This project will show you how do I repaint a roman 54mm soldier.
I will do that step by step and with as much pictures as possible. The original one has to sharp highlights and shadows. Original paint is paint from the home improvement store for painting wall papers.

Requirements: Airbrush, Paint, oil colors, tape.

This is the original condition of the bust. You can see the sharp highlights and shadows.

Second look at it more toward the side.

This is a giantic zoom and you can see the sharp transitions between the colors.

First step: Remove the color

I have removed the color with fluid for cleaning the stove. but it didn't work at all colors. but should be enough. the details are still ok.

Second Step: Coating and base color it

I simply sprayed a coat of primer over all the parts and let it dry for a day. For coat I use primer from the home improvement store. Its original for outside priming. It dryes very fast and built a good hard surface.

Now comes the tricky stuff. Take your airbrush and spray dark brown from under the figur in a very sharp angle and white from the top of the figure. the color must be dry for not running into the face. You have to spray with low pressure and low paint addition. Now you can see the highlights and shadows.

In the next two pictures you can see what I mean with from top and from under.

Here you can see how I spray from top of the figure with white. Simply spray like the light would come from the sky. simply from above the figure. you have to turn the figure with the helmet to the airbrush.

Here you can see what is the meaning of under the figure. In simple terms with the neck to the gun. Do it in dark brown.

Third Step: Spray skin color

I simply sprayed skin color over the skinny parts of the figures. Use only a thinned paint for this to not overlay the highlights and shadows too much. Its simply training.
For the Skin I used oil paints with thinner for the gun. Aprox a quarter of burnt sienna, a half raw umber and a full part of white.

Third Step: The Results

Here are the results of what we have done to this point. In the huge zoom you can see the blended highlights and shadows. The face looks realistic like the legs do. It is so less work. I am happy that my idea work so far.

fourth Step: Eyes and mouth

Here is the result of the painted mouth and the eyes. Like you can see there is no real white into the eyes. that's important to give them a real look. Paint only the lower lip of your figures for ot let it look like a woman. The zoom picture let the right eye looking strange. But its only in the zoom. The real figure looks quite normal. The lips are still dazzling. It has to dry a little bit.

5th Step: Results

Simply painitng the helmet in brass or copper. The Field signals are preshadded with black and white and sprayed after that in red. Quite simple techniques. No need for expert skills. Now we are finished with the head and can go on with the torso. I will highlight the helmet later when I see the angle of the top part of the helmet to the sky.

6th Step: Skirt

Preshadding of the skirt. I did it with oil paint, a brush and thinner. Put some black paint in the deep parts of the skirt and blen dit out with the brush. Do the same with the high parts of the clothes with the white oil paint. Let it dry for a day and do the same steps with the rest of the clothes under the chain armor. Meanwhiel you can do the shoes if you want.

7th Step: Skirt shadding results

Preshadding of the skirt. I masked around the skirt and sprayed a dark red. the highlighs got los so I have to do them again.