# Painting layering



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

I have question for all you painting gurus. What is the rule of thumb for painting textures etc. How does one layer the different colors and what colors are suggested. What is better for getting eye popping effects? Do you start out dark and then work your way to lighting colors or what? What way best works for you?


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Well, I'm no painting guru, but I typically start with a dark base and dry brush one or two progressively lighter shades on top of that (http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/theskeletonshand/DSCN8870.jpg).
Alternatively, I sometimes start with a medium base coat, paint dark in the low points (wrinkles, etc.), then wipe off the excess dark with a damp cloth (example).


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

So the higher points or texture points are of a lighter color? How much of a color change do you normally do? Meaning have your gone with a dark color such as black and then tried to put a brown or orange in there? Just to be different.

Oh and than you Mr. chicken.


----------



## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I think you have a lot of artistic flexibility in what and how you layer when painting (part of the fun). In general, though, anything you want to bring forward visually should be highlighted with a lighter color. Anything you want to recede should be darker. Those are the rules of thumb used by makeup artists, but it pretty much applies here as well.

As for how big a contrast between base and highlights, I'd say just experiment and see how it looks. When I painted my Death Drone for the $20 Prop Contest, I used brown and gold for texture on the face and body, as shown below. The brown was a diluted acrylic that I brushed on her face and legs, then wiped off. The gold was just stroked lightly on the body and wings to give texture.










Close up of face:










And remember, no matter what you do, it can always be repainted


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Well I already have trouble with colors and trying to find the center point or how the mind centers. I get to painting and then things get changed. For exmaple. This is my new project. I am trying to focus on the foam pieces on the top head and side of the face. But as you can see on the next photo, that went to crap. I guess I really need help in getting my colors in order and trying to get it so my audiance is focused on what i want them to focus on.

But anyway, the 2nd photo I didn't like so I colored it again. I didn't come out right. It is hard to train my mind to keep on the subject. Instead of saying, lets try this instead. Then I loose the focus of what I am trying to do.


----------



## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

I think the answer to your questions is it really depends on what you're painting and what you want it to look like.

I ususally start dark and go light or light then dark. The tombstones and coffin below start out light and then add dark to make it aged. (They need updating...my painting has gotten better...lol).









My fireplace and columns I painted dark and then went over them with a light color.


















At times I've even added colors that didn't make sense just to see what it looks like. Many times (in the real world) at a glance there are un-noticeable colors that really are there after closer examination.

Hard to tell form the pic, but this wall stared out white, added various shades of green, brown and yellow and then spray painted (dusted) some black in areas to make it dirty.


----------



## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

I think it depends on what you are trying to simulate. I tend to paint my stonework different than my woodgrain.

Here are a few pics of the painting I did for my pub sign:









Black under coat









Light brown base coat









Dark hi-lights









Light hi-lights









Finished painting

The faux metal trim was painted the opposite way ... lightest color first and then layered on the darker colors.

I'm not an expert either, this just happens to work for me ... and like Roxy said, you can always paint over it!

Hope this helps ... and looks like you have a lot of people helping too! LOL I don't post fast enough!


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

hey Death Touch,

I would break painting "rendering" techniques down into three basic methods:

1. Light into dark - starting with a dark base, progressively lighter tones are layered on top working up to the lightest tones.

2. Dark onto light - this is the most familiar. Darker colors are added to a light or white base, shadows are essentially painted on/in

3. Mediant - This is used for bright colors when the maximum color is desired. The brightest color is applied, to which darker and lighter tones are applied as needed, but used sparingly, trying to leave as much color showing thru.

then coloring techniques into three basic methods:

1. Direct color - apply the desired color directly to the surface via brush, spray, or pen. Transitions are physically and directly created by the artist's hand. This include wet and dry brushing techniques.

2. The Wash - Thinned paint is applied to a base color. The paint will run down high and smooth surfaces and collect in textured or low areas.

3. Rub out - Paint is applied in any consistency to the surface, allowed to sit for a period of time, and then rubbed off, either with a clean towel or one with some kind of solvent (water for water based paints, turpentine or slow acting solvent ofr oil based paints).

Here is an example of Light into dark, with a wash:









This guy has 4 to 5 shades of gray working up to white, then a mix of brown and green paint for a wash. There is probably a little rub out happening to, since i used it alot, but I wouldn't call this representative of rub out.

BTW, with washes, it speed things up and makes a better consistency to add a little acrylic medium to water based paint washes:









This matte medium and varnish works good. You can use white glue in a pinch.

Here is an example of dark onto light, and this is all washes:









This is cauldron creeps head. The foam looke very bone like when all the thinned out browns and black run into the little pores. There is no airbrush in this, the teeth are rubbed out with yellow.

I have one more general rule. Paint that covers in one coat is just primer. Good paint has transparency and must be layered.

I am actually making a video demo of painting a sculpture that uses all of these techniques and airbrush. Hopefully I can get it edited and posted this weekend. In the process of making that one video, I have realized I need to make some simple single technique videos, so if anyone has a request, let me know and I'll shoot that one first.

Hope I helped instead of confused.


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

With all this information I could almost write a book. Thats if I could spell. Thanks everyone.


----------



## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Good points everyone.
One thing that i didn't see was about lighting.
The light you will be using to showcase your prop will make a difference on what the appearance will be.
If you have an idea on what color light you will be using, shine it on your prop while working out what color scheme for your prop.
I've done this while doing headstones for the grave yard some years ago...nothing more fun than painting you stuff at night, in the dark.


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

I like to paint under the blacklight, as I usually try to add some flourescent white to all my stuff, just to give it a little glow if get blacklight on it. Trying to get a tan too.


----------



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Hmm...DC, I think you might have overdone that tan...I mean, have you taken a look at yourself lately?







