The colour palette

[ochoin]

I'm not that old but when I began figure painting, colours used were bright & vibrant. Notably, my Celtic army was labelled 'The Licorice All-sorts' by one wit.

Now, a sombre influence has crept in. I could literally paint figures from the Bronze Age to the F-P War exclusively using Vallejo's 'Panzer Aces' range. And I'm of course not the only one. This 'age of darkness' is every where in the hobby.

I was watching a doco on 'Callan' where the producer claimed the series lost its arty edginess when it went from B&W to colour. I want to be taken seriously. To be thought of as 'artistic'. Should I turn to painting my miniatures only in a palette using black, white & shades of grey?

donald

[Buff Redux]

I blame the Grim Darkness of the Future.

Here's an antidote

[Etranger]

..... To be thought of as 'artistic'. Should I turn to painting my miniatures only in a palette using black, white & shades of grey?

donald

It's difficult to paint figures well using only shades of gray - occasionally there are articles in the various magazines doing just that 'for effect'.

Here are a couple of links, some purely using 'B & W' techniques.
https://www.wargamingtradecraft.com/201 ... white.html
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=359198

Probably easier to paint normally but photograph using the 'Black and White' or sepia effects in Photoshop etc. Unless that's cheating!

[FreddBloggs]

If photographing for black & white, use pink and green a lot, as they were the best contrast colours to get greys.

A b&w film set was a surrealist riot of colour.

One of the reasons I am enjoying my nostalgia kick in epic is not using the muddy palette.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I was watching a doco on 'Callan' where the producer claimed the series lost its arty edginess when it went from B&W to colour.

I thought it was when Callan forced Lonely to have a bath.

[grizzlymc]

That was just htgeine.

I think pointy sticks people are starting to realise that ignorant peasant subsistence farmers did not dress like a gay pride march. Hoiwever, H&M should be done in brilliant shades. Except union blue pants.

[ochoin]

So although you can get some pretty bright colours from vegetable dyes, the average peasant throughout history *preferred* pig-shit brown?

Interesting....


donald

[FreddBloggs]

I always reckoned most people would be in whitish/cream coloured cloth, or wool of whatever colour the sheep/goat/whatever is for daily life.

[Jeremy]

Went through the same issue a few years back. I now choose bright colours and then highlight a brighter shade

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

And very smart you look, too, Jeremy, but let's focus on figure-painting for the moment.....