How to paint LEGO?

[LuxorV]

Would it make sense to establish a sort of database, in which customizers could record which paint they used to match the original LEGO colours?

Indeed, it could be useful. I'm a bit worried about the amount of brands around, especially since our members are from different parts of the world, but we could give it a try.

Would you want to start the thread, with a clear title (something like "The LEGO customiser palette", subtitle "Database of paints matching the LEGO colours"), sharing your info?

[Wardancer]

Indeed, it could be useful. I'm a bit worried about the amount of brands around, especially since our members are from different parts of the world, but we could give it a try.

Would you want to start the thread, with a clear title (something like "The LEGO customiser palette", subtitle "Database of paints matching the LEGO colours"), sharing your info?

I can do that. Give me a few days to think about a format. I am quite new to customizing, so I do not have a lot of matches, but it is worth a shot.

[JWSLegoMaster]

I too use Testors, with great results. Please don't use acrylic though, it chips off LEGO pieces very easily.

Boy, did my friend make that mistake... All his minifigure Shakos were painted brown, and then they all chipped off during his brickfilm! It looked like a mess!

[Hobbestimus]

I've had real good results with Painters, a paint pen made by Elmer's. The pens come in different head sizes, and allow for really great control. Also, the paint coats nice and easy, and dries really fast.

I used them to make my Matt Trakker helmet (inspired by Orion Pax's build).

I recently tried a brush method with my Skeletor, to make the hood purple. I spent the whole time wishing I'd just gotten the purple paint pen. It took a much steadier hand, more patience, and multiple coats.

In both cases, chipping can be a problem. The paint pens make touch-up a breeze and a top coat can help protect the color long term.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Hobbestimus

[Henchmen4Hire]

Meh, might as well:

-Don't use Enamel paints. You can probably use them if you use a primer first though. Enamel paints tend to get sticky when they react with certain plastics, and then stay sticky forever.

-Acrylic paints are usually a good bet, though not all brands are as durable.

-Vinyl dye spray paint is pretty cool but not perfect. It holds better than normal acrylic paint though.

-If you're painting perfectly smooth surfaces like LEGO then you might want to consider using a spray can or airbrush. Painting smooth surfaces by hand (especially if you're new to it) can be pretty disappointing because you may get lots of bumps, torn paint, hairs stuck in the paint, noticeable brush strokes (usually means your paint is too thick) and lots of other blemishes. You CAN get excellent results painting by hand, but it takes LOTS of practice, you have to know how the paint is going to react with every stroke.

-Don't expect the paint to last forever, especially not on studs if you're going to be connecting things to them (paint will scrape off no matter what). Some decent sealant is enough to protect the paint from everyday handling and can last years depending on how much abuse the pieces take. You shouldn't have any problems with hairpieces since they don't take much abuse.

-Some areas will require sanding to prevent paint from chipping, mainly the top of the legs since they're constantly encountering resistance every time you move the legs. And I don't mean light sanding. You have to sand away enough plastic so that the top of the leg doesn't make contact with the waist piece and scrape paint off.

-I'll say it again: DO NOT EXPECT THE PAINT TO LAST FOREVER. Toys aren't painted with the kind of paint we can buy over the counter. From what I can remember, toy factories use paints that chemically bond with the plastic ensuring a durable and playable result. You aren't going to get that kind of durability by using paints you find at the art store. Like I said, with sealer you can make it durable enough for everyday handling but nowhere near durable enough to toss into a box of other bricks.

Thems the beans, folks.

Edit: If you guys want more info, visit action figure customizing forums for a TON of useful tips and tricks.

Edited January 6, 2012 by DrNightmare

[sologuy369]

Sorry for bumping an old topic, but I have recently found myself wanting to paint a few pieces for minifigures.

Would this be ok to paint minifigures with? Or is it better to stick with spray paints?

I've used the Testors brand before and it works fine. Just a few tips...If you are going to paint a large area, spray it if possible. It will look much better than if you had used a brush. Also stick with acryllic paints. They are so much easier to clean up!

Were do they sell Testors?