Yikes!


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

my problem is I don't tan evenly. One part burns and the other is deathly pale! That's why I try to wear a hat.


----------



## Bone To Pick (Oct 23, 2007)

A lot of great info (aside from DC's tanning issues :zombie. It appears from the photos that you painted the areas of focus first and then added color to the rest of the head. If so and you're having trouble, you might find that you have better luck getting the overall tone of the head and then painting the key parts to get the "pop" you're looking for.

Another factor (along with the lighting) is the distance from which it will be viewed. If a ways away, you may need to create more constrast for the key areas to show, however if you move that same object closer it might be too much contrast and not look so good.

5-second color theory:

Contrast created by lights & darks and level of color saturation.
Warm colors (reds & yellows) tend to pop forward.
Cool colors (blues & greens) tend to recede.
Muted colors placed next to or surrounded by similar (analagous) but more saturated colors will tend to appear more gray. (suppresses the color)
Muted colors placed next to or surrounded by complimentary colors (examples - red/green, blue/orange) will tend to appear more vivid (suppresses the gray).


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Good Point Bone to Pick, Color theory is way handy.

I just paint my props to look cool in pictures, but when I put them out, I rely on the color of lights to do the color theory part. I flood the back ground with cool colors and put the warmer or white lights on the stuff I want to pop.

Well I try to. everyone else wants to pick up my lights and put fun colors on the props they made.

but heres a good example:










this is a good one too:


----------



## Bone To Pick (Oct 23, 2007)

Great examples, DC! In the top image you can see 4 really distinct layers created by colors and lighting: the hands, the body, the head, and the background. Note how the hands feel much closer to camera - they are, but the color accentuates that feeling even more. The greenish bkgrd recedes heavily, and really makes the creature stand out.

The foreground leaves have a warm glow (lighting) which pushes them forward, but not as much as the hands. The hands are painted a color which is probably much more receptive to the red light. The leaves are greenish (I assume) and that helps neutralize the red a bit, causing the hands to spring forward.

In the bottom image you can clearly see the red areas jumping forward, and the more purplish/blue areas receding.


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Ok how does this look? Better?


----------



## tonguesandwich (Oct 13, 2006)

I don't know if this helps but I have been working with a few major prop builders (artist)... they always start black.


----------



## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

(I've got a background in painting.. for what that's worth  )

The color theories the others have mentioned so far are pretty much dead on.

I do have to say that for all of the decent prop painting, going from dark to light is the best. You need to get the whole prop painted it's darkest so that all of the little nooks and crannies are at the darkest level, and slowly bring out the highlights. The middle range and all the parts that are at the high points are the ones that will show the most color range and detail.

Best method for me is using washes of color. Think of it as layers of colored saran-wrap, one over the other as separate layers but interacting with the ones below and above to create a realistic surface. Each wash of color is watered-down paint, so it is transparent, but as you put down each layer, it builds up a level of detail that looks like real (stone/bone/wood/whatever). Letting each layer dry in between is important - so that you don't muddy the surface.

I do the final highlights with a drybrush technique. It allows for better control, and looks the most realistic.

With the skull you're currently working on, I'd go with slight orangy-brown a few shades lighter, do the dry brush lightly with that color on the main areas -NOT all over, and really work the edges of the paint with a completely clean brush to blend the he!! out of it into the medium brown areas.

Hope you don't mind - I played with your pic - this is with the orangy-brown:









After that dried, I'd go over just the high points with a clean dry brush barely loaded with a lighter paint and crosshatch the highlights:









and then seal it with a gloss that made the whole thing look wet. The lightest paint could even have a tinge of yellow in it and it would look pretty nice...


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Frankie-s Girl said:


> (I've got a background in painting.. for what that's worth  )
> 
> The color theories the others have mentioned so far are pretty much dead on.
> 
> ...


Thank you!

So if you are going to highlight with the org-brown where extactly do you do that. Or what do I need to highlight. That is my problem.


----------



## Frankie-s Girl (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm a girl, so I typically do midtones the way I'd do makeup. 

Across cheekbones, along jaw line, the point/bridge of the nose (if it has one), and the center of the forehead the eyebrow ridges... using very small amounts of paint, and blending into the surrounding areas so there are no hard edges.


----------



## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Thank you frankie. I really need to add you as a friend.

and thanks to everyone else too. It is hard painting textures. I don't know it is so hard to do. My problem is I get to a point where I don't like it and then I start painting over it, and then come to find I have gone against the rules. So now it looks bad. But thanks everyone. I will name all my kids after you. If I ever have kids. LOL.


----------



## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

I always start with a primer coat, usually black, but sometimes white if you will be using cool light colors.I basically think of the end color that i am trying to achieve and then i apply a shade 3 colors down form that for the base.I then use either inks or washes over the piece to get all the low areas to provide shading.Inks will give you a darker look and washes will be more subtle. After the base coat and the shading i then add some white to the original base to lighten a bit then drybrush over the piece heavilly catching all the raised areas.Then you repeat the process, add more white till you get a lighter shade of the previous drybrush coat.This should put you at the color you desire for your project. For the finishing touch I will add more white to the last drybrush mix, or even go with just pure white and drybrush only the very raised features lightly leaving the white.I have been painting for about 32 years now and there are so so many ways to get deffierent effects, there really is no wrong way. The more you paint the better you get.You could also check out white dwarf magazine.It is a magazine for the warhammer fantasy game but every issue has articles that show very nice painting tips and tricks.


----------



## higginsr (Oct 4, 2007)

just remember to mimic nature and that means subtle color variations. Venture colors that you normally would never use... the eye picks them up!
Part of a rock wall I created for a facade out of pink foam


----------

