Bill Nevins’ Paint Conversion Western Figures, Bill Nevins is back with a new project. Bill took some of his figures and repainted them with different colors. We will let Bill explain on this project.
Bill Nevins’ Paint Conversion Western Figures Bill’s Explanation
Looking at Larry Patterson figures, gave me the idea to paint some of my Cowboy conversions (and stock figures) with different colors. I found that the old Games Workshop paint, for their LOTR figures, was the best. Not only did it cover well, it also dried with that “sheen” that plastic figures have.
I’m really happy with these and plan on doing many more.
I tried to match the Marx “cream” color with two of the figures. I’m using them as the Steve McQueen and Yul Brenner character figures in the Mag 7.
I’m pretty close as you can see with the falling horse, and two Wagon Train originals.
I like the two poses equal. Well done!!!
Interesting in color used. Definettely captured the film scenes.
Best…
They guy with the Winchester is supposed to be the Duke.
Speaking of cowboys, a couple of the swivel arm Reislers are pretty cool and they fit in pretty nicely with the Austins.
Austin based many of their figures on famous Western stars, but gave them no specific name to avoid rights.
That had always a smart move.
The rights traps had always be a nasty webb of laws and not order.
The guy with the Winchester reminds me a bit of Chuck Connors from The Rifleman, also. The cream figures are really a close match in the photos.
This may give me some ideas, as rather than trying to detailed paint jobs on some figures, try to get classic matching colors for figures and converted figures. These really look great! It would be nice just to redo some of the waxy looking Marx recasts I have into classic original colors. This brings several ideas into my head. Thanks for sharing these!
Now for my novice question, Ed. Are these hand-painted or spray painted? I sure don’t see any brush marks. The plastic “sheen” from the paint is just right.
Agreed
I like the leaning-bending poses in western firing revolver,looks more realistic. When nerve and action kick many do move more and bend else than stand still like a post just extracting the revolver to fire I would think. Well done.
Jon. …..It’s Bill, not Ed. Anyway, I wrote in the piece that the paints that I used were all Games Workshop paints. I brushed them on using a 1/2 inch flat brush.
The brown colored figures needed a base coat of gray and then the final color coat over that. I did 2 coats on every figure, letting each coat dry for a full 24 hours before applying the final coat. I held every figure upside down to make sure I covered all the undercuts and I used a small brush to fill in the bare spots that I missed.
I’m happy with the results and have done another 10 figures or so. I plan t do a lot more.
Bill great!!
Does this paint(I never used it before in mine) cover easy the detail with out running in first pass?
I had used before Citadel and on Marx it does a bit ,I have to use a small fan wile painting to avoid it
Sorry, Bill! I commented to Ed and messed up! Thanks for responding to me anyway!
Bill, thanks for explaining the technique. I think this is something that I could do to improve the look of my figures. The details really pop when using the right colors! Simple and effective! If I ever tried to do paint details, I’d be lucky if they even came close to looking as good (bad) as “handpainted” cake decorations. Single color figures are a good way for me to go.
Your work is certainly inspiring and I look forward to more examples as you go along.
Hi Bill
Thanks for sharing your painting techniques. Your figures look really nice & the extra effort in getting the paint colour just right is a great complement to your skills.
Nice conversions as well.
Nice, clean work! The color DOES make a difference. Sometimes just painting an ‘eh’ figure a good color makes all the difference. These are no ‘eh’ figures. They absolutely look to have been solid cast and in that color.
Paint conversions?
I like this term
Paint conversions?
Read the description. Converted and stock figures.
I read the title. I was commenting on that
Erwin, The Citadel (GW) paint is very thick. It’s made to be thinned with water, but I don’t thin it much. I use it right out of the paint pot. The one thing that I do, is to mix the paint with a battery powered paint mixer. You can get these at Micro Mark for under ten bucks. It’s well worth the investment. I mix the paint every time I use it.
Once I pick the color, I open the pot, put in a drop(s) of water and stick that mixer blade right in the pot. Now the paint is thoroughly mixed and ready to be applied.
So, the answer is that I don’t have a problem with the paint running. In fact, quite the opposite. I have to thin it when it get too thick to spread evenly. Ideally, you want to get enough paint on the figure to cover it entirely without obscuring the figures natural detail. A wet brush will remove blobs from eye sockets, six shooters and open and closed hands. It will also smooth out any rough spots.
You have to use a bit of pressure to force the color to go into clothing folds, undercuts and tiny cracks and crevices. Use cheap dollar store brushes here. I abuse them to death.
Acrylic paint, if applied correctly, will form a tight skin around the figure because it shrinks as it dries.
Once the paint has dried for 72 hours, I’ll hit them with an acrylic sealer. This will lock the paint in and protect the figures from scratching and chipping.
Nice
Thank you Bill for time explaining.
Awesome tips and ideas ,will definitely use in future.
Great to learn as I’m not good in paints at all.
Best…
Great tips, Bill! Thanks for the explanations!
By the way, I think that the Weston Mexican peasant figures benefited the most from a color change. I understand why he used white, but the desert tan just makes his figures “pop”. All the detail comes to life with that color. I have to admit to appreciating his sculpts a lot more, now that I painted them.
I’m doing a full set of his figures in this color.
I do like two of both Mexican sets done by SW .Yet the two sets(bandits) and peasant have a very big difference in scales and body shape volume,making then not match in same scene at all.
The banditos are definitely 60 mm not counting hats and base .Their heads and features are very cultural well done yet size in head and body when next to other set of peasant looks like giants to then. I like their poses too.
I do not know why such disparity-contradiction in scales made.
So when I first got then. I set then in two different world to start with .Only close match to big guys in Mexican SW set I got are Crescent and Cherilea or swop Plasty and Cherliea;also Elastolin or with Spaniards brand made PH and French Michel/Starlux Mexicans wile the peasant set are perfect x most rest such Britain,Timpo,HK Start Toy swopped,Reisler,Barzso or to be used x any 54 mm Alamo or 1848 war else scenario.
They could be use generic as any other country too in most poses. So the peasant set is very generic use .
My thoughts
Weston did three sets of Mexicans, he did foot, mounted and the peasants, I thought they were pretty close in size (big), but his gunmen were much smaller, the ones loosley modeled after the Maginificnet Seven.