How to paint a Tartan pattern on a kilt?

[Roger]

I'm kinda shocked to find that there is not one picture of a painted tartan on this site!
 

Pay attention at the back Mr Deluhery, there's two in my gallery. 

[Nicholas Ball]

depending on the size of the figure, really states how much detail can be added.

with a 54 mm, you should be able to get the green vertical and horizontal large  stripes and the 2 very small White pin stripes, if you are a very detailed painter with a 10/0 brush you may be able to get in the red / yellow middle pinstripe.

some artists do the stripes very dark, and this way you can loose some of the smaller ones, so you just get the impression of a tartan.

on a flat figure the bottom of the kilt should be curved to give the effect of roundness, use this line to follow the horizontal stripes. If the bottom of the kilt is straight, however much you try, you will never get the figure  to look round!!!

[PJDeluhery]

I'm kinda shocked to find that there is not one picture of a painted tartan on this site!
 
What I have done in the past is to get some good photo/drawing references in poses the same as the figure I'm painting, then follow them as a guide. Sometimes you need several images for one figure, as they are never exact.
 
I'm SURE there are pictures of Black Watch around, so download a bunch, match up the poses, and you have a least a partial guide. My last (only?) tartan was a round figure, so not much help there. Before that, I did a bunch of toy soldiers, but that's hardly a comparable effort.
 
Hope this helps.

[PJDeluhery]

Thanks fellas for the advice and the great humour. What I was hoping for was a photo of a painted flat of a Highlander. I've started to paint my Black Watch figures. If I'm successful, I'll try to post a photo.
BTW I once had a pet chameleon. Could change colour depending on what he sat on. I made a mistake and dropped a piece of tartan material in his cage. He climbed over to it and within minutes of sitting on the fabric, the poor thing exploded......

 

[John Hoffmann]

Thanks fellas for the advice and the great humour. What I was hoping for was a photo of a painted flat of a Highlander. I've started to paint my Black Watch figures. If I'm successful, I'll try to post a photo.
BTW I once had a pet chameleon. Could change colour depending on what he sat on. I made a mistake and dropped a piece of tartan material in his cage. He climbed over to it and within minutes of sitting on the fabric, the poor thing exploded......

[PJDeluhery]

No, Nick, I'm referring to the "urban legend" - at least over here -  that they have developed a paint for tartans that automatically spreads to the correct areas to form a correct pattern by simply brushing it on.        You can even put it on with a roller!  Obvioulsy we don't drink at the same bars!   

[Nicholas Ball]

Its called a decal Patrick!!!!!    tankies and flying thingy modellers use them all the time!!!

Cheats,  where's the fun in that!! 

[PJDeluhery]

Consider yourself absolved, Roger! 

Tartans are basically layers, and this is a pretty good explanation. As for the form issues, you have those with any pattern you paint: following the body, etc. But since you are doing one line at a time, it brakes down the process and makes it a little easier.

Still waiting for the acrylics manufacturers to develop the long-awaited "tartan" color that goes on in one application.   

[Roger]

The basic technique is good... he says having never tried it, how it's implemented is down to the painter. 

That should keep me clear of responsibility for any tartan disasters. 

[Glen]

Ah... but they are different on a flat. On a round, the vertical stripes are of a consistent width until they hit the pleats toward the back. On a flat, their width will begin to narrow as they wrap around the sides. This gets more complicated if one or both legs are at different positions which change the kilt from hanging straight (more-or-less) down to having various folds.


I was working on an idea for a flat Scottish Highlander babe at Culloden when I figured this out. It was early in my scratch-flat efforts. Haven't touched it since. 



X2 on the hose.


Cheers,


Glen

[PJDeluhery]

I have used this technique on rounds - can't imagine flats would be any different.
 
Biggest issue is allowing for folds and the shape of the calves on the stockings. Should be easier on flats, I would think. A good place to begin in any case.

[Roger]

John, I've never tried this on a flat myself but worth a look.

http://www.angelfire.com/tx/ToySoldier/tartan.htm

[John Hoffmann]

Hi,
I've been looking for some examples of painted Highlanders (i.e. Black Watch at Waterloo) to see how much detail can be put into the tartan pattern. Can anyone put me in the right direction, please.
Thanks, John