Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
Vallejo uses enormous amounts of white. Every skin mix. Every blend. Every transition. His smooth polished surfaces require layered opaque mixing. Like plastering a wall — smooth coverage needs volume.
Warm skin foundation. The starting point for every flesh mix. Mixed with Cadmium Red and White in precise ratios.
For warm highlights on golden skin and bright metallic accents. Like the colour of liquid gold.
For lips, blush, warm extremities. Mixed into skin for living warmth. More generous than Rembrandt — Vallejo's skin runs hotter.
For cool reds in shadow and lips. Transparent — glazed over opaque skin for depth. Like the colour of red wine held to the light.
Mid-shadow skin. Also the base for warm metallic surfaces — bronze, copper, gold. Like wet cinnamon bark.
Deep warm shadow. The darkest skin tone before black. For hair, deep folds, extreme shadow.
Cool shadow colour. Mixed sparingly into skin shadows. Also for cool reflected light on metallic surfaces.
For verdaccio underpainting and cool green accents. Also for jewels and fantasy creature skin.
For the deepest accents. Used very sparingly — Vallejo's darks are built from umber, not black.
Vallejo works almost entirely with round brushes, not filberts. Rounds give him precision for anatomical detail. Soft sable creates smooth strokes with no visible brush marks. Hold like a pen for maximum control — index finger on top, thumb and middle finger supporting.
For smooth background gradients and large flat areas. Soft synthetic. The flat edge creates even, stroke-free coverage.
For mixing only. Keep every mix surgically clean. Contaminated mixes create muddy spots that ruin Vallejo's polished clarity.
Vallejo paints on ultra-smooth gessoed hardboard. Sand between gesso coats with 400-grit until glass-smooth. The smooth surface is essential — rough canvas texture would destroy the polished finish. Think of the difference between writing on rough sandpaper versus smooth glass.
The Fine Detail version dries faster and flatter than regular Liquin. Creates the smooth satin finish Vallejo is known for. Mix sparingly — a drop per mix.
For the smoothest blending passages. A tiny drop makes paint buttery. Vallejo blends with extraordinary smoothness — no visible transitions.
Standard supplies. Clean brushes obsessively. Every contaminated mix shows on this polished surface.
Vallejo paints at a level of detail that sometimes requires magnification. A desk magnifier with built-in light is ideal for the final refinement pass.
Upload your photo. Click Vallejo. Smooth polished realism with vivid colour. Place next to your board.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need bright, even studio light — two lights at 45 degrees from each side reduce harsh shadows. Vallejo paints with controlled, even illumination. Every detail must be visible. Like a photographer's studio — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Keep the room well-lit. You need to see every detail. No drama in the lighting — the drama is in the painting itself. You are recreating Vallejo's actual studio: bright even studio light — like a photographer's setup. If you can see a minimal shadow — the lighting should be even and controlled, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.