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You should use a good basic set of paint brushes, a well lighted work area, a magnifying glass is a very good idea to protect your eye sight, and most of all; “Love, Patience and enthusiasm” without which you cannot succeed.Toy soldier or hobby paint brushes , like the soldier figures themselves, come in many differrent sizes and differrent hair types.Good brush sizes and construction quality are recommended for good results.Cheaper brushes can be bought, but do not always give best results. Personaly, i do not recommend cheaper brushes.Brush size comparison shown above.Personaly, i still use a Sable brush for very fine detail, i started out one hot summer in Cambridge useing a fine sable (a 0 size, a 00 size and even a 000 size, to paint Airfix Tartan highland Napoleonic infantry, and got excellent results. Ive used them ever since. But each person will buy and use differrent types of toy soldier, some will prefer to use Enamel type paints, others the Acrylic or Valejo water based type paints.Become familiar with the differrent types and makes of paint brushes, take a look also in your local Art shop. Humbrol, Revell, Testors etc all provide basic and even good brush sets, choose what also “feels good in your hand” and get used to which kind of size and type you work best with.Cleaning brushes is accomplished either with thinners or white spirit, but enamel type chemical based paints shorten the “life” of a good brush, and finding a good cleaning solution is essential. These days increasingly there are more and more water based and Acrylic type hobby paints, though I still use Oil paints and enamels as well as water based at times, it is a question of preference and personal budgeting. Try to avoid the hobby getting too costly in the early days….Experiment with cheaper but fine synthetic type brushes you can buy from the cheaper range of Art shops, or from your hobby paint or toy soldier maker to start with, and once you become “proficient” atp ainting, buy better more expensive brushes as the case may be.There are some good figure painting demos these days on YOUTUBE online, take a look, and also, consider buying a hobby figure magazine to read the figure building and painting articles written there by other toy soldier model makers.When I was still living at home as a younger teenager, I also began to try the smaller scale toy soldier sets, (in honesty to save money and also the limited display space we had in my folks house for the figures).Perhaps you might be able, as did I, to ask a kind parent to build for you a wooden bedroom shelf unit or a wall type display cupboard in which to house (dust free) your painted figures.Regrettable warning, it is really best if you dust your collection yourself if you have to, others could break items accidentally otherwise this way, and this does not endear your new hobby to family members who could get annoyed. Use a soft fine brush, patience and care. But better if you can to put the things into a dust free display if you can manage it.To paint successfully the figures, both the smaller 1 72 scale as well as the bigger 1/32 scale items, you will find a magnifying glass is very helpful to paint the small detail, such as the faces, eyes, button holes, small belts etc. And use a fine brush. I find a 00 or even a 000 is good to use for the smaller sets of toy soldiers.German troops defend a hopeless position aginst rapidly advanceing Soviet red Army Forces at Kursk. Scale of Model soldiers and vehicles is 1/72I found some artists type paint mixing trays, with lots of small holes to mix your paint colours inside , usually named a “palette” you should be able to find these in the shops, typicaly made from white plastic, and available in a couple of different sizes. I always test and mix my own model paint colours these days, for my more serious works, try experimenting with creating your own “secret formula” for (say) weathering figures or vehicles etc. Shops do these days also sell little clear plastic paint mixture holding bottles, which you can store and even label your new paint “brews” for future use.NOTEModel paints once opened have a “limited shelf life” and re sealing tinlet or bottle tops, and avoiding having lots of air inside them, is essential to lengthen the working useful life of pints in general. These days some paints re thinned or sprayed using water, and still others using thinners or white spirit. PLEASE TAKE CARE TO STORE PAINT AND THINNERS OR WHITE SPIRIT IN A SAFE COOL DRY PLACE AND AWAY FROM SOURCES OF STRONG LIGHT HEAT OR IGNITION.The way I “work” with the larger smaller figure sets, is to typically paint all 48 or so “flesh” or face colours first, and then paint the helmets or hats, and work downwards, painting the “overall” uniform colour, and finally, around Saturday midnight, reaching the boots or shoes of the set of figures. Apply lighter coloured paints first, and darker colours over or around the lighter colours. Some darker colour plastics may require you to PRIME them BEFORE painting, with a white or grey PRIMER type paint. These can be purchased as aerosols. To help you avoid over spraying your bedroom or your mums best kitchen table, please get a cardboard box, like you might find at some supermarkets or maybe a DIY store that sells house moving cartons, and cut it and fold it to make a spray booth type area. Please take care working with aerosol or spraying paints, they give of noxious fumes, and REMEMBER TO ONLY WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.WEAR A PROTECTIVE FACE MASK WHEN USING SPRAY PAINTS and remember to keep paints glue etc AWAY FROM PETS as well as small children.Work areas can be covered with disposable and inexpensive “paper table cloth” typically bought in a roll from kitchen supplier shops or the kitchen department of good supermarkets. A hard green or blue type “cutting hobby mat” is also another good idea to protect your table and make cutting fine parts easier.For the bigger figures, mixing several colours for “flesh” faces, hands etc, is a wise idea, because, paradoxically, the worse’t paint colour to actually