Pls teach me how to paint, I dun get it.

[Hosea]

A very nice person told me the following quoted part, and I wonder what is the difference between the following 2, assuming that both 1/ and 2/ are using very thin colors? (May be due to the language gap, I think it hard to understand the steps and method, eg...even I read a lot about Tom's receipt. I wish someone can help me a bit, even with someone's pics or tutorials links would be greatly appreciated by me.

1/ start by highlighting the higher areas. Leaving the deeper areas in the base color. I only focus on highlighting the fold. Then after I'm done with highlighting I start shading. For shading I take my basecoat color again, and use the same technique as with highlighting only backwards. I darken the color and work towards the deepest point of the cloak in this example.

2/ Start by highlighting all the areas, and then each highlight with lighter colors and highlight with lesser and lesser area, for the fold parts.

"Let's say you have to paint a cloak. You have a couple of higher areas and deeper areas. GW teaches people to start the highlighting in the deeper part of the cloak and leave a bit of the darker color showing with every lighter layer you apply.

I and many other painters, start by highlighting the higher areas. Leaving the deeper areas in the base color. I only focus on highlighting the fold. Then after I'm done with highlighting I start shading. For shading I take my basecoat color again, and use the same technique as with highlighting only backwards. I darken the color and work towards the deepest point of the cloak in this example.

If you take your time for this, and use many thin layers, you can get a smooth transition with a good contrast"

[Demi_morgana]

as for me I paint like You wrote in point #1... there's no secret technique

[Hosea]

I could imagine u guys paint with point 1/, but I just wonder what will be difference between 1 and 2? and I have a bit difficulty in how the 1/ works?

Is there a tutorial somewhere?

[Demi_morgana]

hmmm... I may be wrong but imo these 2 points mean exactly the same

[Hosea]

https://www.brushthralls.com/Minis102/index.php


.... "Shading makes the model darker in certain areas in order to reinforce natural shadow. Models can be actively shaded by washing them with ink or paint, or by blending a darker color with the base color. Models can be passively shaded by building up colors from a very dark basecoat."

omg, what is actively shading and passively shading? I think I am kind of using passively shading in the past, I am afraid that I may have been doing sth wrong in the past? um...... may be that is why even I read a lot about Tom's receipt, I still do not get what he means?

[Demi_morgana]

hmmm... I've never thought about naming my techniques...

[ToMaZ]

For everyone : The quote in the first post came from me ^^

method nr 2 is not defined enough for me. "Start highlighting all the areas" means that you highlight the deepest areas too.
I've seen a lot of ppl starting their highlights in the areas where there should be shades. It's basically the way GW teaches to paint. GW says: "Basecoat and then highlight, but keep in mind that you leave a bit of the previous layer showing"
And then they show some mini where they start the highlighting in the deep parts, leaving a thin line of the previous color.
When I first started I used to read a lot of these GW tips and tutorials and I started my highlights where shades should be. Those tutorials are no good. (Or not for anything above tabletop level anyway.) And a lot of people start with them and turn to them when they are trying to improve.

I explained the way I paint now and it's not perfect (and I doubt that there is a perfect technique), plus there are tons of painters who paint differently. Each has his own style and you only get your own style of painting by painting a lot.

On the brushthralls article: passively shading is what I just explained: the method GW uses in their tutorials. Actively shading is deliberatly use a darker color to apply shades to a model.

Easy huh

[Hosea]

thx a lot, Tomaz and Demi

haha, Tomaz, I did not state that was your words cos I did not know whether u mind me doing so or not.

I really thx thx thx for your big help.

I just keep asking in the forum or search different tutorials, just bcos I dun understand how the shading works

An example:
If there is a cloak with fold, I basecoated the whole area with Shadow grey, then mix 50% shadow grey + 50% fortress grey to highlight the fold part, and then use fortress grey to highlight the fold part, then 50% shadow grey + 50% white, then finally white.

In each highlighting stage, use a very thin colors, the first 2 or 3 can cover all the cloak, and then each highlight with lighter colors are painting on the fold parts?

Um, I guess I ask and post here, is just that I hope some people can help me a bit, and tell me if there is any difference in between these 2 so called methods? And surely, I want to study and do all of these is bcos I try to improve myself if some other methods are just better

[mahon]

I think I use the 'active' shading method. I paint the base color, and then highlight and shade. Sometimes I don't need to shade, but I hardly ever forgo highlighting.

[Hosea]

thx guys, I think I will try to practise and hope I can get it, thx a lot, people