in need of painting tips (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jon1941
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Toy Soldier Brigade
Sergeant Major
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Hazebrouck
Sergeant
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John,
What type of figures in particular do you want to paint? and what style?
There are some instructive videos on the Michigan Toy Soldier that will get you started-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJuQvVjdNCA
If you go through some old threads on this forum you will find some threads dedicated to gloss painting as well.
Scott
What type of figures in particular do you want to paint? and what style?
There are some instructive videos on the Michigan Toy Soldier that will get you started-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJuQvVjdNCA
If you go through some old threads on this forum you will find some threads dedicated to gloss painting as well.
Scott
theBaron
Major
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
- Messages
- 10,467
Hi, Jon, there are some common steps to painting a figure, regardless of the material.
First, make sure the figure is clean of any kind of grease, mold release compounds, skin oils. This will help subsequent layers of paint adhere, starting with your primer. For plastics, I recommend washing them in warm water with a couple drops of dish detergent, or a de-greaser. I use SuperClean, it's an automotive de-greaser, and it's really good. I use this step on styrene figures for my scale models.
Assemble the figure as necessary. Some are assembled, out of the box, eg, Airfix 1/32, or old Stadden castings. Others may require assembly. Examine the figure, if it needs to be assembled, and decide whether to leave off assembling the complete figure till you've finished the next couple of steps, and assembling might mean that you can't reach some areas to paint.
Next, prime the figure. Priming is another process that helps ensure that your finish layers stick; a good primer provides "tooth", as we say, for the upper layers. There are nearly as many choices for primer as there are painters; everyone has a favorite. For me, I use an automotive primer, because it's cheap and provides as good a surface as primers made by the hobby supply companies. I usually use Walmart's house brand in rattle cans, but recently, I've had a couple of them clog with about half the paint left, so I'm using Rustoleum's primers. I have also used Tamiya's primer, on aircraft models. It's really fine-grained.
A note about priming--you can choose a primer for its color, depending on what the top layers will be, especially with acrylics and oils. For example, if I were painting a figure in a white or yellow uniform, I'd choose a light gray or even white as a primer, to serve as a base for the lighter top color. As it is, a medium gray is a good neutral color.
Once primed, apply your finish colors. I follow the old sequence of painting a figure from the inside out, flesh areas first, then the clothes, then the equipment and details. For paint brands, there are again as many choices as painters. I have a selection of brands, because I tend to buy ready-made colors, so as not to have to mix colors. I don't have any particular favorites.
For acrylics, I have cheap craft store acrylics, like Apple Barrel and Americana, for doing areas, for washes, and sometimes for details. The craft acrylics tend to have coarsely-grained pigments. I also have higher-end acrylics from Vallejo and Andrea, which are common choices among figure painters. They have fine-grained pigments, thin easily and go on easily, mix well, and their catalogs have a wide range of color selections. I avoid buying their sets of paints, though, like their Napoleonic colors. I find that I can buy the plain colors off the shelf and use them for any period. I also have Tamiya and Model Master acrylics. Tamiya acrylics are formulated for airbrushing and so, are designed to be thinned for use. Through trial and error, I settled on using Tamiya's proprietary acrylic thinner, with their acrylic paints, and I have none of the problems I and others had with applying them by hand. Model Master and other acrylics thin well enough with water or with isopropyl.
For enamels, I have Model Master and Testor, both matte and gloss, since I paint my toy soldiers in gloss style, but other figures and scale models in a matte finish. I use mineral spirits or even lacquer thinner, when thinning an enamel is necessary. You could use turpentine, too, or turpenoid, which is formulated to be more or less odorless.
For oils, I have Schminke-Mussini; Windsor & Newton is another brand, very popular. If you use oils, it's worth investing in good colors, because a tube will last a long time. I use mineral spirits to thin oils, too.
You mention a varnish, by which I take it you mean a sealer coat. For a matte coat, I use Testor's DullCote in rattle cans, since I have it on hand for scale models. I get an absolute matte finish with it. For gloss finishes, I seal the figure with Future acrylic floor polish, now known formally as "Clear with Future Shine", but it's the same old formula. I apply it by hand. Others use other products such as true matte or gloss varnishes from the hardware store.
For tools, I recommend getting good brushes, too, natural hair, like sable. They can be expensive, but if you take care of them, they will serve you well and last a long time.
I use a palette, too, for acrylics and oils. I have a ceramic palette, shaped kind of like a flower, with six wells arranged around a central well. This lets me put a color in one well, and either thin it there, or put the thinner in another well and dip the brush as necessary. I have also started using old jar lids or margarine tub lids, because I can throw them out, after using them, whereas I have to clean the palette.