represent “flesh” is the standard “flesh” colour straight from the tinlet or tube. To help you appreciate this, take a look at some of the “OSPREY” warrior or uniform type book s you can get either from a library, or a good book seller, such as Waterstones. The OSPREY books of soldier uniforms, with artwork (by such persons as Ron Volstad) clearly will show some hints of different type face and skin colours. If really “keen” search book shops for books on Military uniforms and equipment, as these can be a wealth of resource to the toy soldier figure maker. (I will compile a helpful list and add it onto this article when I next can make the time).There are some very helpful (and usually friendly) internet web sites dedicated to toy figure work, and one you might wish to take a look at is “Treefrog”, and the figure forum on there. Many toy figure painters now are joined online to a forum for their subject, try searching Google and check them out.Men and women who are soldiers do not always stay in “barrack room” shiny clean uniforms or clean shaven faced either, and the dirt and dust of battle, exposure to intense heat or cold weather etc, all affect he skin tones. Uniform colours also wear down, fade and bleach colour, and become dusty with use. Look for artwork’s which show such things. These days I would imagine the internet will have quite a few good and FREE examples to study for developing your approach to face painting on bigger toy figures.Above. Rather like a theatre or stage Movie set, diorama builders in all scales plan the “story line” and scene, decide what story is being told in their diorama setting. Items, people, vehicle, trees, snow and the toy soldiers etc all must be realistically placed and tested out first, to check things are ok befre going on to glue, place and fix the items in permanent place on the “story board” base. This was inspired from the Belgium battle of the Ardennes or the “Battle of the Bulge” when the german tnks went searching for a vital fuel dump because they were running dangerously low on Petrol. The snow covered road will lead to a vast fuel dump with a checkoint, at the edge of a forested tree line, defended by belgium and American troops. Toy soldiers came from a mixture of deliberately DIFFERENT POSED toy soldier sets, from Italeri, Revell, Airfix and Esci in 1/72 scale.Real wartime military photographs can supply a rich source of ideas. Just look at the “action” and atmosphere, the “story” being told here in the photogrpah. The best toy figures are styled after “real” situations. Pose and animation, even in a large small scale diorama, is still very important to achieve a overall convinceing level of realism in “miniature form”.Photo Cordes Sur Ciel Medieval Faire France 2010. Copyright Maxime Chevallier. All Rights Reserved.Above Photo . Medieval Re Enactment. Cordes Sur Ciel France 2010. Copyright Maxime Chevallier All rights Reserved.Visiting Living History re Enactments and “fetes” can be a highly fascinating insight into the stories and histories that come out of toy soldier boxes sometimes. Above (from the authors private copyright collection) shows a Languedoc Soldier from the Time of the Albigensian Crusade. Note the posture and animation of the real subject, and the clothing details, crested badge, and colours.Above Photo. Sealed Knott English Civil War Re Enactors Weston Super Mare 2008 Copyright. All rights reserved Maxime Chevallier 2008.Practice makes perfect. try differrent possibilities for the way you choose to position the toy soldier items in your work. Time spent att his stage yeilds better finished results later.Above top. Old colour “plates” from older books can still be found for sale at specialist shops. Costume books are also a excellent source for information on uniform and period costume worn at differrent time eras.(Canon crew photo from authors private collection).Armoured vehicles are a mixture of Die Cast and pre painted and plastic model construction kits from Esci, Italeri, Pegasus, Airifx and other toy kit producers. A Diorama base was built on a piece of varnished edged wood, around a Metre in Size, and plaster, filler an various DIY hardware store materials used to construct the scenic base, before a addittional pre formed plastic base was also “inserted” at one point, and then surrounded by the rest. Scenic powders, stones and various trees and snow powder gets applied to finish the Diorama.There are whole volumes devoted tot his special and rewarding subject, but to keep it simple to begin with, experiment with “so many parts white” to so many parts flesh and so many parts pink or even tan brown, and save the results onto a card for later reference (remember to write and keep a note of the origin of the paint shades, and manufacturers tins etc you used, because one sources “tan” or “flesh” will not be the identical tone of another producers. Experiment and research old books (car boot sales and secondhand book shops can also be a source for old hobby articles and books) showing examples to practice with.Facial “side burns” and moustaches, eye brows and even lips, are not really “straight from the tin” items, so practice on some old scrap figures until you are happy with your technique. For very simple “highlights” black tends to get used rather a “lot” by pre painted to figure producers, this “does the job” but you can do BETTER. Practice with a weaker, thinned down “wash” of so many parts coal black to so many parts Grey, and other colours, such as browns (depending on the uniform etc of your figures) and see how applying a few thin coats of good “wash” can also add highlights and sharpen features of your toy soldier faces and clothing etc. It is a question of practice, technique, and also, the quality of the pigmentation of the hobby manufacturers paints you are using, again, take care, “some” are better than others, (not for me to say).Above. Koursk” (Battle of Kursk) Diorama built by the author some years ago. Study of true stories and battlefield histories led the author to discover this true “moment” taken from the battlefield when a Russian T34 tank actualy crossed right over the top