So, I used sharpies for a custom Targetmaster from a PCC minicon, and it looks really good. The black works great, but the silver rubs off the plastic very easily. Is this a matter of having to let the figure sit and let the sharpie dry? Or should I go a different route and get some paint markers? The reason Im not painting regularly is because its so small, and Im at school, so I dont have tools to get all the pins out. Im using the minicon from Huffer.
Sharpie has autograph markers that attach to glossy surfaces. Problem with alcohol based markers is they fade real quick when exposed to sun. I hate black sharpies because of this. They always fade to a brownish color.
I use Elmer paint markers because they're the ones readily available to me at my Walmart. I like them for highlighting details. Some of them work pretty well, like black, red, blue, gold, silver... Others, like orange, have been pretty bad. They can also scrape off pretty easily. There aren't many different colors available at Walmart. If/when I go to a hobby store, I'll see if they have other brands/colors...
I use Sharpie paint markers pretty often (not for customs though) and they're kind of low grade. I'd recommend Decocolor enamel paint markers.. they smell pretty strong so I wouldn't use them in school and you'd need to let the part cure overnight or at least a few hours till the paint hardens up.
The main problem with makers is that it hinders an artist to develop the skill of using a paintbrush to do what one has normally done with a pen-type utensil. I think they're decent for beginners to get their hands wet (or not wet?), but I don't feel like an artist should stick with them for any amount of time. They certainly have their uses (one can always use that cheap-o fading effect to one's advantage ), but not a substitute for just painting. It's a bit of a cheap way out. Don't expect a masterpiece by cheaping out with things like paint and processes.
Yeah, I do plan to get real paints and stuff eventually. Its just my roommate has a a sharpie laying on his desk, and I didnt like the green targetmaster with my Kup, so I went at it, and then I only had a few bucks on me, so I could only buy the silver markers for the rest of him. I do plan on using paints in the future though. I like them alot better. These are just what I had on hand, and I was impatient.
Well, if you're happy with that, then keep rolling. However, space and time are poor excuses for not painting, though, sorry. That just sounds to me like you've got a mental block for justifying mediocrity. You can get a small starter set of paints and brushes that take up nearly the same amount of space a set of markers do. A work area can be as small as your lap and a hard surface. The reason I know that is that the bit of custom work I've done recently has been done this way. If you don't have the spare time to invest in this hobby, then it's probably not for you. I mean, if one works a job that earns the $10-20 it takes to buy a toy (assuming that one makes $7-15/hr) but doesn't have an hour comparable to invest in modifying said toy, I have a hard time believing that person intends to spend the time and value collecting Transformers to begin with.
Right now what I do is have several TFs on display in my cubicle at work. My others I have stored in three different places: a closet, the garage, and a storage area in our basement. The ones in the closet are kind of on display. I continuously rotate the toys from spot to spot... My wife doesn't want them anywhere else in the house except for the toy room. But that's where my kids play (ages 6, 4, 2, and 0.5) and I don't want them to get wrecked. I'll let them play with one or two at a time, or more if I can supervise. For time, I get up in the morning and get ready. Then I take my son to school on the way to work. After work I come home and play with the kids until bedtime. Then my wife and I have an hour or two of alone time where we'll often play games or watch TV. During TV watching is when I'm able to do most of my TF work and play. If I used regular paint it'd take me too long to set up and then clean. I'm hoping as my kids get older we can work on these projects together, giving me more time to invest in the hobby...
I use paints already. Citedel Colours to be exact but I want a pen that works on transformers for the finer details. But nowhere I've asked in UK knows of anything so this concerns me as somthing to look out for. WAL-MART own ASDA so if I go there should I be able to find Paint pen or somthing.
Try Gundam or warhammer markers barring that how about nail polish markers? I've seen great stuff done with sharpies but they just aren't durable. I would never ever buy art done with a sharpie.
I think this is for you: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/tutorials-how-tos/383429-create-your-own-portable-workspace.html
I'm still pretty blown away as to how cool that tutorial is. It reminds me of a project that I had plans for:
