Thursday, June 30, 2011

Achieving the Glossy Toy Soldier Look without Breaking the Bank

In order to achieve the high glossy look, many painters use expensive enamel paints such as Testors or Humbrol. One oz. of enamel costs around $8, while an oz. of regular acrylic paint costs around $1-$2. Enamel paints also have a limited selection of colors compared to acrylics. In addition to the limited selection of enamel colors, it can be difficult to achieve a uniform surface appearance with them. Enamels must be painted in even coats or the surface will appear uneven.  

In order to achieve the glossy look without using enamels one could use regular acrylics with a gloss coat finish. This finish will allow the painter to control the amount of gloss that the figure has. It will also add a protective layer to the figure that will help prevent chipping and other wear.  In addition to the protection the finish provides, it also makes it easier to achieve a uniform surface appearance.

A painter has many options when it comes to gloss finishes. One can spray or paint on the finish depending on their preference. Here at Boo’s Little Metal Men we prefer to use the spray method. We find that the spray method gives us the greatest control over how glossy our men look. We aslo find that this method has the least risk of forming drips. Our brand of choice is Decco Art’s Triple ThickKrylon also sells a gloss finish called triple thick. We find that Decco Art’s provides a slightly glossier finish than Krylon. However, the Krylon triple thick is less expensive.  If one does not like the high gloss finish that these “triple thick” glosses provide there are other glosses that provide a less glossy finish. 

The other method for applying a gloss finish is the paint on method. Decco Art Sells a paintable version of their Triple Thick finish.  Some painters use Future Floor Wax to coat their soldiers. We have found that for us, the painting method is prone to drips and brush marks. Therefore we prefer the spray method. If the brushing method is used one must be sure to apply thin even coats, otherwise the figure might develop drips or clumps.

To see examples of our Glossy soldiers visit our webstite www.shoptoysoldier.com

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