Hi guys, three questions.

I was wondering if the masters in this art make mistakes, and what they do then. Do they just repaint the mistakes or don't they make any mistakes?

I'm trying to improve my painting and I try for example to make the folds of a cloak darker than the rest of it, etc. I've put a lot of work in the cloak of this elf, but you don't see that there is any difference between the folds and the rest of the folds. Do I have to exaggerate more in colour differences or is there another way.

Like on the picture, the metal of the sword holder is very granular (I hope that is the right word). How can you make it smooth?

[spoiler][img][img]http://a.imageshack.us/img69/4282/dsc06436f.jpg[/img]
By lordstijna at 2010-08-17[/img][/spoiler]

grtz!

I wouldn't say I was a master craftsman but if I could suggest a couple of things.
Your paint seems thick - thinner would also help your metals. 1:1 is a good point to start with but you only want as much paint on your brush so that it almost dries as you finish the stroke.
Also when you are highlighting, are you moving up the raised areas ?
That will help create the blend, so the darker colours are at the 'bottom'
A technique I am using is to start with a mid tone colour and build the highlights to the highest spot.
After this I then make up the darker colour and put in the shading.
Once you have done this you can then take a look and think if you need some more shade/highlights.
If you look at the top painters they all put in a very fine (about 1mm) highlight to the very edge, that is 'very very light'. It is this that will also add some more definition.

Hope this helps - and as for the mistakes, everyone makes them, it's what makes you learn and without them, no-one learns.

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thank you very much

This already gives an answer on some of my questions.

But what do you mean with moving up the raised areas?

Think of looking at the side view of a hill. The bottom slopes to the top.
Now with your painting, the bottom is the darkest - your next highlight is a quarter of the way up the side - covering in this colour to the top, but leaving the bottom quarter the original colour.
The next mix of colour is halfway up and so on until your very lightest colour is right at the top.
I hope this explains working your way to the top.
If you chose two colours - Dark Flesh and Bleached Bone for example.
Your darkest colour would be pure Dark Flesh and your lighest pure Bleached Bone. The middle parts will be a gradual mix between the two, getting lighter as you move up the hill side.
As you get used to this you can start playing about with the colours more, so work on two colours for now and get used to the technique.

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Thank you for this very clear and good explenation, gandalf.

Also, I don't know if this is the case, but your model doesn't look very clean. Make sure to prime in a clean but ventilated area. Also, clean a model before you prime it. That might reduce the bumpiness.

Gandlaf basically summed up what I would suggest... the most important being thin your paints! It might take a while longer, and it will need several layers, but trust me, in the end, if the surface was relatively smooth to begin with, you'll see much better results

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Hmm... what would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

But do I also have to thin the metal paints with wather, because I have been told that you can't do that.

It's fine to thin metallic paints but you'll need to use a few coats to get good coverage.

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Ash Nazg Durbatulûk, Ash Nazg Gimbatul,
Ash Nazg Thrakatulûk Agh Burzum-ishi Krimpatul.

I thin every paint I use - the only exception would be the washes, but even then I have thinned some if I don't want a think coverage.

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