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Another Toby-vision session
Posted by Martin on November 11, 2010
There was a favourable response to the first of Toby’s painting videos that I shared here, so here’s the latest one which you may find of interest. This time, Toby applies his masterly brush to a Victrix plastic British foot artilleryman:
Vodpod videos no longer available.As with the last video, there are a number of points worthy of note. Some of the paint choices are interesting, especially the use of a Vallejo Air range metallic paint with a brush – I’d never thought of doing that before. Toby also gives a quick demo of the consistency to which he dilutes paint and he also shares a couple of his custom home-made mixes for blues and very light greys. Plus, as a bonus prize at the end, Toby shares some of his triads for painting horses. There’s a more complete list of the triads he uses on his blog.
Befreiungskriege 1813-14 
Phil said
these are great videos. I really struggle with painting things like straps and it looks pretty easy for him – kinda sad actually.
The Google ads on videos start getting really annoying. They kind of remind me of pop-up windows of old. I wonder if there is a tool like the old popup blockers that can strip the ad overlays out so you never have to see them.
Martin said
I know what you mean about the ads but it’s a quid pro quo. Toby probably gets free hosting of his videos and we all get to enjoy them for free. But somebody has to pick up the tab, hence a bit of slightly intrusive advertising.
What sorts of problems do you have with straps? Maybe we can get some hints and tips on this thread for you.
Phil said
I just can’t paint a straight line. So I paint them, then go back and touch up around the edges. I envy someone who can just get it with one stroke.
Martin said
Don’t get disheartened Phil. This sounds like a matter of brush control. A few obvious things can help. The first is practice, practice, practice: just try painting some straight lines on paper. The second is to watch what you drink before a painting session: things that contain caffeine can actually make your hands a bit shaky. The third is to find a comfortable painting position in which you can support the hand holding the figure and the one holding the paint brush.
My last tip is not to stress about it. We all make mistakes – and if you watch Toby’s video back through carefully you’ll spot a bit in the 47th minute where he goes wrong with the yellow collar piping and has to touch up with red. The less you worry about it, the less likely you are to slip up.
Burkhard said
I can only second what Martin said. Plus one more thing… Try using a brush with longer hair (retouching brush) and hold it at a flat angle. Makes it easier to paint the straight lines.
Cheers,
Burkhard
lee moore said
Dear Sir,
I didnt catch the section on mixing the acylics to the right consistancy in the video. This is my main problem when using these paints to shade and highlight, please could you give me some advice. I really want to be a good figure painter but i am at a stalling block with the paints.
Many thanks in advance
Lee
Martin said
Hi Lee,
Paint consistency is a difficult thing to describe to people without actually sitting next to them and mixing paint. The traditional advice you’ll see often quoted is that the paint should be the consistency of single cream but I’m not sure that’s always a helpful comparison. What I can say for sure is that you shouldn’t use the paint neat out of the container. I always dilute mine and so does every other good painter I’ve ever discussed this with.
The questions are, of course how much and what with? For how much the answer is “it depends”. Speaking personally, I aim for a consistency that retains opacity and stays where you place it with the brush rather than running out of control over the figure. On the other hand, you want the paint thin enough not to dry chalky with a rough finish. I urge you to experiment with different dilutions until you find something that you’re comfortable with. The other point I’d make here is that the amount of dilution that works best is likely to vary from colour to colour. Reds and yellows have a reputation for poor coverage and so you probably want to dilute them less or think about doing two or more thin coats (the latter is generally preferable). Make sure you let the paint dry properly between the coats – it won’t take long with acrylics. My personal problem colour has always been white.
Lastly, a couple of words about diluting agents. Do not use water straight from the tap – it’s likely to be full of all kinds of minerals that will play havoc with a smooth finish. I use water that has been through our filter jug and is mixed with flow enhancer. I know of some people who go even further and use distilled water. Your mileage may vary is, I believe, the appropriate term 🙂
Hope that helpd a bit,
Martin
Lee said
Thank you Martin.
I am finding this aspect quite tricky and i will persevere as i would like to be able to produce really nice figures. I will have to do some more experimenting and not get to disheartened. I have only just begun to use the acrylics so i should try walking before i can run!!!!!!!!!! Please may i keep you posted on my development and send you some pictures when i have completed the current project?
Kind regards
Lee