of a german panther tank during the smoke, chaos and “fog” of battle.If you re going to take up the hobby longer term, you can often buy a suitable little “workstation” or suitable piece of furniture to do your toy soldier kit building on. Look around old second hand furniture shops , see what suits your space, and also you might find a “clip on” type desk light (one you can shape and bend to focus best light onto your working area and save your eyes from straining) is also a good idea that should not cost very much cash, and greatly enhance your toy soldier painting pleasure.Sometimes your toy soldiers, especially certain plastic type sets, still occasionally come out their box with the mould line showing as a raised plastic line, this is called “flash” and is a result of the moulding process under certain conditions. To remove this without accidentally removing any details from your toy soldiers, carefully par or cut away this unwanted plastic residue with a sharp modelling knife. Typically, these can be found in good tool shops or again, your local hobby shop. They often come supplied with several spare packs of blades and often in a smaller and medium knife size. TAKE GREAT CARE WHEN WORKING WITH THESE and they should only be given to children who are of responsible and sensible age, NEVER to very young ones. ALWAYS WORK WITH THE BLADE slicing, parring, cutting in a direction GOING AWAY FROM YOU AND YOUR HANDS, (and obviously away from anyone else) and ABSOLUTELY NEVER EVER EVER towards you yourself, for reasons which frankly should be TRANSPARENT. Modelling and craft knives are dangerous, RESPECT THIS.A small set of “helping hands” type clamps to hold the figures safely out of your fingers is an excellent idea. Again, beware “rip off prices” and shop around, I have found some of my most useful tools and equipment in cheaper tool shops and even Bazar type shops. Hobby shops do sell great items too, but take care over price. Keep your hobby enjoyable, don’t allow it to become a expensive money eating burden.Warning.The author has observed a strong tendancy amongst Modellers to always have a “roof insulated attic lining” composed of UNBUILT toy soldier and kit sets. Take care to guard against the over enthusiastic tendancy to buy more than you REALISTICALLY will ever get the time to make or paint.The hobby CAN be shared with children and family embers, and this I think is “best”. Too much “Modelling” should carry a Government health and wealth warning, because many Toy soldier collectors give up too much TIME for the hobby, and live more less socially connected lives, and spend long periods of time upstairs or in little work areas, REMEMBER,as dear old Albus Dumbledor once said to Harry Potter in that famous film, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live”.Enjoy your Toy soldier hobby, but don’t sacrifice your social relationships and time spent with your family.Toy Soldiers are made from a variety of differrent materials., and come in a great many differrent sizes.TAMIYA plastic model company immortalized the scale of 1/35 some years ago, and many toy soldiers from Plastic come in this scale or size. Other scales or sizes of figure include 54 MM (or 1/32 Scale), and there are a great many plastic figure sets of toy soldiers (sometimes used for table Top wargameing) produced from makers such as REVELL, STRELETS, AIRFIX, Hat Industrie and ITALERI to name but a few....Hat Industrie produce a large range of often large yellow boxes packed “full” of 1 72 scale plastic toy soldiers.Hat figures of toy soldiers in small scale or 1/72 scale.Below. SMALL SCALE or 1/72 scale plastic figure toy soldier sets.Smaller toy soldiers offer greater choice for the Collector or Wargamer for table top Dioramas and games. Sets are constantly changeTo give you the beginner an idea of the size of these “tiny people” soldiers etc, here is a direct comparison showing the early and more recent box artwork, and the slightly “shiny” polythene type figures from Revell in this instance, inside the box, and the individual figure “poses” or animation.There is an enormous range of these size figures, please check online and at your better toy figure hobby shops.ing, please check availability.Larger sizes (and rather more expensive!) include 90 MM, and 75 MM Scale.There are also "Busts" in other sizes, such as 120 MM.In recent years Hard type Plastics have superseded the 1960's and 1970's Polythene type "soft" or oily plastic, and Resin have become popular, but also, White Metal, Lead, and even papier Mache Composite Material (such as Hausser Elastolin) can be found in some toy soldier figures.BUYERS GUIDE (for mum and dad or Auntie etc)Sizes of toy figures or other model kits, should be printed on the box or packageing. Remember, the BIGGER the number is, THE SMALLER and tinier is the toy soldiers or other kit inside the box. Example: 1:16 Sized figures or Motorbike kit is VERY BIG indeed.A 1:300 or 1/144 scale aeroplane or ship kit IS VERY VERY SMALL.A 1/72 Scale box of toy soldiers contains small but still paintable ty soldier figures, and a MM or 1/32 Scale marked toy soldier Box contains bigger more easy to paint toy soldier figures. 1/35 Scale (now very popular by italeri and Tamiya, Dragon etc) is also easy enough to paint, but a bit smallerthan the 1/32 Scale toy figures.List of (some ***) Possible scales in descending order from biggest to smallest toy soldier or kit size..1/16120 MM90 MM75 MM54 MM1/241/321/351/481/72Toy soldier boxes or kits, should have printed on them the "scale" or size or sometimes, such as with the Modern red Airfix figure boxes, "Actual size" pictures, to help you decide HOW BIG the figures are, and WHAT EXACLTY you are going to get in the "box" for your hard earned monies.I will include some photos shortly in this article as a brief guide to "scale size" but IF IN ANY DOUBT do notbe afraid or embarassed to ASK your hobby shop keeper. Typicaly, figures at 172 or 1/76 scale are very small, figures at 54 MM or 1/32 Scale are bigger, and the most popular size, (now at 1/35 Scale) are just a little bit smaller than the old 1/32 (or 54 MM Scale sizes.Below. This picture gives an idea of some of the sizes or scales toy soldiers can be.Above . Picture showing popular scale or size of toy soldier figures. New Airfix sets are in “hard” type plastic, arlier older sets, are still found, these were moulded from polythene.The Figures shown are from the Airifx 1/32 scale red boxed toy plastic soldier range. American marines are shown, but there are a great many differrent plastic or beginers type figures to collect and to paint. Above is shown the Airfix “painting guide” included on the back of the box, with a series of small images showing each individual toy soldier “pose” or position of animation.Above Photo. Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2007. Courtesy material at RAF Hendon Museum England.Museums can also be a helpfull source for Toy figure painting information, as with this (authors photograph) of a wartime RAF bomber crewman.Earlier sets showed the figures, badges and uniform in colour plates printed on the rear of the boxed sets. When i started painting toy soldiers, the Airifx boxes did NOT give the numbers or colour names for ANY of the paints on their 1/32 or HO OO scale 1/72 plastic figure boxes, and you had to go ask someone at the shop or get a Humbtol paint colour “chart”. They gave the rear colour panels as a painting guide, but it was necessary to search the hobbby shop paint tinlet rack for a very “long time” sometimes to get what you were “after”. Its much easier these days (wait for the roar of protests)There re “many greens” many “olive drabs” and many “field greys” and many earth browns or army tan colours, to say the least, and the same and more for the model aircraft. These days boxes and instructions tend more too show paint number codes etc, although this does not mean automaticaly you must always follow them. If you study some early Military Modeller old magazine articles, of (say) the work of Francois verlinden, you will very soon see that he was a master at figure painting techniques, amongst a great many others, and he developed his own ways to mix and aplly his paints.Above. Osprey and other publishers supply very helpfull illustrations to help you pint and weather your toy soldiers accurrately and realisitcaly if you want to.This producer typicaly includes 7 DIFFERENT marines in the red box, but sometimes, such as with the Airifx german Paratroops set in the same series, there might be more differrent “poses” because over the years of the production, the Airfix company used more than one person to sculpt, create, the original or “Master” figure sets that made up othe boxes in this toy soldier range.Bigger Model Aircraft and Model tanks often have toy soldier type or crew figures to paint. Above is the RAF Lancaster Bomber crew , a internet photo showing how realistic this can be when posed against a authentic photo type background.NOTEit is worth looking round on Car boot or vide g renier (france) sales for older figure boxes, or mixed up old airfix figure sets in supermarket bags etc, that used to contain 29 figures, for beginers practice, if the sets are older, mixed up, or in damaged boxes, occassionaly it can be worth buying IF you intend to paint and use the figures to practice on.Above. Recent Airfix Artwork for the WW2 British Commandos toy soldier set in 1/32 scale hard type plastic.Below shows the very much earlier, older 1970’s polythene plastic figure boxed set you can still sometimes find today on auctions, car boot sales etc as “loose” incomplete or practice sets, ideal for a hobby starter who does not wish to spend too much money at the start. (good boxed early sets are expensive!!).Below. German “Gebirgsjager” or Mountain troops in 1/32 scale by Airfix.Also, note carefully how many toy soldiers are INSIDE the often glossy artwork boxes !!! Certain sets can include LESS than the box picture might "suggest", and it is well Worth doing your "homework" on the Internet first to try to get an idea what you arebeing asked to buy !!! One or two producers annoyingly use larger than necessary boxes to sell items, boxes containing equally annoying large spaces of "cardboard spacers" and "fresh air", so please check up to avoid dissappointment!Nice Artwork boxes look great on shop shelves, and even Under the Christmas tree wrapped, but check first!!!Toy Soldiers can still be purchased made from White Metal or Resin.Shown below Metal Toy Soldier painted figures in 54 MM Scale.King George. Copyright maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Colonial Officer. Copyright maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Bomb Disposal Officer. Copyright maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Officer Mess Dress. Copyright maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Above. 54 MM White Metal toy soldiers. Displayed figures from the authors range of toy soldier products.The above toy soldiers are built and painted professionaly from white metal kits. Achieving high-quality painting such as this takes much experience and shows what can be achieved in the toy soldier hobby with experience and skills.Any GOOD Hobby shop should be pleased to explain the sizes and scales of what is "in the box" because Young people, as well as new figure model buyers, ARE THE VERY FUTURE of the entire hobby (and by the way the income of good hobby stores everywhere!).I recently visited a European Model exposition, where it is possible to also Watch and observe Model makers "at work" (ahem, well, some of them at any rate!). Being able to exhibit and "show off" to the public who visit the shows, and expositions, you're built and painted toy soldiers is another very "worthy reward" of this hobby. I was sad and somewhat "dissappointed" to note, the LACK OF YOUNG people visiting the show. Toy soldiers, in my opinion, are still a worthwhile hobby, but I directly criticize the VERY HIGH "rip off" prices now being charged in many shops and on the Internet.Young people, (which also means both boys and girls) should have the chance and opportunity to work together as a "group" and construct (for example) a castle model on its terrain, scenery, or build (for example) a diorama scenery