By applying many extremely thin layers of paint that partly overlap I am currently doing blendings. Not sure what this technique is called in English. It is similar to layering, but due to using these thin layers, I am achieving a smooth blend through the number of layers that I apply and not through using many different color tones.  Now the problem that I am struggling with is that as soon as I reach the last highlights which usually involve an ivory color like bleached bone or even skull white, they tend to turn out "chalky", meaning that they are not really smooth anymore. Does anyone know this phenomenon and possibly a way how to prevent this?

Technically, in fine art terminology, what you're doing is called glazing, but it can just as easily be considered a type of layering.

The chalkiness you're talking about isn't actually a result of the technique. It's a quality of titanium white, the most frequently used white pigment in hobby or fine art paint. You can avoid this by making your own mixed hues of paint with zinc white instead of titanium white, or you can often subdue the chalky appearance by glazing/layering again on top of the white with a darker color. For best effect, I would recommend using a transparent pigment, such as Vallejo Model Color's transparent series, Golden Acrylic's transparent airbrush paints or an acrylic ink.

If you use the transparent airbrush paints or an acrylic ink, add about one part fluid matte acrylic medium or Lascaux matting agent to five parts of the paint/ink. This will help even out the extreme wicking action of the transparent airbrush paint or acrylic ink (caused by a high proportion of flow release in these particular products), making it easier to place where you want it, and it will also dull the shine that the transparent airbrush paint or acrylic ink tends to have.

Because the layer of darker color, even transparent, will subdue the highlighting just a bit, push your highlights a little more than you want them before you do the final transparent layer. One benefit of using these particular products is that you can paint over the transparent layer if you need/want to do so.

I hope that helps! Let me know if my brief description isn't clear or raises more questions than it answers.

Judi Northwood
(Judi is an art instructor and can be reached at art at equusalba dot com with questions or inquiries. She teaches at Gen Con, Origins and Historicon and some local events. Look for her classes on the programs and sign up!)

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