Hi, Robert!
First, let me say that it's a good job, in the classic toy soldier style. It's good to see another painter among our ranks.
Second, I'd like to second Trooper's points, he's right on the mark about letting one coat cure completely, before applying the next. I'll add that you'll become more aware of the characteristics of each type of paint that you might use. For example, enamels tend to take a little longer than acrylics to dry. And one manufacturer's formula may dry at a different rate than another's, whether acrylic or enamel. And you may find that within any given manufacturer's catalog, one color may have slightly different properties from other paints in the same line. For example, I have a bottle of acrylic flat black from Tamiya, and it wants to dry and clump up almost as soon as it leaves the jar. And even when it looks dry, it may still lift off. But Tamiya's NATO black goes on smooth and cures perfectly. And some colors in Testor's line of enamels in the little square bottles dry relatively quicker than others, but they give a great shine when finished.
For cleaning your brushes, and for thinning your paints, consider the solvents you use, they will differ, depending on the paint. Enamels are best cleaned with a solvent like mineral spirits (which includes turpenoid) or turpentine, which are also good for thinning enamels, should they be too thick. For acrylics, you can use water, but isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is better. In fact, for brushes that I use to apply acrylics, I'll dip the brush in a dish of water to remove the bulk of the residue, and then dip them in a jar of isopropyl. Like Trooper, I dry the brushes on a piece of paper towel, though I will drag the brush lightly, pulling it towards me, so the point is away, and dip and repeat, until there's no color coming off on the paper. Same process with brushes used for enamels, or oils, except that the only solvent I use for this is mineral spirts. I use an old ceramic toothbrush holder to store my brushes upright; I used to use a wooden block with holes drilled in it, I also use natural hair brushes, some are sable, others are boar's or horse hair. You can help shape them, too, by pulling the brush head between your forefinger and thumb, pinched ever so lightly, as you put them away.
For eyes, may I suggest that you add a line to represent the eyelash line, to make them look a little more realistic. Look at K&C or Frontline figures, or old Reeves/King-White figures for this. Trooper is right, handedness plays a part, and you might want to do the eye on the side of your favored hand first, then paint the other one to match. Also, you can vary the glance, to give interest to the figure, eg, make him look off to the side, instead of straight ahead (if it makes sense for the figure's pose, of course). Also, try this tip from the world of figure painters and scale modelers-use a toothpick, a straight pin or a needle to deposit a drop of paint where you want the eye dot to be. Oil paint works really well for this, because you can scrape a tiny ball of the paint from the tube, but it works equally well with enamels. For acrylics, I would pick up the dot from the paint that congeals on the underside of the lid.
For the mouth line, I actually use Testor's gloss enamel Wood, instead of any kind of pink/red shade, but that's a personal preference. I use Testor's gloss enamel Cream for flesh, and I think the wood color actually looks best for my preferred scale, 54mm, and the distance to the viewer's eye. When I look at people at a distance of 40', the lips don't really look pink to me. I judge the effect by holding the figure anywhere from half an arm's length to arm's length away.
Also, I use Future floor wax, which is a clear acrylic solution, to seal my figures. I think it makes some colors even deeper, and it protects the surface. That's another trick I learned about in the world of scale modeling; it's used to create a smooth undercoat for decals (prevents silvering) and to dip clear parts (makes them look much clearer/cleaner).
That's a lot to digest, but I hope it helps!
Prost!
Brad
