Layering seems to be a fairly popular/advanced technique around here and I was wondering how it was different from normal painting the raised areas on a model?

When I stopped the hobby I was at the level of painting cloth and skin with a dark basecoat, and then adding more colour in and gradually applying layers, usually about 3, before adding some white to the mix and highlighting the highest areas.



Is this layering? Obviously that's not to a very high standard but I was just wondering.

Also here's some of my drawings to prove to you I can actually do art so don't judge by my poor miniatures and explain in complicated fashion if you must


EDIT: What is edge highlighting compared to layering too? Heard those two terms thrown about a lot.

Layering is basically building up layers of highlights on a miniature. You would start with a basecoat, then paint on a lighter colour and leave the darker parts in the recesses. Repeat this with a lighter colour, painting the highest edges and leaving the two darker colours in the recesses.

A more advanced way of layering is blending or having more than three paints to paint an area. In time, as your layering skills improve you can try these. If you feel like it, have four colours. I do this in most areas on my miniatures. A wash also counts as a layer (in my mind anyway).

Nice Daenerys too! Cool drawings

Hope this has helped

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I started to walk around without shoes...

It sort of then became a Hobbit

Edge highlighting is basically painting the very refined, highest points of miniatures. Noses, sword edges, spear tips, knuckles and bow edges are what I use Edge Highlighting for, as they are more than likely to be caught by the light than other features on a miniature.

If that all makes sense? I think I'm ranting on :-/

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I started to walk around without shoes...

It sort of then became a Hobbit

Oh so my crude Elrond cloak is actually layering I guess just not very advanced obviously.

So guessing edge highlighting is painting what's already there, for example drybrushing some metal armour? But painting highlits on a flat piece of armour would be layering?

Also layering requires the coats of paint to be thin, this allows for greater transitions of color as each layer of paint is slightly changed by the one before it

And you're almost correct. Edge highlighting is sharper contrast than layering. Layering is to have smooth transitions edge highlighting is to create much stronger ones

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Commission Painting @FB http://www.facebook.com/squyrepainting
Commission Customers include:
GBHL Youtube Channel
MiniWargaming

What generally looks better?

Both, they're two very different things Used for different purposes. Typically you'll layer paints to paint a cloak or whatever you might wish to paint and if you want it to POP you edge highlight to bring that contrast. If you view my WIP here viewtopic.php?f=50&t=26356&start=20 you can see examples of both (on page 2)

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Commission Painting @FB http://www.facebook.com/squyrepainting
Commission Customers include:
GBHL Youtube Channel
MiniWargaming