Sherman Firefly Project - Figures Completed

[Brasso27]

Sherman Firefly project. Figures finished. The Germans are captives, and so looking a bit glum. The Brits are captors, and so looking a bit smug. Base colours, (uniforms, equipment and flesh), were done with the Vallejo model colour series, highlights and shading done with oils. 
By the way; I know that one of the prisoners has a stick grenade tucked into his boot, and I know this would be immediately confiscated by his captors, but it looked way to cool to remove so I'm leaving it. 

[Bullbasket]

Excellent work on those figures. First class.

 

John.

[clive_t]

Damn, that is quality figure painting sir! I think I shall have to try this oil based highlighting and shading lark...

[Brasso27]

9 minutes ago, clive_t said:

Damn, that is quality figure painting sir! I think I shall have to try this oil based highlighting and shading lark...

Appreciate that. 
I'm relatively new to oils myself but am dead impressed with the results so far. Yes, they're a bit more awkward to use compared to acrylics or enamels, but the results are worth it, IMHO. 

[clive_t]

1 minute ago, Brasso27 said:

Appreciate that. 
I'm relatively new to oils myself but am dead impressed with the results so far. Yes, they're a bit more awkward to use compared to acrylics or enamels, but the results are worth it, IMHO. 

Any chance you could give me a quick run-down of the colours you used, please? For the oils, in particular, but if you can quote the colours for your base tones too would be good!

[Etienne]

The figures look very good ... when I'll be comfortable with acrylics, I'll probably try oils 

 

E

[Brasso27]

15 hours ago, clive_t said:

Any chance you could give me a quick run-down of the colours you used, please? For the oils, in particular, but if you can quote the colours for your base tones too would be good!

Hope I can remember! 
The oils are easy enough; Winsor & Newton galleria range. I just use the primary colours, (and burnt umber; the colour I use  most often), and mix them as needed. 
As for the acrylics; all Vallejo Model Colour range.
The flesh tones were 955 flat flesh.

Monty's Uniform was 921 English uniform.  
The tanker's overalls were 913 Yellow Ochre mixed with a tiny amount of English uniform.

The leather jerkin was 818 red leather. 
As for the Jerrys; 

Trousers and collars were 920 German Uniform. 
The smocks were base coated with 821 German Beige, then patterned with 888 Olive Grey and 981 German Orange Brown. 
If I was doing it again I'd go easier on the green and brown camo colours. I over-did them a bit and swamped the Beige base colour, which is barely visible as a result. 

[robgizlu]

Very nice work on the figures

Rob

[clive_t]

Thanks @Brasso27, very useful info 

 

If I can get 1 tenth as good a result as yours, I'll be happy

 

[FrancisGL]

Top notch with figures job, very natural for me., cheers mate

[Kris B]

Good work. 

[Badder]

Hi Brasso,

 

I was extremely impressed with Venelin's recent figure painting in his diorama USMC Sniper team, Vietnam 1/35. More than impressed, in fact. I was gobsmacked.

 

And now you too have smacked my gob, sir.

 

Utterly superb face-painting!

 

Of course, it always helps to have well-modelled faces to start with, and I think that's one area I've failed to appreciate fully. Those are well modelled faces. Still, I doubt I'd be anywhere near half as good as you, given the same figures.

 

I have only dabbled very briefly with oils, twice using them on AFVs, and with very little success when it came to trying them out on figures and faces.

So, can you tell me how long you 'work' the oils for, and how long you leave an application before applying another?

 

Cheers,

Badder

 

ps, I was always taught never to hold a Sten Gun by the magazine.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Badder

[Brasso27]

12 hours ago, Badder said:

Hi Brasso,

 

I was extremely impressed with Venelin's recent figure painting in his diorama USMC Sniper team, Vietnam 1/35. More than impressed, in fact. I was gobsmacked.

 

And now you too have smacked my gob, sir.

 

Utterly superb face-painting!

 

Of course, it always helps to have well-modelled faces to start with, and I think that's one area I've failed to appreciate fully. Those are well modelled faces. Still, I doubt I'd be anywhere near half as good as you, given the same figures.

 

I have only dabbled very briefly with oils, twice using them on AFVs, and with very little success when it came to trying them out on figures and faces.

So, can you tell me how long you 'work' the oils for, and how long you leave an application before applying another?

 

Cheers,

Badder

 

ps, I was always taught never to hold a Sten Gun by the magazine.

