When I was starting out painting miniatures, one of the things that I found difficult was making colors look nice. In particular, I struggled with painting red, yellow, and orange. This article is about the method that I use to make red look better on my miniatures.
What you need:
- Primer
- Good quality brush
- Flow improver
- Red paint of your choice
- Orange paint/glaze of your choice
- Blue paint/wash of your choice
The right primer makes a big difference
The first thing to know is that the color of your primer affects the final color of your paint. If you want a bright red, use white primer. If you want a dark red, use grey primer. Black primer makes it difficult to paint red on your miniatures.
Proper paint consistency is key
When painting with bright colors, it is more important to get the paint consistency right than when painting with darker colors. The pigment in bright paint is less dense, so it is easy to get separation if you don’t prepare the paint correctly or if you paint straight from the pot.
I like to use a couple of drops of flow improver when I am painting with red paint. This helps the paint to move better and it covers the surface better than if I use just water.
You need more than one layer
One of the most frustrating things about painting with bright colors like red is that you often need to put on multiple layers to get complete coverage. The first layer might not cover all of the surface, which can be visible in some places.
This is normal, so don’t worry. Just let the first layer dry and then put on a second, and sometimes a third layer. This will add enough paint so you will have a nice complete coverage.
If you have thinned your paint properly, you will greatly reduce the chance of paint buildup that blocks the details of your model.
Patience is necessary
It can be frustrating to wait for the paint to dry before you can add another layer. But if you want the paint to look good, you need to wait for it to dry.
If you add a second layer of paint before the first layer is completely dry, it might not stick and will look different from the rest of the paint. I learned this the hard way when I was painting a model and added a second layer of red paint before the first layer was dry. Suddenly, part of the model came up and it looked much lighter than the other parts.
If this happens to your paint job, it is very difficult to fix. The area that was painted last will always be a different color than the rest of the painting. The paint will become thick and gunky, and it will be hard to make it all look the same.
Highlight using orange
This might seem strange, but it is true. Orange is made up of both yellow and red.
I experimented with different colors to highlight red. I tried adding white to the red paint, and also tried pink and white. These produced acceptable results.
I found a model that I liked, but I noticed that the person who painted it had highlighted their red to orange. It just looked more natural than the other results I had been getting. This led me to my color theory about highlighting and shading.
To highlight a word or phrase, I use the next color on the color chart that is in the same direction as yellow. In the case of red, it is orange.
Apply your highlights like a glaze
I found that thinning my orange paint to the consistency of a good glaze helped me to gradually build up the effect and get more consistent results. I wanted to lighten the red by using orange, not make a clear transition from red to orange.
Apply the first layer of highlights. Let it dry. Then, apply the second layer to a slightly smaller area. Repeat until you have several thin layers with a smooth transition to a brighter color. If you have done it right, people won’t be able to tell that you painted orange at all – it will just be a natural transition to a brighter color that is orange but not too bright.
Shade using blue
I used to think that nuln oil was the best way to make shadows, but I don’t think that anymore. I now think that using this color theory gets better results.
Just like I found that using yellow makes a more natural-looking highlight, I also found that the most natural-looking shadows are the next color toward purple. Blues make excellent rich shadows on red models.
There are several ready-made washes out there that will give you good results here. I generally use Citiadel’s Drakenhof Nightshade to do my shadows on red areas.
Apply your shadows like a wash
You should use a dark color to paint the areas of your pool that will be in the shade. This will help to show where the shadows are.
FAQ
What are the best paints to use for a realistic red without an airbrush?
There is no definitive answer to this question as everyone’s preference for paints will be different. However, some good options to consider are oils, acrylics and pastels.
How do you create a realistic red without an airbrush?
There is no definitive answer to this question as everyone’s preference for paints will be different. However, some good options to consider are oils, acrylics and pastels.
What are some tips for painting red without an airbrush?
There is no definitive answer to this question as everyone’s preference for paints will be different. However, some good options to consider are oils, acrylics and pastels. However, one thing to keep in mind when painting red without an airbrush is to make sure that the paint is applied in thin layers so that the color doesn’t become too opaque or heavy. Additionally, it might help to use a lightbox or window as a natural light source when painting with red tones.
Is there a substitute for an airbrush when painting red?
There are a few different substitutes that can be used when painting red without an airbrush. One option is to use a brush instead of an airbrush. However, this may not give as realistic results as an airbrush would. Another option is to use a sponge to apply the paint. This will also give a more textured look than using an airbrush would. Finally, another option is to use a spray bottle to apply the paint. This will give a very thin and even layer of paint, which is ideal for creating realistic red tones without an airbrush.