base or even a small forest with a river running through it, the "possibilities" of the associated model making "disciplines" of the toy soldier or figure hobby are great, and can ultimately lead to an interest in History books, Photography, Visits to sites of historical and all sorts of things like that, and if you join a club can also be socially rewarding. "not bad" for an "old hobby eh?!!!"Younger people and especially their parents are being "frightened off" the hobby because of sky-high shop prices, and a "are you going to buy anything" type attitude and approach from some (and I say "some" hobby shop staff.The internet can sometimes be a good supply of to soldiers, but take care about high postage charges from certain online selling platforms, mentioning no names....Violent computer games do nothing to encourage a genuine interest in history or model making either. But a group of Young persons were asked to take part in a kit building session, over several times, and they shared the experience together building a model of something. Although "sceptical" at first, afterwards, generally they felt they had shared an experience that was both relaxing as well useful socially and in terms of communication. Moreover, they all had something positive to take home to show their friends and families for their time and effort.This "hobby" yeilds other "more helpful and positive results" then merely a shelf full of toy soldiers....So, to give the new toy soldier figure builder and painter the best possible chance of takeing up the hobby, parents must be helped to make "informed choices" attheir local toy hobby shop, not merely viewed as the "next marketing cash opportunity".....Hobby suppliers and toy figure producers everywhere, do well to remember this, that this hobby first of all "involves people", be it younger or older people, who will only continue to spend (sensible and reasonable) sums in their shops and buy their products, IF they continue to "feel valued" and not "fleeced" for big money....HEALTH AND SAFETYREAD the AGE limits that will be printed on the toy soldier or Model kit boxes, to ENSURE your item or items, are SAFE for any children you may be buying the toy figures for. Toy soldiers and the items to assemble and make them "up" typically include sharp "points" or very SMALL PARTS (keep away from very young children, these can be a CHOKING HAZARD !!! Age restrictions might vary from country to country or product to product, and GLUE is a potentially dangerous or addictive "solvent" and must be used with adult supervision, and so also, hobby paints must be treated with due respect and where necessary, adult supervision. Tools to assemble a plastic or metal to soldier typically include VERY SHARP KNIVES or pliers, PLEASE BE CAREFULL !!!Certain types or hobby paints and glues etc, contain solvents or chemicals and can give off fumes, please ensure your working area is well ventilated with sufficiently.What should you use to paint Toy Soldiers?Good lighting, ventilation, and a good basic set of brush sizes and types. Most of all “Love and Patience” and enthusiasm or interest, without which you cannot succeed.These days, there is a great and very useful variety of Paint products, from a large number of Makers that can be used to paint your Toy (or Model) Soldiers.Some paints, such as VALLEJO from Spain, are water-based, safe, easy to clean and better for the "life" of your brushes, which you shall also need to apply your paint onto your toy figures. More about brushes later.Some paints, such as the HUMBROL (from England) or REVELL (of Germany) range of paints, are chemically based (toxic) and require special thinners for Air Brushing and Brush cleaning. they also shorten the "life" of expensive brushes. They give good coverage, but also give off fumes and can "smell", so ventilation is essential when working with these types of Model paintBelow shows just some of the types and ranges of a toy soldier and Model paint that it is possible to buy for finishing your toy soldiers and other models.Above VALLEJO Paints from Spain.Below, Tamiya Paints from Japan.A chart that shows the “conversion” between different model paint producers is a very good idea these days, because there are many colours and different types and mixes (or non mixing incompatible !!) paint products.Gunze Sangyo water based paint chart.Humbrol paint.Humbrol Spray paint.Revell Paint tinlet sets and individual paint tins.Revell also sell Sets of specific paint colour. Shown is a Military paint colour set.Airbrushes to spray thin coats of fine paint finishes can be bought, from good hooby shops, and also sometimes from good Brico or DIY Shops who sell paints.NOTEAirbrushes are powered by compressed air, which can be purchased initialy, to “start” as a canister, from the hobby paint store, but later, for serious long term paint spraying, consider seriously investing in an Airbrush compressor to provide the required “BAR” or Air pressure for spraying paints.Compressed air jets and their Compressors and compressed air cans or oxygen type metal bottles can be extremely dangerous if miss handled !!! ALWAYS READ THE SAFETY GUIDE.READ AND FOLLOW ALL SAFETY ADVICE AND WEAR APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDED PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. If in doubt, consult your qualified hobby store or hobby product supplier.Respect and follow age limits for use. Adult supervision may be required.Citadel Miniatures (Games Workshop) a la “White Dwarf) also provide water-based type hobby figure paints, and sell “Fantasy” type Model Miniatures and tabletop Games systems that use Hard plastic (or sometimes metal) painted Figures. There are a number of Wargaming and Fantasy Gaming Clubs, which the painter and builder of figurines and Toy Soldiers can join. Ask your local toy soldier hobby store or search online or the local newspaper for details in your area.For others, there are also Acrylic paints, such as those available from TAMIYA, or GUNZE SANGYO (Aqueous colour) and, at the "top" échelons of the Toy soldier Figurine Hobby, "master Modellers" sometimes still use "OIL Paints to