I'd invest in a good hobby knife, like an X-Acto, at least a Nr 11 handle/blade, and maybe a Nr 2 as well, and a file or two, or some emery boards.
Those are some things, off the top of my head. I hope that helps!
Prost!
Brad
First, make sure the figure is clean of any kind of grease, mold release compounds, skin oils. This will help subsequent layers of paint adhere, starting with your primer. For plastics, I recommend washing them in warm water with a couple drops of dish detergent, or a de-greaser. I use SuperClean, it's an automotive de-greaser, and it's really good. I use this step on styrene figures for my scale models.
Assemble the figure as necessary. Some are assembled, out of the box, eg, Airfix 1/32, or old Stadden castings. Others may require assembly. Examine the figure, if it needs to be assembled, and decide whether to leave off assembling the complete figure till you've finished the next couple of steps, and assembling might mean that you can't reach some areas to paint.
Next, prime the figure. Priming is another process that helps ensure that your finish layers stick; a good primer provides "tooth", as we say, for the upper layers. There are nearly as many choices for primer as there are painters; everyone has a favorite. For me, I use an automotive primer, because it's cheap and provides as good a surface as primers made by the hobby supply companies. I usually use Walmart's house brand in rattle cans, but recently, I've had a couple of them clog with about half the paint left, so I'm using Rustoleum's primers. I have also used Tamiya's primer, on aircraft models. It's really fine-grained.
A note about priming--you can choose a primer for its color, depending on what the top layers will be, especially with acrylics and oils. For example, if I were painting a figure in a white or yellow uniform, I'd choose a light gray or even white as a primer, to serve as a base for the lighter top color. As it is, a medium gray is a good neutral color.
Once primed, apply your finish colors. I follow the old sequence of painting a figure from the inside out, flesh areas first, then the clothes, then the equipment and details. For paint brands, there are again as many choices as painters. I have a selection of brands, because I tend to buy ready-made colors, so as not to have to mix colors. I don't have any particular favorites.
For acrylics, I have cheap craft store acrylics, like Apple Barrel and Americana, for doing areas, for washes, and sometimes for details. The craft acrylics tend to have coarsely-grained pigments. I also have higher-end acrylics from Vallejo and Andrea, which are common choices among figure painters. They have fine-grained pigments, thin easily and go on easily, mix well, and their catalogs have a wide range of color selections. I avoid buying their sets of paints, though, like their Napoleonic colors. I find that I can buy the plain colors off the shelf and use them for any period. I also have Tamiya and Model Master acrylics. Tamiya acrylics are formulated for airbrushing and so, are designed to be thinned for use. Through trial and error, I settled on using Tamiya's proprietary acrylic thinner, with their acrylic paints, and I have none of the problems I and others had with applying them by hand. Model Master and other acrylics thin well enough with water or with isopropyl.
For enamels, I have Model Master and Testor, both matte and gloss, since I paint my toy soldiers in gloss style, but other figures and scale models in a matte finish. I use mineral spirits or even lacquer thinner, when thinning an enamel is necessary. You could use turpentine, too, or turpenoid, which is formulated to be more or less odorless.
For oils, I have Schminke-Mussini; Windsor & Newton is another brand, very popular. If you use oils, it's worth investing in good colors, because a tube will last a long time. I use mineral spirits to thin oils, too.
You mention a varnish, by which I take it you mean a sealer coat. For a matte coat, I use Testor's DullCote in rattle cans, since I have it on hand for scale models. I get an absolute matte finish with it. For gloss finishes, I seal the figure with Future acrylic floor polish, now known formally as "Clear with Future Shine", but it's the same old formula. I apply it by hand. Others use other products such as true matte or gloss varnishes from the hardware store.
For tools, I recommend getting good brushes, too, natural hair, like sable. They can be expensive, but if you take care of them, they will serve you well and last a long time.
I use a palette, too, for acrylics and oils. I have a ceramic palette, shaped kind of like a flower, with six wells arranged around a central well. This lets me put a color in one well, and either thin it there, or put the thinner in another well and dip the brush as necessary. I have also started using old jar lids or margarine tub lids, because I can throw them out, after using them, whereas I have to clean the palette.
I'd invest in a good hobby knife, like an X-Acto, at least a Nr 11 handle/blade, and maybe a Nr 2 as well, and a file or two, or some emery boards.
Those are some things, off the top of my head. I hope that helps!
Prost!
Brad