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How to Paint HO Scale Figures

HO scale is a common scale of model railway, where 3.5 millimeters represents 1 foot. Although you can buy figures already painted, they are expensive, whereas purchasing non-painted figures and painting them yourself can be a fun activity and give your scene a more personal look. These unpainted figures come in sets of pedestrians, passengers, trades people and drivers, so you can choose exactly what sort of figures you want in your scene.

Things You'll Need

Quality brushes
Acrylic paints
Clean rag
Craft knife
Superglue

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the figures in a solution of warm water with a little mild detergent. This removes the oily production film and make them ready for painting. Do not handle the figures after they have been cleaned as this may affect the paint finish. Keep the figures on the sprue so that you do not need to handle them while painting.
- 2
  Dip the brush into clean water, and then gently wipe a clean rag over the brush to remove the excess water. Paint will not flow as well from a dry brush or a very wet brush as it will a slightly damp one.
- 3
  Shake the paint thoroughly. This will mix the paint if it has settled in the pot, ensuring you get an even color. Apply paint to your brush from the lid of the paint pot. If you dip the brush straight into the pot, the paint will fill up in between the bristles near the metal part of the brush, forcing the bristles apart and making accurate painting impossible.
- 4
  Rinse the brush and wipe it on the rag in between each coat of paint. Again, this is to achieve a more even finish.
- 5
  Rest your hands on something before you begin painting. This could be the edge of the table, on a book, whatever position works best for you. Don't try to paint in mid-air, you will need to keep the brush very steady to get the detail on these tiny figures.
- 6
  Paint all the parts that are going to be the same color at the same time. For example, if you have 25 figures, maybe five of them will have black shoes, one will have a black cap, and two will have black gloves, so paint all these parts at the same time, then repeat with the next color.
- 7
  Paint the eyes depending on what the figure is doing. For example, if the figure's head is looking up, it would look odd to paint the eyes looking down. Simply paint the eyes white, then place a small black dot with the very tip of your finest brush in the appropriate direction.
- 8
  Remove the figures from the sprue once they are completely dry. Use the craft knife to carefully cut the figure from the sprue, being careful not to nick the paint. Place your figures onto your scene, and when you are happy with their positioning, glue them in place.

Model Railroads