Painting figures

[Just Win Baby]

What's up guys, I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips for painting a WWE figure. I'm trying to make attires for some of my figures more accurate by painting the details Mattel decided not to. For example, the shoes on the "Bluetista" figure. I've never painted any figures before and I bought the Vallejo Model Color acrylic paints. I tested them out a little bit but my only issue is that they tend to rub off if you scratch it with your nail. Is there any way to make the paint permanently adhere to the figures? Should I use a particular varnish or something? I didn't bother using any primer because I heard it isn't necessary as long as you clean the surface before painting. Also, what method of painting can I use in order to avoid brush stokes in the paint? I'm trying my best to get it to look as professional as possible, as if Mattel had done the paint job. I know figure/model painting takes a lot of time to master but I want to start out with some advice. Thanks in advance.

[WCWThunderRosa]

I’m not a paint customizer but I believe that normal paint sealer is helpful

[Henchmen4Hire]

Tutorials - www.figurerealm.com/customtutorial

•Water down your paint to avoid brush strokes, or keep your brush damp. Rinse the brush before paint dries on it. Your brushing technique and habits are much more important than the paint brand, you develop those habits the more you paint stuff.

•There's no bullet proof hobby paint out there. Enamels and lacquers are durable, but water based acrylics are much easier to work with.

•Use sealer to protect the paint against everyday handling. It's not bullet proof either though, you can still scratch it off but the slick hard surface is more durable than no sealer at all.

•I rarely use primer, just scrub the figure well with plain dish soap (no perfumes or scented stuff that might leave a residue).

•It's usually a good idea to sand or scrape away pre-existing paint on the figure so the new paint will grip it better.

[averagefan]

My advice starting from scratch is practice on some figure that your not too bothered about

Water down paint. Most art and hobby shops have an acrylic paint set

Use masking tape if your hand isn't steady starting off

Apply paint very thinly

Cotton buds are very useful for wiping away paint perfectly if it goes where you don't want it

[czw4life]

For simple, small detail stuff I'd suggest testors acrylic, easy to clean (water based) and also seals very well, you can play with the figure and won't chip/peel/etc.

Even for bigger surfaces like pants I've taped up a figure and sprayed with krylon spray paint and sealed with krylon clear. Worked well.

Another option is apple barrel arcylic (found at walmart, michaels) brush on and seal with mod podge (I only do this in certain cases as it tends to dry tacky)

[joes7164]

I WOULD NOT use enamel paints on your figures. Lol ...there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube with various types of figures. I found them very helpful. Some of the talent out there (and on this board) are amazing.

[PJ]

Exactly Enamels will never dry properly on the softer plastic like the arms and legs. They will always feel tacky and will get dust stuck to them.

[Deleted]

I would use the customs board, I hear there are some experts who could help

[Just Win Baby]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I appreciate it!

[Henchmen4Hire]

Please stop demonizing don't discount enamels outright, they work fine on hard plastics and offer superior durability to acrylics, you don't even have to seal them most of the time. As with anything, test on a junk figure so you see what does and doesn't work.

And by the way, back when customizing was popular, customizers would routinely use enamels on the "softer" plastics and have no issues. Chalk that up to companies using different formulas for their plastics I guess.

[eliteplayer12]

What are the best paints for skin tones

[telfordshropshire68]

Hello. I've been looking for some acrylic paint to paint the flesh of some of my WWE figures but have been finding it hard to source the paint I need to paint the figures so they will match up. And they are as follows: Jakks figures Al Snow Wrestle Mania 15, Legion Of Doom 2000, Ken Shamrock, Diamond Dallas Paige,Andre The Giant 2001,Billy Gunn, Steve Blackman,Edge and Christian 2003 and finally 2 Hasbro figures, Texas Tornado and Brutus Beefcake so if anyone can help me with this then you'll be doing me a big favour and thank you for reading this message.

[gasparr]

Painting WWE figures to make their attires more accurate can be a fun and creative project. To make the paint adhere more permanently, you can consider using a clear varnish or sealer designed for model painting. Brands like Testors Dullcote or Citadel Purity Seal are popular choices among hobbyists. They help protect the paint and reduce the risk of it rubbing off.Also, if you're into art and prints, have you considered exploring acrylic prints? They can bring a unique and vibrant look to your space. You can check out some options at www.frameshop.com.au/acrylic-prints. I hope these tips help you improve your figure painting skills.