Customizing Your Transformers Transformable Action-Figures:
Some of the transformers toy already have good painting or have too intricate details (e.g. Optimus prime’s flame designs) that you do not need to repaint the whole toy at all. All you need to do is to add details to the already existing paint job (e.g. Blackout Premium or Bumblebee.)
Others like the leader class Optimus Prime (also Jazz Premium Deluxe) , only needs the gray parts painted solid silvern – most especially the limbs, legs and torso.
While still other (e.g. JAZZ deluxe and the leader-class Megatron & Brawl) needs the whole figure to be re-painted since most of the parts are raw-plactics silver – and the toy peaty much looks like just a toy.
It is up to you, if you have to do a complete re-paint job before you apply the detailing or just add details to enhance the toys current look – it depend on how much time you have.
Toy customization is very fun and gives much satisfaction indeed. I have been into scale modelling for a long time now and painting and detailing is my favourite part of it. What I hated most was the glueing together of the parts and most especially the Putty filling and sanding parts.
I found that Customizing transformers Robot Toys is much more fulfilling and I have been doing this for the past 2 years now.
Bring out deep etched details from your Transformers Action figure or transformable toys can be done through 2 popular scale modelling techniques: DRY BRUSHING and WATER MARKING.
DRY BRUSHING
Notice the 'bare metal' (copper) exposed on the tank tracks of Brawl, this
is one great application of the DRY BRUSH technique...
Dry brushing is great for creating paint scratches to show bare metal effect and as well as highlighting embossed areas for deeper and better details.
The art of dry brushing is an extraordinary technique that creates realistic looking transformers action figure - toy, especially in the cockpit.
You will need paint and a good quality paintbrush. I dry brush almost all the cockpits with Flat White (e.g. Enamel or Acrylic). Dip your brush into the bottle and then remove about 95% of the paint with a Kleenex. Careful! Too much paint and you may have to repaint the whole thing to the original colour. Next, take your brush and wipe down (back and forth motion) the areas where you think is most adequate (e.g. instrumental panels, sidewalls, bottoms, edges, etc.). You want to add depth to your cockpit especially around dark areas and raised detailed areas. Follow these steps and enjoy the effects.
STEPS:
Step 1. Paint the area to be dry brushed. Preferably darker than the highlight color. For example, if the Robot’s arm is intended to be silver, paint it darker –gray shade of silver. You can do this by adding black to your silver paint.
If the plastic or paint of your tranformers robot part is already dark – black or grey – repainting might not be necessary anymore.
Step 2. Get/Buy an oil painting brush. Oil piant brushes are best for dry brushing since the bristles are harder and can handle detailing much better.
Step 3. Dub a little silver (or what ever color you wish to “highlight” – gold or copper too will do.) Then wipe ths brush unto a clothe until its almost dry. Try gliding the “dry brush” over your robot part and see how the protruding parts get to be painted while the deep panel line and edges stay dark. Repeat this process until you have achieve the right amount of light-and-shade on your transformers toy.
  
Step 4. Color combination: after a good batch of silver highlight is applied on the part you are detailing, It is also a good idea to highlight it with another color – specifically – copper. It adds more realism into the worn-out metal look.
 
Step 5. Your done DRY-BRUSHING. Other next steps can be “Water-marking” or simply air-brushing smoke marks using blask paint and “lightly pushed” air-brush.
Panel lines are designed to add realism and detail to the exterior of the Transformers toy. Only attempt to do the panel lines once the paint has dried completely. Pre-shade all the panel lines first (this is done before you apply the colour scheme) as this will add depth and a more realistic look on your transformers toy...
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