apply colour to their master pièces of creation.For the Advanced toy figure model maker, special mixtures of "weathering" finishes are also readily available, though many professionals prefer to mix their own paints.Airbrushing can be used effectively to apply the initial coat of Primer, (usually white) *or coverage of another suitable type of primer, paint to a figure model.TESTORS USA Range of Toy Model Soldier and other paints.Some modellers also apply a final coat of clear VARNISH to the Model figure, to help protect their hours and hours of painstakeing painting and assemby work from the "ravages" of dust, heat and stray admireing finger prints (!).Good lighting as well as a tidy and well arranged work table are essential if good, best "results" are to be obtained from what is typically at todays figure prices, an "investment". Also, use a well lit (with plenty of natural light as well) work room, and use a "True Colour" light bulb if you are serious about getting your final paint colours as "accurate" as possible. This is especially important for those who do Photo or Exhibition type works, because there already exist a number of obstacles to obtaining the "best" or the most accurate paint or uniform finishes. The modern-day "Digital" or Print "process" can be one of those obstacles, (printed photgraphs may not automaticaly reflect the TRUE colour due to "printing limitatins". This is Worth remembering.Drying your finished toy figure master pièces also needs consideration, some paint finishes take longer than others to fully safely dry, especially "oïl based paints". It is Worth constructing a drying box from a suitably "modified" supermarket type cardboard carton if you are on a limited "budge" to protect your toy figures paints from dust or insects (!!) as they dry.APPLYING THE PAINTSPaints should be thoroughly stirred before use, (and if itis going to be sprayed with Airbrush), STRAIN the paint to remove any impurities to help prevent "needle" jet blockage of the Airbrush.Cautionary note.Certain types of paints do not “take well” or apply well (if at all !) to certain surfaces, (and certain types of paint will not mix together either !!) and you should check first that the range of paints you wish to buy are indeed suitable to apply onto your Metal, or Hard Plastic or resin toy soldier figures. There are a enormous amount of paint types, and a number of possible types of toy solier “surface” , plastics or compounds figures might be made from, coming from differrent makers. Please verify that your paints and glues etc are compatible with your toy figures.Ok perhaps I am “over-egging the pudding” a bit, but figures cost much money, and I want you the beginner toy soldier painter to succeed.Some types of cheaper plastic figure still require “degreaseing with detergent” before painting. others primeing etc…Good books on the subject of figure painting as well as the “hobby press” Magazines for toy soldier makers, such as “Military Modelling” and “Figurine Magazine” (France) are helpful resources for information.For the Toy soldier beginner, a small selection of paint brushes, canbe purchased either from good hobby shops or, some Art shops also stock inexpensive but quite acceptable paint brushes. Some paint thinner, either the paint makers own thinners, or white spirit can be sometimes used. PLEASE CHECK before trying thinning paint this way.Apply paint thinly, and allow each part or item to dry before painting or touching the next. Some parts can be pre painted on the Sprue or runner, which typically you find with plastic Toy Soldier or kit figures. A clamp or a pair of "Helping Hands" with a Magnifying glass are excellent and should be affordable ideas for useful Tools that will help you, and make work more enjoyable and easier.There are some excellent books written by figurine andtoy soldier model makers, visit your local Waterstonesor good bookshop, alternatively, ask your local Library.Final note.If you are on a tight budget, old figures, both plastic and (sometimes!) Metal, can be found even at your local vide Grenier (car boot sale). Old plastic aeroplane or tank kits etc, can be bought cheaply, to "practice on". THIS HOBBY DOES NOT, repeat NOT have to be "Expensive", and if you "shop around" you can find Acrylic paints and suitable hobby or "beginners" items in high street book or art craft shops. Hobby shops are (usually!) excellent places to go to buy your paints etc, BUT BEWARE of paying initially high prices, avoid buying lots of expensive products until you have practiced your basic painting and assembly skills first. .I started out on the toy soldier and kit building "hobby" in the 1970's, when I got just 25 pence a week Pocket money !!!,Fortuneately for me, I did a lot of DIY and gardening and some car cleaning for a caring Auntie and Grandmother, who had property that always need some fixing or a job doing the weekend someplace, and they supplied me with a lot of my early (expensive!!) TAMIYA or Airfix figures and Tools and paints to get started with.Kits and Figures have ALWAYS been in my considered opinion, "damned expensive" and if you wish for a new and interesting hobby, it is well worth takeing the time to "shop around" for "beginners" items first, and "cut your teeth" on some of the older Airfix plastic figures or some old seconhand TAMIYA or ITALERI figure sets just to begin with.Once you decide if the hobby is "for you" you can always specialize or find a particular figurine or toy soldier period that especially interests you.There are also still some good books on Uniforms, Costumes and related items to be found in both Newand Secondhand book shops, which can make great references and painting guides.I hope you enjoy your "new" Toy Figure painting hobby.If you do, then you might search for and join your local Model Club, where you can meet and speak with others who share your new hobby interest.Good Luck!I have done what time and constraints allow to be as representative as possible of the subject, this article BY NO MEANS can cover every aspect of paint colour, brushing method or paint type, it is intended more for encouragement (i hope!!) the toy soldier beginner or first time toy soldier figure builder and hobby painter.The subject of choice of figure, paint, colour, tools and brushes can fill literaly “volumes” in this hobby….ENJOY!!FOOTNOTE.How i got into the Toy Soldier Hobby.