Take a look at this tutorial for using just a few different paints to product some very easy to achieve fantastic looking leathers.
The Old Guard was an 1970’s miniature company that made a wide variety of figures. Today Kenny is using one of their Native American models to show you how to work up leathers.
Using a variety of paints, including Vallejo, P3, and Games Workshop, leather is quite easy. This tutorial uses an airbrush to achieve these effects, but you can also use a brush with multiple thin coats to achieve similar effects of leather. Be sure to check out the entire video by scrolling down and pressing play on the video below!
With a primed miniature, first add Charred Brown, from Vallejo Game Air, to an airbrush and spray the entire model to create a base layer. This give a base for all the whites, skin tones, and brown leathers on the mode. Thin layers are the key to applying the first paints. Beasty Brown from Vallejo Game color is mixed to add a mid tone. This mixture is sprayed in places along the leathers, not taking away completely the first layer but hitting spots that would be lighter based on wear. Beasty Brown is added alone over that level as a highlight and lighter spots of the leather. Next, Meaty Ochre from P3 is mixed in and added as a pop to give a yellow, aged sheen.
Finally, Bloodstone by P3 is used to cut the skin and add a good starting point, as well as adding contrast from other parts. On the face, thin it down and add it slowly over the face in three to four coats. Midlund Flesh by P3 is added to the Bloodstone to create a fleshy highlight on the face and hands. This adds pre-highlights for when his skin gets the actual color at a later date. Charred Brown is used to cut over the axe handle and spear, eliminating over spray. Sanguine Base by P3 is painted on the loincloth, cutting in the details and help break up the different colors to see what needs to be done next. Mephiston Red by GW is mixed into the Sanguine Base to cut over the loincloth and get it nice and red.
Finally Mid Brown Quickshade is mixed with Dark Tone Quickshade by Army Painter, plus two drops of Red Tone and cutting in Quickshade Mixing Medium, to create the “secret formula”. With a good wash brush, lightly apply the wash over all the browns with light strokes, dabbing where needed. The wash will pull details out and create the aging effect leather naturally has. This does not including using the Gloss Varnish technique that is usually employed, as we want the wash to be thicker than normal to create a slight blotchiness for that leather feel. Flesh Tone is also added to the face and hands to tint the color and get a deeper skin tone.
After everything is dry, the leather looks aged and natural, with deep shadows and cracks in some places. That’s how easy leather can be! To see the entire process, be sure to press play on the video below!
