If you are new to customizing action figures, you want to start with this tutorial. It covers some of the basics, including paints, brushes, techniques and terminology to get you started with your hobby.
Customizing can be a fun, but dangerous hobby. These tutorials are contributed by other customizers. Some of the things recommended in the tutorials may be dangerous, such as the use of boiling water or sharp objects. You shouldn't attempt anything mentioned without adult permission and supervision. Figure Realm and/or the authors of the tutorials are not liable for any injuries or damages occurring from any attempt to follow suggestions in these tutorials.
Sculpey is what people start out with to practice sculpting. It doesn't harden until you bake it so you can keep refining your work until youre happy with it.
Apoxie Sculpt hardens on its own, you have like an hour to work with it. It holds detail a lot better too.
You can't bake figures, theyll melt, so Sculpey has a huge drawback. It's also more brittle. Its better for full sculptures, not small mods to figures.
Hi, I'm new to this site, I have picked bits of information here and there. A recent problem I have been having is shiny paint when applied and dried, that rhymed huhu, I'm using testors but it doesn't say on it anything about the finish. Is there a certain type of paint that gives a dull finish? I have also experienced a tacky feeling to the applied area, and it doesn't go away ever. Also can anyone tell me where I can have custom heads made. I only customize 3 3/4 (1/18 scale). For instance I'm in the process of making my son Little Mac from Punch Out, I got lucky because the Miz figure from Jakks 3 3/4 Build and Brawl looks a lot like Little Mac, at least enough to please my son and I. I thought about and decided it would be the bees knees if I could find or have made, A Tyson head, it's beyond my ability to sculpt one myself, therefore I seek a place that takes requests. If anyone knows anything, I would for ever be thankful
"Shiny" paint is called "Gloss". What you want is paint that says "Flat" or "Matte" or "Satin", you can just ask the people at the hobby shop what kind of finish the paints have, they usually know. You can also buy Matte sealer, you spray it on to make shiny things duller.
Enamel paints are usually always glossy. Don't use these to paint action figures, they tend to react badly with the plastic and make it sticky forever.
Use acrylic paints instead, Testors also makes them and they will say Acrylic on the bottle.
Can Sculpey be hardened with a heat gun? Thanks from a noob, both to this board and customizing in this style, to everyone for the helpful tutorials and tips .
I'm not sure that using a heat gun would be a good idea. There is so much heat generated by one that it would probably warp or melt the figure underneath.
Please wait...
Apoxie Sculpt hardens on its own, you have like an hour to work with it. It holds detail a lot better too.
You can't bake figures, theyll melt, so Sculpey has a huge drawback. It's also more brittle. Its better for full sculptures, not small mods to figures.
Enamel paints are usually always glossy. Don't use these to paint action figures, they tend to react badly with the plastic and make it sticky forever.
Use acrylic paints instead, Testors also makes them and they will say Acrylic on the bottle.