Painting Seamless Bodies

[Stevejack2]

Hi Guys,

How feasible is it to paint over the seamless arms on bodies like the Hot Toys John Matrix Commando and Phicen Seamless?

Does the rubber material they use material make it impossible to paint with Tamiya Acrylics?

 

[Star Puffs]

I've successfully painted Hot Toys rubber bodies (a compraable material) by airbrushing artists oils (meaning linseed-based oil paints like one would use on a canvas) thinned with odourless mineral spirits. It dries with strong adhesion and does not crack. However, it takes up to 14 days to cure because of the titanium white you need to use in mixing almost any flesh tone, so you have to keep it away from dust. Brush will not work. I tried. All acrylic experiments failed. Enamels and lacquers would fail by their very nature. Even fast-dry alkyd oils did not work well (remained slightly tacky to the touch).

It is also vitally important that you wear a P100+organic vapour respirator if you do it. Some pigments are lethal and/or known carcinogens.

 

[Stevejack2]

Thanks for the detailed reply, much appreciated.
When you say brushing won't work is that because you cant get an even coat with the medium (the brush drags the paint along the surface rather than coats it properly)?

I'm really mainly looking for blood and mud effects on the arms and body, which sort of sits on the surface rather than blends in, but even so it seems like it will cause no end of trouble without the correct oil based paint.

 

[Star Puffs]

I was painting a lighter skin tone, because Hot Toys skin is too dark usually. Obviously I needed a smooth finish. A brush might work fine for dirt and blood, because the surface can have some texture. I should also add I see no evidence of the artist oils deteriorating the body even after years.

 

[Stevejack2]

I was painting a lighter skin tone, because Hot Toys skin is too dark usually. Obviously I needed a smooth finish. A brush might work fine for dirt and blood, because the surface can have some texture. I should also add I see no evidence of the artist oils deteriorating the body even after years.

Good to know - I have a HT commando body coming that I want to bash into a predator mud covered figure. Hopefully if my main problem is texture based any issues can be well disguised.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[gogul1]

Good to know - I have a HT commando body coming that I want to bash into a predator mud covered figure. Hopefully if my main problem is texture based any issues can be well disguised.

Thanks again for the advice!

I plan to do this too but I way behind you so if you work out how to do it I'd appreciate you posting updates or messaging me and letting me know how you get on )

 

[Stevejack2]

I plan to do this too but I way behind you so if you work out how to do it I'd appreciate you posting updates or messaging me and letting me know how you get on )

It works really well - I doubt you'd want to bend the arms too much though as the paint would crack, so pick your pose first and then apply the paint. Here is how it came out:


For the mud texture I used a product called "no more gaps" which is sold in hardware stores over here in Australia. it sticks like nothing else, and once it's dry you can't get it off. Even scraping with a knife it doesn't want to budge easily. It certainly won't come off with general handling.

The acrylic paint also adheres really well. I think you would have trouble trying to achieve a smooth consistent tone if you were trying to paint a skin tone for example, as there's no primer underneath so the paint doesn't lay down as evenly as it would on a primed surface. In that situation it would likely fail but certainly for the mud effect it was fine painting straight onto the rubber - it doesn't matter if the paint is streaky or uneven because it adds to the effect.
I sold it many months ago and I've had no reports form the current owner that anything has deteriorated over time, so I would definitely give it a shot!

 

[gogul1]

It works really well - I doubt you'd want to bend the arms too much though as the paint would crack, so pick your pose first and then apply the paint. Here is how it came out:
View attachment 273892

For the mud texture I used a product called "no more gaps" which is sold in hardware stores over here in Australia. it sticks like nothing else, and once it's dry you can't get it off. Even scraping with a knife it doesn't want to budge easily. It certainly won't come off with general handling.

The acrylic paint also adheres really well. I think you would have trouble trying to achieve a smooth consistent tone if you were trying to paint a skin tone for example, as there's no primer underneath so the paint doesn't lay down as evenly as it would on a primed surface. In that situation it would likely fail but certainly for the mud effect it was fine painting straight onto the rubber - it doesn't matter if the paint is streaky or uneven because it adds to the effect.
I sold it many months ago and I've had no reports form the current owner that anything has deteriorated over time, so I would definitely give it a shot!

Excellent thanks a lot appreciate the advice will be giving it a go soon