First time painting - help with recreating Red Death PF skin look

[slinch]

Hi,

I'm new here and I've turned to you for some help. Quick backstory, a while ago I decided to make a base for my NECA 1/4 scale T-800 and after searching for some skulls to use and not finding any, I figured I can try and make some. Never sculpted anything before, so the results were pretty rough, but I liked it enough to try something bigger. I decided to try and loosely recreate the Court of the Dead Red Death statue, because the basic figure seemed relatively simple and forgiving. I used FIMO soft (it was the only thing available locally) and after getting something that I found good enough for a first try I baked it so the next step was painting. As I also never painted anything before I bought some Vallejo acrylic paints, I read they'd be appropriate. I spent many hours reading various message boards and watching youtube guides, so I guess I got some basics, but not enough to really know how to achieve the wanted look.

I started with a Vallejo Dark Fleshtone base and drybrushed the Pale Flesh color over it, but quickly realized that I wouldn't get the wanted result that way. Instead of guessingly applying random coats of color to try to make it look similar I thought it would do me much better to just ask someone who's actually done this before

So here's what my figure looks like:



And this is what I would like to get it to:





I'm not trying to match the exact tones or anything, just want to get the approximate "skin that's in a pretty bad shape, optionally dying" look.

Can anyone give me some basic tips? What kind of tones to start with, what the order of painting should be, which techniques to use etc. I don't have an airbrush (though it's my next purchase, even with my VERY limited experience I can tell painting is something I could really enjoy), but since this doesn't ask for a clean look, I'm hoping brushing will be okay for now.

Thanks for any info or advice!

[Vince-Vell]

you at a good start, try doing washes.

washes is a water paint thined down to the point when you wash over it it seeps into the areas and creates a layer effect.

so you can uses reds, browns etc.. to built up a flesh.

you can wash with a soft paint brush and if you built up to wet of a wash you can dab it with a paper towel to take the wash away.

[slinch]

Hey John, thanks for the answer! (Love your work, I've got a playlist of your vids ready to help me when I get my airbrush )

I already have most of the Vallejo washes, plus from what I understand you can thin down any paint to a wash. I just wasn't sure if I should continue from where I'm at now or if I should start from the beginning. I feel like right now I have way too much contrast between the drybrushed parts and the depressions. Should I maybe paint the whole thing with a flesh tone (though maybe a bit darker than the almost white looking one that's on now) and then get the flesh parts with washing or do I just continue from the current state?

[Vince-Vell]

nah don't start over keep working it, just have fun with it, cause you got good base there and washes and maybe some dry brushing can build up layers that can work out.

[slinch]

Awesome, will do. Thanks!