MINIATURE PAINTERS

Painting a tin figure

Flat tin figures are popular with collectors because there are many producers (called editors), which makes a huge variety of figures. There are tin figures of every historical period; from cave-dwellers to astronauts, as well as military and civil subjects. Collectors often limit themselves to a single subject.

You start by polishing the burrs away from the tin figure. Next you coat the figure with a primer and when that is completely dry you can start to paint.

It is the skill of a good painter to give the impression that the flat tin figure looks 3-dimensional with the use of light and shadow.

To paint one often uses oil-paint and very fine brushes of good quality. (No. 00 till No. 00000), however acrylic paint and even water colour paint can be used also.

A tin figure 50mm of height and details of the painting

Painters of tin figures often strive to make there figures historically accurate. They study pictures of old uniforms and copy them exactly down to the last button, and by mixing the exact colours.

Mike Taylor

Painters of flat tin figures like to share their knowledge of painting with others and often give talks and seminars at various shows and competitions.

Competitions vary from local club shows to large international competitions showing the work of novices to master painters. One of the masters in painting tin figures is Mike Taylor, who raised the technique of painting figures to a much higher level. From 1981 he has painted many different themes, from the ancient Egyptians to comic characters such as Lucky Luke.

Mike Taylor participated in a great number of international competitions and has won many awards, including 46 gold medals and various Best of Show awards. He was made a 'Grand Master' by the MFCA (Miniature Figure Collectors of America) in Philadelphia and in 1998 he was proclaimed 'World Master' during the 3rd World Expo in Toronto , Canada .

In 2003 our museum gave a special retrospective exhibition of the work of Mike Taylor

Flat tin figures painted by Mike Taylor