Has anyone had any experience with painting resin figures that will be left outside? Just wondering what type of paint would be best, Water base such as Polly scale or an oil based hobby paint. These figures will stay outside except for the winter. I live in the NE but not close enough to the ocean to have any affect on them… Thanks … Jerry
Jerry;
I’ve not had to much touch up painting yet. What little I have done I have used Testors flat paints. The same ones I used 40+ years ago when I “built” the model cars and airplanes. Since I “inherited” number of figures a few years ago, (my wife brought them home from one of her garden customers who was throwing them out after having them outside for 6~8 years) I did a quick touch up and them are doing well. I live in San Diego county and they are out all year in full sun. The only “fading” has been when they get knocked into the Koi Pond and are lost for a few weeks and have been attacked by the fish.
The craft paints like found at wallyworld for around $1.00/ bottle work fine. I use those with a matte finish clear over the top of them.
Jack
I use enamel matt paint on all my resin figures. I have a large number of figures on the CFR which have been outside continuously for five or more years. They have suffered very little over those years, a small amount of fading, but little else.
The CFR is situated in rural England, the railway is subjected to the usual English weather and smoke and ash from passing locomotives on the Great Central Railway.
enamel for outdoors
Last year I tried some craft acrylics from Michael’s, brand name “Delta Ceramcoat”. These were a big mistake! Within a couple months the various earth-tone colors I’d used had faded and turned to bluish gray.
I think water-based paints won’t hold up outdoors but lacquers or oil based fare a little better. I believe most will experience some fading but a matte clear spray over them will retard the process some; one could try & put them in some shade
I use three brands of paint and never have any trouble with any of them. First is Humbrol enamels (made in the U.K.), Delta Ceramcoat (I live 3 miles from Ray Danakin and have never had a fading problem - but it’s a very good idea to prime your figures first and then either spray them with a UV prohibitor clear like Krylon 1311 or paint them with Ceramcoat varnish). And, thirdly, good old Testors.
I’ve painted literally hundreds of figures, both professionally and for myself. I think that it doesn’t matter what you do to protect them. Once they’re left out 24/7 they will fade to some extent. Bottom line is that I’m sold on both Humbrol and Ceramcoat. But I don’t leave them out either.