[Hobbestimus]

Were do they sell Testors?

You should be able to find it at any of the major craft stores - JoAnn, Micheal's, Hobby Lobby, etc.

[sologuy369]

You should be able to find it at any of the major craft stores - JoAnn, Micheal's, Hobby Lobby, etc.

Thanks. I might pick some up tomorrow.

Is it okay to "paint" with markers without damaging the minifigs?

[Catsy]

Many of you probably know Geoshift--he's an extremely talented minifig customizer and hands-down one of the best minifig painters in the community. Some time ago he posted a very informative Q&A post in his photostream. People have been adding information to it over time and it's a great resource.

Personally, I use acrylics. You can use enamels, and if applied and treated properly they are very durable, but acrylics are water-soluble and much easier to clean up, it's easier to fix mistakes, and they don't require toxic chemicals with toxic fumes to clean your brushes.

Acrylics can actually be quite durable if you treat them properly and apply primer first. I use Testors clearcoat spray (matte) to seal my minifigs and accessories, but you can also use satin or semi-gloss if you want something closer to the finish of Lego plastic. It won't stand up to heavy play, but it's perfectly fine for display or use in building and photographic Lego scenes. It *will* rub off sooner or later if you apply it to a surface that will receive friction (e.g. studs).

Edited June 15, 2012 by Catsy

[sologuy369]

I want to make the Red Skull from captain America. I have a skull and torso picked out, but the skull is white. How do I paint the skull red with out covering the expression?

Edited July 23, 2012 by sologuy369

[LuxorV]

Maybe you can find a red pencil to do something like this?

[sologuy369]

Maybe you can find a red pencil to do something like this?

Okay, thanks! This look like what I need.

[Tim13]

In the future if you want a certain color piece, I suggest you buy a lighter colored piece and dye it. I see painting as unstable because no one can make it exact, I don't think it's possible. I buy the Sleepyhead hairs in Blonde and dye them black and green for Robin's and Jokers. A good key to tell if something is good is to see if it looks like LEGO made it.

[Str0ngbad]

This thread is dusty so I apologize if I'm mistaken in thinking this is where I should post this. I'm about to attempt my first custom minifig and after lurking around and reading tutorials, I still have some questions. I want to paint the Legolas/Haldir hairpiece light bley while leaving the ears flesh colour. I bought a white spray on base by Citadel today but was unsure whether a spray would apply evenly to a piece with detailed crevices and such. Also since I want to leave the ears unchanged, I got some masking fluid to cover them in before I lay my base but I haven't seen this mentioned in any of the forums I've looked on. Does anyone have suggestions or warnings for me? Any help would be appreciated and assuming I get past this step, I'm sure I'll have questions about other aspects of customization. Thank you!

[Henchmen4Hire]

Spray painting is all about technique and making sure you do it in the right humidity/temp (check your can for specifics). If you spray an area for even half a second too long you may lose detail. I haven't tried Citadel's primers but I have used Tamiya's and they work great, they spray in a super fine mist. The finer your detail the finer the primer you want to use.

Although for little things like LEGO I wouldn't bother with spray paint (ideally you'd use an airbrush). I would just get some fine sandpaper and sand the surface of the hair to make it more receptive of paint. It doesn't matter if it loses its shine, you're putting paint over it anyway.

Then paint by hand with semi-watered down paint if it's your first time. Thin coats, nice and easy, etc. First paint it all with grey (doesn't have to be primer, but it helps), then paint your bley color on top.

Use gloss or semi-gloss paint if you want to keep the shine, or just spray it with glossy sealer after.

Edited February 5, 2013 by DrNightmare

[Str0ngbad]

Thank you for taking the time to help. I have practiced on a few things since I posted that question and it doesn't seem like its going to be a problem to keep the detail. My only concern now is keeping the flesh ears clean. Masking fluid does a wonderful job of protecting it but it is hard to remove without damaging the paint near it.

[LuxorV]

I hear someone uses toothpaste to cover areas you do not want the paint to stick to, when spray painting models. Then it should be easy enough to remove it once the rest of the paint is dry.