(Potentialy boring and geeky childhood story you can skip this if you want to).I first started out in the World of Toy Soldier painting, during the 1970s during a family visit to the Georgian City of Bath.After a busy day’s shopping, we always finished the Saturday with a visit to a bath shop restaurant to take a break before driving home. Seeing rows of curious and interesting Airfix “Blister carded” Model kits, I went over to take a closer look. The many parts and interesting subjects had “caught my eye” and I purchased my very first ever Model Kit.Also, I next visited another shop at that time in Bath, which was then known as “The Modellers Den”. As a youngster, I noticed how rather “expensive” everything was, which was off putting, but was able to buy something I could afford at a shop much nearer to my home once I had begun seeking out the shops which sold these interesting kits.Money was “short” but gradually I was able to acquire a collection of various Models, which included a variety of subjects. My first models were from Airfix, and I collected the 1/32 Scale toy soldier figures, and on Saturday afternoons met with my friends and spent much time glueing, painting, and reading paper instruction sheets. We used to talk about what “new kit” or iem we wanted, what was “coming to the shops next” and sometimes also grumble about one or two plastic figure sets which were perhaps not as well sculpted as they could have been.The thing was, we ENJOYED it, and with some organization and a “free kitchen table” (!!!) we could spend some happy hours all of us together making something interesting and worthwhile, and not “going off” and getting into childhood mischief elsewhere.I also knew two brothers who had an enormous collection of the smaller Airfix 1/72 scale figure sets, and we were given a big baseboard inside a dry, newly built garden shed. Building a scenery “base” from papier mache, and painting it with “suitable” household green paint, we spent hours playing and painting the toy soldier figures.A lot of us used to have scale model train sets in those days, and often the scenery “scenic powders” and “flock powders”, plaster, paste and wire mesh we used for toy soldier scenery making were much the same as for toy train set scenery layouts, so we were “clued up” kids on what we needed and “how to do”.When I bought my first Figurines, I did not know what was the “correct colour for Army green” or “French Blue” or “Dark Earth” or “Luftwaffe yellow” “Olive drab” etc. Humbrol and other paint charts list these colours, and I recommend beginners get hold of a good hobby paint chart quite soon, because choosing the “right colours” or mixing the correct shades of paint, are very important to be able to make the best of your figures.I subscribed each Month to “Military Modelling magazine” which in those days often featured articles and high quality work by the Belgian “Master Modeller” Francois VERLINDEN” who produced breathtaking Figurines and Military vehicle Dioramas, winning most competitions he went on to become “the” professional master modeller for some years.I also joined the “British Model Soldier Society” (the B.M.S.S) who in those far off days then had their collection and exhibition at “Doddington House” country Estate, and I eagerly waited for its grey and white magazine”The Bulletin” which was full of interesting toy soldier articles and photos and interesting written articles.It was around this time that I first discovered the Italian toy soldier maker “ATLANTIC” who at that time produced toy soldiers in polythene type plastics, in both 1/72 as well as 1/32 Scales. With ATLANTIC you used to get “two of everything” in their boxes, which was a real thrill when you got between forty and sixty pence a week pocket money !!! ATLANTIC produced some wonderful toy figure sets, including Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Trojans even a Trojan Horse and the Sphinx! Sadly Italian firm “ATLANTIC” closed its doors in 1984, and eventually, the toy soldier figure moulds got “sold” to a firm in Iran. Sadly en route, during the Gulf war, just about every single mould or piece of Atlantic tooling was permanently lost, they were blown to pieces and destroyed, or sunk into salty water with the boat, when a flight of RAF or USAF or Navy fighters attacked the ship which was then sailing to Iran to deliver forbidden and “sanction breaking goods” by the forces of the coalition Government. Some sets were copied or reproduced by a man named Pierrini in Italy (Waterloo 1815) and produced also by “NEXUS” in HO/OO scale, but genuine original boxed Atlantic items now command very high prices.Italian toy soldier and kit maker ESCI also closed around the same time, which was a great loss to the hobby.Japanese 1/35 scale toy soldier kit producer TAMIYA used some of his work as a catalogue feature for their toy soldier and AFV kits. I found his figures and the amazing “weathering” and painting methods and techniques he used a big inspiration.Other great inspirations to me continuing in the hobby came from other master model figure makers, such as “Bill Horan”, Charles Stadden, ,figure makers such as Hinchcliffe, Rose Miniatures (some of which got gifted to me from the shelf of my school headmasters office after showing him my newly painted Airfix Napoleonic figures), and Labayen all played their part in shaping and forming my interest. The late “Shep” Shepherd Payne, also inspired me in the hobby.I also took a latent interest for a short time in “White Dwarf” fantasy and Science Fiction figures, but this was not really where my real interest lay.I did however later build a collection of “High Elf” Armies, from Games Workshop, as I am a great fan of Roald Tolkien’s “Middle earth” and the Lord of the rings, and wanted to fight the battles of the Elder days” featured in some of his great writings. At the time it was not “easy” finding Elves for an