I found the most important thing with oils is to prepare them properly. This means placing a blob of each colour you intend using on an absorbent surface like cardboard and leaving it for 6 hours or so. This allows the linseed oil to leech out. Linseed oil is added to enable the paints to penetrate the porous surface of the canvas, but if you put them on a non-porous surface like plastic they sit there forever and never dry. 
If you leech the paints like this, then place them in a seal-able plastic container, (like one of those seven day pill holders), they remain workable for a week or so; just add a bit of thinner. 
Once applied to the figure they remain workable for a day or so. If you are not happy with a particular effect just moisten the brush with thinner and go over the area again. You can re-work the paint or remove it altogether. You can also use this effect to blend different layers, for example blending highlights and shadows. 
Once you're happy with with the effect you can seal it in with a couple of coats of varnish, then work over that area without fear of disturbing the layer beneath. I find that even if I don't seal it the paint will be fully dry in a week to 10 days, and can safely be worked over at that point. 
I use the same principles with both vehicles and figures. If I do a pin wash, (for example), and intend following that up with another layer, I seal in the pin wash first so the second layer doesn't reactive it. 
A final point; obviously use the best oils you can afford, but I found it's not necessary to go mad in that respect. A good paint is about £5 per tube, (Winsor & Newton Galleria range for example). You can if you like spend up to £30 per tube!, but for our purposes this is completely unnecessary. The £5 jobs are perfectly adequate.
What is important however is to get a good quality artist's thinner; artist's grade white spirit or turpentine. The cheap stuff from the hardware store contains all sorts of additives that make the paint react in unpredictable ways. Use the cheapo stuff for cleaning up by all means, but reserve the quality stuff for thinning. 
Hope that helps. 

[Brasso27]

12 hours ago, Badder said:

ps, I was always taught never to hold a Sten Gun by the magazine.

We were always taught never to hold the SMG by the magazine too, (I trained on a Carl Gustav, and later HK, rather than a Sten, but same principle). The decision to hold it that way was Miniart's, not mine.
I'll send him back for further training. 

 

[clive_t]

Cheers @Brasso27 that's brilliant, the linseed oil thing explains a lot! I will try the pre-leeching trick.

[clive_t]

Actually, just one other thing - for the moment! I have acquired, at some point in the past, some tubes of Winsor & Newton 'Artisan' paint. The contents of these tubes appear very similar to the normal stuff but they are claimed to be water mixable. On examination of the tube's small print, it is shown to contain 'modified linseed oil' as opposed to just linseed oil. I am wondering if the leeching principle still applies to this?

[Brasso27]

38 minutes ago, clive_t said:

Actually, just one other thing - for the moment! I have acquired, at some point in the past, some tubes of Winsor & Newton 'Artisan' paint. The contents of these tubes appear very similar to the normal stuff but they are claimed to be water mixable. On examination of the tube's small print, it is shown to contain 'modified linseed oil' as opposed to just linseed oil. I am wondering if the leeching principle still applies to this?

I'll ask the boss. (SWMBO is an artist). 

[Badder]

6 hours ago, Brasso27 said:

I'll ask the boss. (SWMBO is an artist). 

Thanks for the detailed answer Brasso, much appreciated.

 

I tried the cardboard thing in the past but had no idea it would mean leaving it for 6hrs. I think I left mine for about 10mins

 

Both my wife and I also dabble in art, my wife more so, but I've never used oils for paintings. My wife uses them all the time, but I've not bothered asking her about using them on plastic models. She would have no idea as she only paints on canvas. The fact that some of her oil tubes may feel lighter in the future, is a distinct possibility.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

[Badder]

 

8 hours ago, Brasso27 said:

We were always taught never to hold the SMG by the magazine too

I'd just like to point out that I was trained on the SMG. I'm not so old as to have been trained on the Sten. (although I feel  that old)... but as you say, the same principle applies.

Rearguards

Badder

[Bullbasket]

50 minutes ago, Badder said:

I'd just like to point out that I was trained on the SMG. I'm not so old as to have been trained on the Sten.

You and me both Badder.

 

John.

[Hewy]

Figure painting excellence, painting figures that good is something I'm sure most aspire to, great

Glynn

[Brasso27]

On 9/29/2017 at 5:49 PM, Badder said:

Thanks for the detailed answer Brasso, much appreciated.

 

I tried the cardboard thing in the past but had no idea it would mean leaving it for 6hrs. I think I left mine for about 10mins

Badder

 

I think the rule of thumb is to leave it till the good resembles boot polish.