understanding layers by layers

[topangler81]

hi all,
need some advise to adding color. what color to add first and so on....
i'm tried to airbrushing on black and also some color base panels,

and also what the best method to archive realistic effect.

 

[Zotilraxx]

Is this the reference picture you want to.paint? If it is, WOW bro, it is a badass picture.

 

[Strictly Attitude]

when working on black I start with white then add my colors at the end as colors are highly changed over black usually. If you go to almost any paint manufacture website createx for example they have there colors over black and white you can see a huge different in shade. Build the painting up and then use your color I like trans parents at this stage but have done it using opaques just less forgiving. After that go in add your high lights. This is just how I would attack it I'm sure there are other ways but thats what works for me

 

[RebelAir]

Many ways to attack such a ref topangler..If painting on black SA's method is pretty much the same as what I would do..When doing your white though, if you go that way, make sure you lay down all the detail and texture you need. In such layering the white is the most important layer..After the white I go in a different direction to SA..I do a black clean up layer, further developing the textures and shades, I'll then add colors as you want those colors to recede into the black shadow work to give the shadows some color tint and life..Then I hit it with transparents, starting with my lightest colors and working to the darkest, I'll then re-clean and redefine the black again at the end..Just one way m8, theres likely dozens of ways you could attack this..Opaques finished off with a transparent overlay method would probably look the most realistic and easier for beginners to fix errors and mistakes...Good luck with it as it is a pretty cool reference..Might borrow it LOL

 

[Squishy]

Not a colour expert, but I'm pretty much the same as rebel, do the whole pic in white, letting the black underneath show through for shading etc, and getting in as amuch detail as possible. Tidy up, and get rid of unwanted overspray with black, and then use it to define areas that need it, Then start adding colour with transparents, lightest to darkest, remembering that the colour of the layer below will affect the layer you add (eg, putting red over white = pink etc), so compensating where needed, then lastly add highlights.

 

[topangler81]

tq, hopefully i can enjoy painting this one, may i will use lightest color first then darker color. but i still worried about color blending and mixing.....

 

[Squishy]

When you mix a colour (the lightest layer), spray an area on some white paper, then, when you go to the next colour , spray over an area of the first colour to see how it comes out/ reacts with the layer below (leave some of the first colour in case you need to re mix or try another colour), and just repeat for each colour layer. Saves experimenting on your actual piece. Also if you mix a colour you're happy with make a note of the proportions incase you need to make more, then you will be able to match it easily.

 

[topangler81]

When you mix a colour (the lightest layer), spray an area on some white paper, then, when you go to the next colour , spray over an area of the first colour to see how it comes out/ reacts with the layer below (leave some of the first colour in case you need to re mix or try another colour), and just repeat for each colour layer. Saves experimenting on your actual piece. Also if you mix a colour you're happy with make a note of the proportions incase you need to make more, then you will be able to match it easily.

when i look at my reference, i have problems to understand which color is the first color that i need to spray, and what color is the second color and so on, especially with references that have lots of color.....

 

[Diegojavbau]

the colour of the layer below will affect the layer you add (eg, putting red over white = pink etc), so compensating where needed

How you do the compensation in that example ? more red color layers or by the color you use ?

 

[RebelAir]

With the trans red issue Diegojavbau, I tend to paint red only over a grey or a shaded white, avoiding any pure white (Black Shaded), this reduces the chance of it turning pink..Or even add a little grey to your transparent red..That also works for me

 

[Diegojavbau]

Thanks RevelAir !!

 

[topangler81]

i tried to understand it right now, what for the first color if u want to create red skull artwork, maybe the first layer should be lighter orange, orange, pink and then red.
is this ok?