Carl,
Changes in my painting and installation of Preiser 65602 Unpainted Seated People.
1. Paints are still Testor's Acryl Flat Paints. Custom colors start with Flat White plus tinting color like blue or red to create pastel colors. I started my detailing right before Easter many years ago, therefore the Spring colors.
2. Fitting people into the cars was done by much hand sanding with emery nail boards and files. The use of a Dremel battery rechargeable Handheld with grinding drum changed my process and improved my work.
3. I have used Preiser 65602 white blanks, except at times when I could not purchase them. Five years ago and then now, there was an interruption in supply of the seated People. I have had to purchase blanks from EveModel on Ebay. The figures from China need an extra coat of paint to fully cover the pink plastic, Molded details are not as sharp as Preiser 65602 Unpainted Seated People.
4. Tamiya 87153, 87154, and 87155 Quality Paint Brushes have improved my painting. At $12.00 each from Omnimodels on Ebay, they perform better than the previous brushes I used.
Other than the new brushes and the Dremel grinder, I am doing the same old thing. On a good night I can complete 12 people. Add a couple more nights to install the people in the passenger cars.
I paint my own people because Preiser charges $5.00 to $7.50 to factory paint these individual figures. The factory painted figures are very hard to find in any quantity, At a minimum of 30 people in the Vista Vision Dome Camera passenger cars, the $150.00 would have stopped me from using the quality Preiser figures. I spend for the blanks and paint, and can create figures in a variety of clothing colors. Preiser factory-painted figures look the same, sometimes in two color choices.
5. It seems to be taking me longer to paint the figures. I have lost center vision in my left eye. The use of a battery headlamp to illuminate what I paint, helps me get a better paint job.
Have a good week.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
