Unteroffizier, Großdeutschland 1942 - Painting the Field Grey Tunic - Part 2

In this installment, I will reveal my process of rendering the tunic with a round brush. The brush sizes are 2 for larger areas and 0 for the fine details. I began by painting the highlights on the tunic with a lighter tone created by increasing the proportion of grey green in the base colour mixture. This colour was applied to reinforce the lighter areas revealed from the under painting. 

After applying the first highlights, I proceeded to accentuate the shadows and recesses of the uniform with a wash of Rubber Black. I diluted the paint with one part paint to 4 parts AK acrylic thinner instead of water. Unlike water, the AK thinner is more fluid and spreads more evenly; furthermore it prevents the paint from beading and scattering throughout the model's surface. 

The wash was applied specifically on the darker regions revealed from the underpainting. 

With the shadow areas darken from the wash, I proceeded to apply a second round of  highlights using just Grey Green. This also helps to repair any staining effects caused by the wash onto the previously highlighted areas.

Lastly a third round of highlights colour is applied exclusively to the highpoints with a paint mixture created by adding Flesh Highlight to the base colour. 

Once the general tones are applied, I proceeded to outline the pockets and seams of the tunic using a colour mixture of Rubber Black and Dark Prussian Blue. The combination of these two colours create a dark shade that compliments rather nicely with the field grey base colour.  

This dark shade is carefully painted into the recessed areas of the tunic with a 0 sized brush. 

Mistakes are repaired with either the base colour or Grey Green.

 

The collar is undercoated with Black and highlighted with Black Green.

The leather Y straps are undercoated with flat black. 

The collar liner (Kragenbinde) and collar piping are undercoated with a colour mixture of White Grey and Grimy Grey. 

The painting of the collar liner is further refined and the knife is undercoated with Basalt Grey. The piece of toast on the left hand is given an undercoat of Grimy Grey. 

That is all for now. I will be compiling the remainder of the painting process as part of a journal for publication. 

Cheers,

Calvin