27/01/2024
Hey! :) In this short review, I will try to reveal a few secrets of working with light and shadow before you start painting!
The Pre-shade itself is perhaps one of the most important steps in painting miniatures, especially large ones, such as busts and vehicles. Creating artificial lighting using the contrast of black and white on the figure, you determine the vector of your further work with light and shadow. The photos of your miniature after the Pre-shade is done can even be called a cheat sheet!
Use your airbrush properly :)
Let’s take a look at the two simplest steps to build your further volume of light through the priming process!
1. Apply 2-3 thin layers of black primer and then let it dry for a 15 minutes.
Take some photos of your miniature under appropriate light for your future work, just after it dries.
Explore the photos and determine all the places where the natural light lies on the black primer. That light reflected from the lamp will tell you how to move next.
2. Use a grey primer at the next stage of your work. The primer should be prepared in a more liquid consistency to avoid the effect of «dust» on the miniature.
We will carry out all our further actions at an angle of 45 degrees.
Keep in mind the layout of the light obtained from the photos that you took.
This time apply your grey primer very carefully and only to those places where the light was spotted in the photo.
It’s ok if you overdid it a little and the gray primer got where it shouldn’t. Flip the miniature over and fix the problem again with a black primer and also at a 45 degree angle.
3. After the miniature has dried, apply 2 thin layers of your base color. Remember that all our actions are carried out at an angle of 45 degrees!! It is very important. When applying the first base color, keep in mind that after it dries, it would be slightly different from what you are used to see on the palette. Black and gray primers will give your color more depth and pastel shades.
I hope i’ve been helpful for you :)