skin tone)

Now, my shading efforts are trying to add life to this character. Here is what she looks like in grey primer, with the light falling on her.....



and here is a similar shot, now with the colour applied



So, by going for a lighter, warmer skin tone, I feel as though I am closer to where I want the figure to be.

( I could keep on fiddling around with it, however, sometimes things just have to be done!)

This is an experiment for me at this point, trying a few things new to me.

- using an airbrush for the majority of my shading and highlights
- moving from light to dark (rather then starting with a mid-tone, and adjusting from there)
- Sheer effect clothing (Stockings, in this case) and I am still working out how I will be approaching it, so there will be off bench testing in the future.


I am happy with my results so far, even if it means a rework on occasion.

I am still unsure if I will add more definition to the shades and highlights(flesh tones, that is); given that she will be wearing dark coloured jacket & skirt, thigh high black stockings, bra & panties (purple?) plus shirt, I feel as though if I go for a slightly darker skin tone, the contrast may be too low in the end. Just my thoughts, feel free to add your 2 units of currency worth


At the end of the day, I am the one who has to look at her, flaws and all.....so I am happy so far.

And as others have said, your second figure is better then the first, the 5th better then the 3rd, the 10th better then the 8th, and so.

As always, questions, comments, queries always welcome!

Hopefully, some better pictures can be taken soon!

Cheers

I had issues there too, but it turns out it was my own fault...the folder I had all my model pics in was just too big and really slowed down the finding of uploadable pics...made a new folder with just the "now" pics and the whole process sails right along now....
Can't wait to see the next installment!!!

Face painting efforts to follow, as soon as I can beat photo bucket into submission.....

Tomorrow, I'll update the post

cheers

Did the hands as well, to get the flesh tones consistent.

Mounting them to coffee stirrer



Had to keep in mind how they would be fixed to the actual figure, once done.



Will have to go in and finish up with a brush.

Ok, now I have a paint plan, onwards t the figure.

I tried doing something a bit different for me; using only an airbrush, and moving from light to dark.

Made up my lightest flesh tone, about 1 part pink to 8 parts white. Dilute with de-mineralised water till it had the consistency of melted butter, and then laid that down on the flesh parts of the figure.

(remember, treat as nude for sheer effects, first layers)

Then I added some more pink, for the mid tones, then had about a :2 mixture for the "shadows"

Here's what I mean for the Legs



Plus, some parts were coloured to add definition to muscle tone, or where anatomy says the skin tones would be a bit dark.

Here's a pic of the leg, with shadows effects (fiddling with holding it to the light)



Using the above as a guide, we can start to work out where the darker effects of the stockings will be.

As a guide, where ever the stockings are stretched (by the thighs, knees) the material knit will be stretched out. Likewise, there the stretch is minimal (around the ankles, backs of the knees) or compressed (where the legs will cross) that is where the 'darker effect will be needed.

Here is where I have laid down darker tones for where the legs will cross.

Flesh tones, revisited!

While adding colours and trying to do things by the TLAR method

(That Looks About Right)

... sometimes less aggravation and quicker progress is achieved by some planning.

As a famous NCO said, "Prior Planning Prevents P*** Poor Performance"

So I got out some blank (matt) business cards, and started working out some colour options.

My flesh tone scheme is pinker then the illustration, which I prefer. Because of the dark skirt, jacket, stockings, I wanted to give the figure a pink healthy glow, rather then a pale complexion.

Besides, a warmer tone works better, for some reason. (Ever seen a pale looking centerfold? Me neither!)

Paints are Vallejo acrylic, colours are white, salmon pink, and sunset red (for the blush on the cheeks)

So here is the result.



Ok, it can also be seen where I added some ochre to my mix, and what the results were.

Plus, I experimented with working out how to do the stockings (Many steps away so far, still a little research )



The stockings test are fast and ugly brush tests. Quick, simple, sorts out what avenues to follow up.

Ok, one test was to use a "smoke' colour, often used for exhaust style stains, or for tinting windows/ canopies, windscreens etc...a semi transparent result.

The other was to thin down the black with a product called "matt medium' which generates different types of coverage. Using matt medium, I could 'dilute' the covering power of the black, without getting the runny effect of just straight diluting.

(If you just dilute a dark colour to the point of really thin, you end up with a wash, and that tends to just gather in corners and creases, not much control either; matt medium helps retain the control, and the degree of opacity/ translucence)

I also tried adding a tiny amount of black to the basic flesh tone, and all I got was a muddy colour. No use at all, better to find that out now rather then on the figure