.jpg) |
| A brightened and cropped photograph of the Eureka figures that have given me such painting fits the last year or so. Inching ever closer toward completion now though. But do remind me to stick to Minden, Fife & Drum, and Crann Tara miniatures next time! |
 |
| The dry-brushing softened the previously painted on 'full strength' highlights very nicely I think while also helping to pick out the manes, tails, and some of the musculature on the horses. In general, I am pleased. Not perfect by any stretch, but we're getting there. |
After two separate sessions in the painting chair yesterday (Saturday), the dry-brushing on the 16 nominally "black" horses is just about finished. I have used a bottle of cheap craft paint -- Delta Ceramcoat 'Charcoal' -- to highlight the black areas of my figures -- typically painted with a thinned coat or two of Anita's All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint -- for a coupla three years or so now, and it occurred to me that dry-brushing the charcoal gray onto horses already undercoated black might yield pleasing results. Of course, the fine steeds show up in the photograph as very dark grays, but we need to apply a bit of artistic license when it comes to our brushwork, right?
Now, some painters apply a dry-brush of dark blue to bring out the highlights on black horses and produce highly convincing results. I tried something similar years ago on 30 Spencer Smith/Holger Eriksson charging dragoons, and was somewhat less than bowled over by my particular results. That could have been the figures, the shade of paint used, my own less experienced painter's hand, or possibly some combination of the three. In any case, I think the current squadron and regimental staff should look reasonably good once finished. See what you think.
Speaking of dry-brushing, I did this with an old, cheap hogs hair brush of some kind, featuring roughly 1/4" squared bristles. But it go me thinking. Have any of you ever tried the more modern dry-brushing tools based on ladies' eye-shadow applicators?
And just in case anyone out there is wondering "How in the hell does he know what those are called??!!" Well, let's just say that yours truly came of age as a young rocker (bassist, guitarist, and singer) during the glam rock revival of the early to mid-1980s and leave it at that. But don't you dare tell my students! ;-)
Kind Christmas Week Regards,
Stokes
Comments
I tried some cheap makeup brushes for drybrushing, but they seem too soft for the job. I really only use them for a primer drybrush (after painting a black or gray gesso for primer, I then drybrush with white gesso). For other drybrushing, I want smaller brushes and more control.