Painting figures?

[Ray Dunakin]

What kinds of paint are best for painting figures? I'd like something that will hold up well to sunlight without fading badly or changing color.

Also, is there any kind of transparent spray or coating that can be used protect things from UV exposure? I seem to recall someone mentioning a product from Krylon, but I've never seen anything like that.

[kstrong]

I just use the acrylic craft paints you can get at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, or other large craft store. They cover well, and come in almost every color imaginable--and can be mixed into any other color imaginable as well. And more importantly, they're cheap!

 

The Krylon UV protectant should be able to be found at the same stores, at least I saw it last time I was there looking for a matte finish.

 

The acrylic paints have shown to be somewhat stable in terms of colors. While I haven't done a scientific study, I've had a few buildings outside painted with those colors that have held color very well--something that's hard to do in our harsh Colorado sun.

 

Examples of painted figures

 

Later,

 

K

[Rene Schweitzer]

Ray, there's a great article on painting figures coming in the Oct. '06 issue. Very nice photos to accompany it too.