Painting 12mm (1/144, N scale) figures

[PaulinKendal]

I've just been asked to paint these tiny people, and I'd appreciate any advice on offer.

At the moment I'm thinking:

1. Wash in soapy water
2. Remove from sprue
3. Remove flash
4. Superglue on ends of wooden skewers
5. Prime, either white or black
6. Paint using ink washes over white, or regular acrylics over black
7. Washes to bring out any detail

Does that sound sensible?

[Jack L]

I'm certainly no expert, far from it, but given the locations I would probably be leaving them on the sprue.

[Allen Dewire]

I think you have a good plan Paul, but like Jack, I'm in no way an expert. Are the figs in hard plastic, like a kit, or in soft plastic like the Airfix figs? If they are the soft plastic type, the flash looks like it will be a real PITA to shave/sand off.

Maybe Tim or Richard will come along soon and be able to help you out...

Prost
Allen

[boatman]

Paul well when i painted my crew figers in 1/144 scale a hundred or more to fit on my nimitz carrier i panited them on the sprue as easiyer to handle
chrisb

[Tim Marlow]

I assume they are soft plastic. Not painted many of these in the last few years, though I did do some board gaming pieces for a friend of mine. Did a lot of 15 mm ACW metals about five years ago though, and it’s really only the prep that varies. These are very old figures I think, probably from the 1960s or 1970s. I would clip them into pairs for painting, not take them straight off the sprue. They will be easier to hold like that. Painting them is much easier these days because acrylics are flexible when dry.

Your plan is sound, except I would move step one to after step four so you also remove grease left from clean up and handling when you wash them.

Clean up will involve a very sharp scalpel. Don’t try sanding, they go furry very easily. I’ve heard of some people using a hot paper clip in a holder to smooth edges or even pass them through a candle flame, but I’m not that brave LOL.

During clean up make sure they get a good scrub with dilute washing up liquid to get rid of mould release and surface grease. Paint doesn’t want to stick to polythene, so don't give it any reason not to.

Brush painted acrylic paints and primers are best for these. They are more flexible when dry and will not flake off so readily when pinged. A thicker primer coat may be an advantage for paint adhesion because it is like coating the figure in plastic. Apart from that, I’d paint like anything else. Don’t bother with the eyes, and push the contrast because smaller figures need a bit more to pop. On small stuff like this I tend to block paint, highlight, and then use washes because detail is harder to get looking right at this scale if you paint it on.

Lots out there about painting these on the net.

[PaulinKendal]

Thanks for all the useful advice, everyone.

Interesting that you think they're older figures, Tim Marlow - I guess more modern ones would be better quality, with much less flash and more accurate detail.

This is not the first time I've been asked to paint figures I'd not have touched with a bargepole if the purchasing decision had been mine!

[PaulinKendal]

Any ideas for manufacturers of better quality N scale figures, in case I can persuade the commissioner to invest more wisely (now or in future)?

[Tim Marlow]

Any ideas for manufacturers of better quality N scale figures, in case I can persuade the commissioner to invest more wisely (now or in future)?

Fraud not Paul. Railway figures are pretty dire all round in my experience, and most of them have been around forever. At that scale the best of a poor bunch is probably from some of the European companies. Probably worth having a look at the 3 D manufacturers.

[PaulinKendal]

I just painted four of these little blighters - that was more than enough! The clean-up was a nightmare - so much flash - and they're so blobby and indistinct. But well worth doing, if only to ensure I now hold Tim Marlow 's work in even greater esteem!

[Tim Marlow]

To be fair Paul, I usually start with far better figures than these They look exactly as I remember railway figures…..chewing gum on stilts. You’ve done well to make them look that good…..how about a calibration shot as I bet they are smaller than I think….

[Jim R]

I doubt I would be able to see them let alone put any paint on them. I rather like Tim's description "chewing gum on stilts". You have done extremely well - at a reasonable viewing distance they look very good.

[PaulinKendal]

You're both very kind.

Chewing gum on stilts - love it!

The more I paint figures, the more apparent it becomes that careful selection of the raw materials is absolutely vital. I wouldn't dream of using some scrubby old brush that couldn't form a point to save its life, nor use blobby, crusty paint. So why would I choose a substandard sculpt?

I wouldn't, but people who want you to paint for them can deliver up some truly terrible figures to work on!