TUTORIALS

PAINTING THE HEAD
by Calvin Tan
The head is primed with Gunze Sanyo Flat Black, providing the darkest possible shadow.
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The half-tone is next established with an orange-brown mix consisting of Vallejo German Orange and Flat Brown. It is thinned with water to a milk-like consistency and airbrushed at high pressure to atomise the larger water particles for a smoother finish.
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	The local colour for the flesh consists of a mix of German Orange and Sunny Skin Tone. It is thinned to a milk-like consistency. Prior to application, the loaded brush is tested on a flat piece of black paper to ensure the correct FLOW (discharge of paint from the brush) and OPACITY of the paint. Overloading the brush with paint will cause the paint to be too fluid, making it difficult to manage and, as a result, creating unsightly watermarks. Hence, it's very important to discharge all excesses with a paper napkin. Ideally, the brush should be MOIST and not WET. Though the opacity of the  paint is weakened; it yields a paint flow that is more consistent  and manageable. This can later be compensated for through  repeated applications in which semi-transparent layers  overlap one another to form an opaque coating. Apply the local colour to the prominent facial features that will receive  the overhead light: the forehead (frontal eminence & brow ridge), the cheeks from the front and cheekbones to the side  (infraorbital triangle and zygomatic process), the front of the nose  (from the root to the ball of the nose), the top of the mouth  (orbicularis oris muscle) and the top of the chin  (along the boundary of the mentolabial sulcus).
	From the side, the local color is applied over region in front of the jaw profile (masseter muscle), the Zygomatic arch extending to the middle ear and features of the ears(Tragus, Anti-Tragus, helix, anti-Helix and the top of the earlobe)
	The opacity of the local colour improves with each successive application. This, however, creates a stark contrast between the boundaries of the halftones and the local colour.
Mix the local colour and the halftone together to form a transition tone. Proceed to thin it to a milk-like consistency and apply throughout the local colours and half-tones. Repeat if necessary but be careful not to overdo. The transition tone mediates the strong contrast by lightening the half-tone and darkening the local colour.
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	Compare the subtle differences in contrast when more layers of the transition tones are applied on the right.
For the highlights, introduce some basic skin tone to the local colour. Again, thin it down to a milk-like consistency and apply to the following regions  starting from the frontal eminence at the top, the brow ridge, the cheekbone, the plane front of the infraorbital furrow extending from the root of the nose, the bridge of the nose, the ball and wings of the nose, the top of the mouth (orbicularis oris) extending from the wings of the nose, the philtrum, the upper ridge of the mouth denoted with the shape of a "M", the nodes, upper plane of the mouth pillar and the top of the chin along the mentolabial sulcus. * The example depicted here has been rendered in high contrast so as to clearly illustrate the regions in which the highlights are to be situated.
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	To ease any harsh contrasts, prepare a secondary transition tone by introducing a smaller quantity of basic skin tone to the local colour. Alternatively, one could cautiously start by creating a highlight colour with small amounts of basic skin tone added to the local colour and gradually increasing its proportion for stronger contrast.
	Warm colours such as pink and red greatly enhance the vigour and vitality of an otherwise pale and monochromatic flesh tone.  Attain a reddish flesh tone by mixing Venetian Red with a little of the local colour and apply it to the half tones. Due to the intensity of this colour tone, it is best to thin it heavily with water and apply it in successive layers.
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Should the contrast be too strong, mediate with another transition tone. This pinkish tone is mixed by introducing a smaller quantity of Venetian Red to the local colour.
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The highlights are reinstated with the local colour.
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	The lips are undercoated with a deep maroon colour mix of Venetian Red and Prussian Blue. To vary the temperature of the shadows, a cool tone is mixed from the local colour by adding a small amount of Venetian Red and Blue Green. This is applied over the eyes and eye bags to depict the eye shadow.
	The highlights are further enhanced with a lighter tone of the local colour mixed with an increased proportion of basic skin tone. The tear bags and lower lids are defined with the local colour, whereas the whites of the eyes are painted with Basic Skin Tone.
	Transition tones are applied to ease the tonal transitions and soften the harsh highlights. Transition tones, as mentioned previously, consist either of the local colour or a more pinkish variant of the same colour incorporated with a small amount of Venetian Red.
	The pupils are painted with Prussian Blue, and the iris is painted with a light blue mixture of Prussian Blue and Blue Green.
	The lips are glazed over with Venetian Red to enhance the warmth.
Tonal transitions are gradually mediated with grazes of transition tones. Highlights on the prominent features, such as the brow ridge, cheekbones, infraorbital furrow, the nose, the mouth and the chin, are also reinstated with basic skin tone.
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	The upper and lower eyelids are drawn in with a deep red tone mixed from Venetian Red and Black. The lips are highlighted with a pinkish tone mixed from Venetian Red and the local colour.
The same reddish tone used to enhance the warmth of the flesh tone is applied to the cheeks and nose to give the face a rosy glow.
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	The eyebrows and hair are undercoated with a colour mix of English Uniform and Deep Yellow.
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Prior to drying, Deep Yellow is dabbed on to bleed with the wet undercoat to create a soft transition of tones.
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A mix of Pale Sand and Deep Yellow is prepared and streaked along the grain of the flowing hair to provide the highlights.
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	The Panzer overseas cap is undercoated with Flat Black
	The insignias are undercoated with a dark grey mix of Black Grey and Deck Tan.
	Finally, the highlights for the insignia are rendered using Flat White, completing this exercise.