army I can tell you….That having been said, I remain, as when much younger, a historical accuracy “Purist” and apart from the above, a “perfectionist”, I do not approve of the over priced science fiction or chaos type figure products or systems. I recently visited a Toy figure show in Holland, and noted with a degree of personal dismay, some of the in my opinion “freak show” horror and ghoulish, morbid and “sick” offerings which were sometimes being shown and exhibited there.I was also disgusted to see several people staying there who were wearing NAZI SS camouflage uniform jackets, had Nazi 1930’s style hair cuts and clearly “should NOT be welcome”. I have noticed with equal dismay and disgust, in recent years, a worryingly large number of Nazi kit types and far too much and very “unhealthy” devotion to making far too many German types of kits and soldiers and especially the foul secret weapons of the Third Reich.I know of a cerain english model shop, where most of the stock is German nazi tanks, kits and other similar “stuff”. Who does he think he is trying to fool????A creative and skilful pastime hobby is being intellectualy rotted from within and is in danger of becoming little more than a closet refuge for Nazis, weirdos, and angry disgruntled “old soldiers” who have quite frankly “lost their way”. Perhaps this might explain to me why there were so few young people at the toy soldier show?If the “time honoured” toy soldier hobby is to have a decent future, this sort of unsavoury thing has to be stopped.And to think, a few years ago, persons sometimes criticised me for “liking toy things”….Well, better my toy (real) soldiers and medieval figures than a hoard of deformed monsters cutting everything to pieces in their site….My Grandmother used to have a good saying. “the Devil finds work for idle hands”. There are always far worse and rather less “wholesome” interests that can seduce the hearts and minds of the young. The many very expensive, violent and addictive video games come to mind….Far more dangerous than a tube of glue or a tin of model paint….Borrowing books from my local Library was a Goldmine for me back then, and when a boy at school, I spent much time pondering over many books studying flags, uniforms, history, architecture, railways, aeroplanes and also Toy soldier Wargaming books, which were then written by Donald FEATHERSTONE.It was around this time that I first saw the film “Waterloo” featuring Rod Steiger as napoleon and Orson Wells as “Blucher”. I became very interested in Napoleonic toy soldiers, and for Christmas, my mother gifted to me four boxes of Airfix 1/32 scale grey plastic French Line Infantry and Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, which by the way came in some rather “nice” Artwork boxes at the time. I also was given the Red and Tartan Scottish and Red and White Waterloo British Infantry set in the same scale.And my Auntie gave me a big bag of proper model paintbrushes, and paints, and “I was away” and thoroughly ENJOYING the toy soldier hobby.I was gifted some money for my birthday from my Grandmother, and I bought the Airfix 1/72 scale (then still sometimes called HO/OO scale) “Battle of Waterloo Set” which included the snap together Farmhouse set and several sets of yellow plastic Airfix Napoleonic Toy soldiers in 1/72 Scale.I made a very successful project at my school about this famous battle, and even won a prize….strange where little plastic soldier pieces can lead you….The white plastic Airifx 54 mm collectors series toy soldier kits , and the kits available from French manufacturer “HISTOREX” contained many ueful parts, and encourage figure or toy soldier “conversions”. It is sometimes still possible to find older kits still for sale on the internet. HISTOREX have literaly hundreds of possible seperate parts.I also had a deep interest in History, (in fact I had always wanted to become a Historian), which also led to me reading a great many books and other magazines, visiting Museums and Historic Places. Coupled to my inherited love of Art which I inherited from my mothers side of my family, (she studied art and went to sculpt in the Mont Martre in Paris, which Is where my real father came from) I developed an interest in working with Clay and Pottery, which I later developed into Sculpture as she also had done. So the use of painting, sculpture, and History all “sat well” for me making a career in something like this.Unfortunately, a rather nasty and extremely dis honest man name William Peter Arthur Moon, and his friends, some run away English ex patriots in France, conned my family out of our inheritance, and I became homeless for some years, losing all of my money and three successive family properties, rather a sad and annoying large amount of my earlier years has been spent tackling and cleaning up the “mess” left by this rogue, so my development of my own toy soldier figure hobby and even business took somewhat “longer” than expected.However, I finally was able to purchase the former “Studio Sarum Figurine” range of White metal toy soldiers, which owes much of its quality and originality to a man named “Sid Horton” and also along with the ranges figures from the famous “Chota Sahib” range designed by Stadden, which also forms part of this range of 54 MM toy soldier figures.Finally thanks to a kind French Association my dream came true.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Copyright Maxime Chevallier 2009 All Rights reserved.Coming soon….I have the uttmost and greatest Pleasure to anounce the RETURN at last of the (former) Sarum studio 54 MM figurine range which is owned and produced by us.I am now based in France and have been gradually re introducing the toy soldier figure range, amongst time committments renovating a very old ruined house a French friend who runs an association had to buy rather cheaply for me to live in thanks to “Peter Moon”…and his “friends”.The figurine toy soldier figure range constitutes my sole retirement income. And is our exclusive property.All rights reserved. Toy soldier painted photos and intellectual property and All Design. copyright Maxime Jouhan Chevallier.