Paint thoughts... (1 Viewer)

[MarkeytMaker]

This seller on eBay (buckslip) has numerous unpainted soldiers. Can someone comment on the quality of these and if they are worthy of a hand at painting. I want something with more detail than most and this figure seems to have enough detail....thoughts? Otherwise maybe someone can direct towards some good quality un-painted castings. I would also like to know if people paint them w/primer first of some other basecoat? Any chemical dipping/cleaning?

 

[aujj65]

Looks like quite a nice figure with a reasonable amount of detail. I use a grey car primer to undercoat castings before painting.

Jeff

 

[Obee]

Yes,

good looking casting and will look very nice with 'a lick of paint'

I would give the figure a clean first, to get and dust, oil or grime off him. To do that I wash them in warm water and dishwashing liguid, and a brush over with an old toothbrush to get into the crevices.

For bold bright colours (red coats, white or light colours) I use a white general purpose undercoat, but for dull colours, such as blue, khaki or camouflage I go for a grey primer.

Both do a good job, and provide a suitable base for the colour paint.

By the way, what other figures did you get???

John

 

[kingtoot]

I have painted some of his castings, very good detail for the price. He has a big variety of castings. Floquil Railroad grey primer is an excellent primer to use. www.lafitteminiatures.com

 

[MarkeytMaker]

Yes,

good looking casting and will look very nice with 'a lick of paint'

I would give the figure a clean first, to get and dust, oil or grime off him. To do that I wash them in warm water and dishwashing liguid, and a brush over with an old toothbrush to get into the crevices.

For bold bright colours (red coats, white or light colours) I use a white general purpose undercoat, but for dull colours, such as blue, khaki or camouflage I go for a grey primer.

Both do a good job, and provide a suitable base for the colour paint.

By the way, what other figures did you get???

John

John,

I was considering buying some of these to test my skill and see what I can do, so I haven't bought any, yet!

Thank you guys for all the info!

Markey

 

[Hazebrouck]

Markey,

If you do purchase this figure could you post some close up images of it before you paint it?

That particular figure does look like it would paint up very well.

Scott

 

[johnnybach]

I like him too - very nice detailing on him - any idea of the manufacturer??

I wouldn't mind seeing what else the maker has to offer. johnnybach

 

[theBaron]

This raises the issue of copies. buckslip sells copies of classic Britains (cast solid), Imrie-Risleys and other classic toy soldier makers' figures; I don't know if they are licensed copies or not.

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

To the specific questions about painting...

I second Obee on cleaning the casting, though I recommend a de-greaser, rather than dishwashing liquid/soap, since I started using SuperClean. I noticed with a styrene kit that SC seemed to get the most oil-free/grease-free finish I have ever seen.

I prime my figures using automotive primer. I buy Walmart's generic brand, both light gray and the darker gray (which is really a medium gray), and the rust color. Rustoleum's primer is very good, too, but it's more expensive per volume than the generic brands. I avoid primers made by the hobby paint manufacturers, like Tamiya, because then the ratio of price to volume is at its highest. However, if you choose to try it, you could buy a primer by Tamiya, Humbrol, et al, and brush it on. If you use an airbrush, they can also be thinned for airbrushing and sprayed on.

I'll second Obee also on the choice of primer color, as it relates to the final colors. A light primer will help make light finished colors look brighter, and dark primers will make light colors a little darker, and so on.

Prost!
Brad

 

[PJDeluhery]

Not much to add to what is said below, but you did not indicate the scale. If you are new to painting, I would advise starting with 54mm or larger - you have more room to work and it's easier on the eyes. If you are buying paints, I'd advise acrylics.

The first few figures you do are a learning experience, so as long as they are decent quality, they'll do. i would avoid anyone who sells knock-off copies as this hurts the true owner. You should be able to inquire as to the manufacturer - if you can't get a straight answer, don't buy it. There are many good and legit sources of unpainted figures out there - and those here can help you with that if you like.

Give it a go! Good luck.

 

[Mister Dave]

Looks like you've gotten a fair amount of good advice already.

If you are pretty much a novice at painting figures I would recommend modest and inexpensive beginnings as you will want to practice and likely make a mess of a few figures without feeling you've ruined something special. Get several uncomplicated but nicely done sculpts to make it easier on yourself. You will want to practice on the face and clothing in particular so the fewer bits of lace and belts and elaborate head gear and so on, the better. I would recommend trolling through the Colorado Miniatures, Military Miniatures Warehouse or Michigan Toy Soldier Co's catalogs for figure options.

Agreed that acrylics are the way to go. If you've got the resources and confident you will stick with it, look at a set of Vallejo or Andrea paints. Otherwise and again for starting out and getting used to working with paint you can always start with an assortment of the little bottles sold at Michaels, Hobby Lobby etc....

Also may want to think seriously about investing in an optivisor with 2.5x magnification or so, so you can see where the paintbrush is actually going. Once you get this item, you will find it very interesting to look at your TS collection up close and see how the finished effect is actually achieved.

I watch a lot of tutorials and SBS threads on this and other (painters) forums too. Check out Dave Youngquist's series of videos on the Michigan Toy Soldier site for example.

Having picked up the brush approximately 1 year ago and 20 or so figures later, I am sufficiently hooked on this aspect of the hobby and would encourage anybody else with interest to give it a try.

Good luck.

MD