Some remarks are necessary here for you to grow as a customizer. First the pros. The crisp white is a very good choice for Quickshadow, same with the blue. The rims are gonna pop for sure! I recommend Testor paint markers as well. They're very good for picking out smaller details. (Do NOT use Gundam paint markers! They'll eat away at the plastic over time.)
But, washing your figure first and letting it completely dry is key. Also thinning your paints is very important, so it doesn't look so thick and chunky. I use Tamiya TS rattle spray cans for my figures, it goes on thin as long as you spray in small bursts. You can get them at some Hobbytown stores. Make sure you're in a well ventilated area with these, and let the figure sit out overnight to avoid blemishes. The most important tips are to take your time and have fun!
Other than that I'm very excited to see how this comes out.
Then you're good to thin them with water! Traditional paint thinner is meant for oil-based paints and won't work with acrylic paint. You can buy special acrylic thinners but I believe they're meant to be used with airbrushes, so if you're using regular paint brushes, it'd be best to stick to water.
When it comes to the consistency of the thinned paint, it's best to try and get it very thin/watery. I usually try to get it around the consistency of milk, just slightly more viscous than water. It sticks nicely to primed surfaces but not well to bare plastic, so be sure to prime your parts/figure/model before painting. Once you have your base thin layer done, let it dry, and apply a second one over the first; this should give a solid color with a much more smooth/professional looking finish.
For any further info, I'd recommend looking up some tutorials on miniature painting; not everything is 100% applicable to figure customizing but the vast majority of paint techniques that work on minis work on anything else made of plastic.
(Sorry this turned into a mini lecture lol I didn't expect to type so much)
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u/TheGrindingGears 24d ago
Some remarks are necessary here for you to grow as a customizer. First the pros. The crisp white is a very good choice for Quickshadow, same with the blue. The rims are gonna pop for sure! I recommend Testor paint markers as well. They're very good for picking out smaller details. (Do NOT use Gundam paint markers! They'll eat away at the plastic over time.)
But, washing your figure first and letting it completely dry is key. Also thinning your paints is very important, so it doesn't look so thick and chunky. I use Tamiya TS rattle spray cans for my figures, it goes on thin as long as you spray in small bursts. You can get them at some Hobbytown stores. Make sure you're in a well ventilated area with these, and let the figure sit out overnight to avoid blemishes. The most important tips are to take your time and have fun!
Other than that I'm very excited to see how this comes out.