Help with customizing figma?

[MeltedCaramel]

Hey there everyone!! Well, I've got it in my head to kitbash two figmas together to make a custom...I was just curious if anyone has any tips for paint rub? Would a coat of MSC cut down on rub? If not...anyone have any tips or tricks? The skin tone has to be changed so the arms and legs are going to be painted, the face redone, hair...etc. I know figmas don't have quite as much "rub" as some figures, but I would ideally love to have it sealed enough that posing isn't going to chip and flake it! Any help would be appreciated.

[zirconmermaid]

Or... put a figma head on a bitty bitsu body!

[MeltedCaramel]

.....erm....considering the character I'm making is supposed to be a teenage boy, I don't think that will help....

[SetsunaKou]

I've never had/seen/used a figma so I can't really say but I know that I always just have to use acrylic paints and then seal them with a matte varnish. They will STILL chip and rub at the joints so I mostly use painted dolls for display (non posing) only.

I do know some people dye their dolls but I don't think the success rate is very high at all, so I wouldn't recommend it. However, maybe some others on here have tried this method and can tell you what they found?

If you airbrush the body, it does help to keep the paint on better. I airbrushed a Volks 1/6 body in darkish tan, back in 1999 and she's STILL in great condition. Granted, I don't pose my dolls much (if at all---they're all in a display curio) but she did get some posing and there aren't really any rubs at the joints. I recently replaced this body for an Obitsu Marrone tan (I just prefer female Obitsu bodies over Volks. The Volks are so 'hippy and unattractive.') but the airbrushed Volks is still looking good! And no paint rubs or chips! I put her away, not knowing what to do with her now that I've retired it but that is one body I did that her paint job is really securely on. Airbrushing can do a terrific job, I've found!

[MeltedCaramel]

I found a few tutorials about minimizing rub, but I don't know if they're going to help with the figma's very specific joint system. Also....hah, I feel like airbrushing a tiny figma is going to be a little bit of overkill, but I do know some artists like to airbrush, you're so right Setsuna! It seems like the figma's joint system helps minimize paint rubbing. I'm so mad that the one figma in the right skin tone (or...somewhat right) has black gloves so it completely ruins being able to use that figma's arms for more than the joint system. <_____< Oh woe, the problems, I know! I should count myself lucky I'm able to customize the thing at all! Until recently there wasn't a decent figma I could use!