Not sure it would work as well in this case, though.

[Str0ngbad]

Alright, I'll try a piece with toothpaste and see how it works. Thank you for the suggestion.

[Repeter]

I come from a tabletop miniatures background and have lots of experience with various paints and sprays. I've never, however, applied them to Lego pieces.

Citadel spray is specifically made to not cover up details. It goes on a bit wetter, so don't pick a damp or humid area to use it. Tamiya is good too, probably the most popular 'poor man's' spray out there for hobbyists.

I imagine the various paint pens out there would work the best for manual application, but nothing will beat airbrushing. Airbrushing is a whole other skill, however, and expensive to set up.

I am going to pick up the pens Hobbestimus mentioned and try them out--they sound cool.

Edited February 5, 2013 by Repeter

[Str0ngbad]

Let me know what you think of them, will you? I'm using some cheap synthetic brushes but I've been satisfied with my results so far. I'd like to get an airbrush set up but everything I've found in my area is packaged with an air-compressor which I already have.

It looks like the weather won't let me paint for another week. I just went and tried toothpaste on a hairpiece and didn't have to paint it to know it won't work for this project. It is difficult apply with detail because of its consistency and difficult to get out of cracks and corners. I can see how it would be much cheaper for large, smooth surfaces though.

[Brickstarrunner]

I would hate to revive an old thread, but I would like to know something.

I am currently in the works on the planning stages of a new build I had in mind. While doing planning, I came across inevitable shortfalls in my build. Namely there were bricks that I needed but they were not in the color needed. To put down an example, I needed 20 1x2x2 frames and 6 Glass For 1X2X2 Frame, both coming in the color of Bright Yellow. Neither came in the color I needed and so that meant I would have to recolor them to Bright Yellow when I got the pieces.. While trying to do some research on recoloring bricks, I came across this pdf article that goes a little into recoloring bricks. Namely using sharpies, paints, and dyes. On the 3rd page, it shows the effects of different coloring techniques as well as the slight effects of a brick's original color affecting the new color.

Can anyone tell me what base brick color works best for repainting? Also, based on the article, what should I use? Paint or dyes? Because from the 4th and 5th heads, they have both the color and shine of a real LEGO brick, which is what I ultimately aim for, because when I place both the recolored bricks and pure LEGO bricks side by side, I want them to be seamless and not look like the bricks have been tampered with in any way.

[AudiBobaR5-D2]

What is the best way to paint Lego SW minfigs without too much damage. Like Astromechs, Protocols etc.

Thanks

[RodriskisLego]

Sorry for the old topic :p

I want to star painting figures. My first project is Rocket Raccoon using Maggie's body to be smaller.

- Which paint brand or kind do I use for Lego plastic ( please send me some ebay links )?

- For line details is there any "pen" that I can use to make them ( also ebay links please)?

[Venkefedo]

Read the thread! There are several suggestions for everyone you ask for (except maybe eBay links, but you can figure those out). Some suggestions might be outdated/no longer manufactured, but by no means all... Just on this page is at least one pen suggestion by Hobbestimus with examples of his work using it.

[BarfolomewMog]

Hi there, sorry to bump a VERY old thread, but I recently bought some 10 L hoses from Lego that I thought were black but were actually these ones:

https://store.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=27328pb01#T=C which I can pick up from my local Bricklink shop for 1/8 of the cost.

 

On 1/6/2012 at 4:59 PM, Henchmen4Hire said:

-Vinyl dye spray paint is pretty cool but not perfect. It holds better than normal acrylic paint though.

 

Now, I am a great believer in the Sunk Cost Fallacy, and as such, I am planning on using this:

https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn-Category/Shop-our-Full-Ranges-by-Brand-|-Autobarn/Vht/VHT-VINYL-DYE-SATIN-BLACK---SP942/p/DI00856 to paint them for use in my latest MOC.

My question is, should I just spray the pieces "Gyros style" or should I spray the liquid into a container and use a brush to make sure the paint gets into the crevasses?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

Greg