Matthew, I feel your pain as to figure painting.
Now I know you are actually referring here to SERIOUS figure painting but until you and I both rise to that level of expertise here is a quick “work around” to use till we both get there.
Scroll down in this link to the part on figures:
Here I am just thinly applying a base cost of buff or flesh colored model paint to the skin areas of the figures and then later going over that with a brushed on Sepia shader/wash of this product offered by Citadel Hobbies
Easy-peasy, pudd’n and pie!
*p.s. The wood RR car decking, the halftrack wheels and the canvas are also done with the Citadel Black and Sepia shaders."