Toning down plastic people

[JohnR]

I have bought a cheap bag of plastic figures, and while they are great value for money, their colours are a little too bright. 

 

Whats the best way to tone them down?

[AY Mod]

First of all a spray of Matt Varnish will improve them, clothing isn't shiny. If you feel confident of wafting a light spray over from a distance with a matt white or grey primer that will help too.

[Phil Parker]

I've covered this a few times in BRM, the secret is a coat of this stuff: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Shade-Agrax-Earthshade

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Using both methods above or a little 'dry brushing' if you do not have an airbrush or spray cans will help significantly.  Phil's BRM vids are a great watch and you can really learn a great deal from them/him.

Matt varnish will certainly remove the shiny plastic effect.

Practice on a few first to get an appearance that you like, then be brave and go for it on the 'keepers'.  Good luck.

[JohnR]

Thanks all. 

[14Steve14]

I too bought a cheap bag of little people for my railway. The bright pinks and oranges were really not as I would like, so I stood a whole load of them onto double sided tape and started again with a coat of grey primer. Then using some old matt paints I had lying around I mixed a lot of colours more in keeping with the 40s and 50s that I was modelling and painted everyone again.  When i next needed some sitting figures I just bought the white unpainted ones and did the same thing again. I even bought some cows that looked like zebras.

[w124bob]

For seated passengers in carriages I prefer ho scale figures, my autocoach has a dozen Preiser figures toned down with a thin wash of Humbrol 34(light grey). Even some of the train crew are ho, but they get a number32 treatment(dark grey). Bachmann figures need to go to slimming world !