How to Paint WWII U.S. Infantry
Turn plain green plastic army men into a classic World War II U.S. infantry squad using four Vallejo Model Color paints. This simple approach works well for beginners, batch painting, playsets, and tabletop-quality figures.
Vallejo Paint List
Vallejo Beige Red
Use for faces, hands, and other exposed skin.
Shop Beige RedVallejo US Olive Drab
Use for jackets, trousers, helmets, and most of the uniform.
Shop US Olive DrabVallejo Flat Brown
Use for boots, rifle stocks, tool handles, and leather details.
Shop Flat BrownVallejo Khaki
Use for belts, webbing, backpacks, pouches, straps, and helmet netting.
Shop KhakiStep-by-Step Painting Tutorial
Clean the Figures
Wash the plastic figures in warm water with a small amount of dish soap. Rinse them thoroughly and allow them to dry. Remove visible mold lines with a hobby knife or small file.
Prime the Plastic
Apply a thin coat of miniature primer. Gray primer makes the details easy to see, while black primer creates deeper shadows between the equipment and folds of the uniform.
Paint the Uniform
Paint the jackets, trousers, and helmets with Vallejo US Olive Drab. Use two thin coats rather than one thick coat so the sculpted folds, pockets, and seams remain visible.
Paint the Webbing
Use Vallejo Khaki for the belts, suspenders, ammunition pouches, backpacks, canteen covers, straps, and helmet netting. This lighter color separates the equipment from the olive drab uniform.
Paint the Skin
Apply Vallejo Beige Red to the face, neck, and hands. Use a small brush and paint around the helmet straps, sleeves, rifles, and other nearby details.
Paint Boots and Wood
Use Vallejo Flat Brown for the boots and wooden rifle stocks. The same color can be used for shovel handles, tool handles, and small leather details.
Add Simple Highlights
Mix a small amount of Khaki into US Olive Drab. Lightly apply the mixture to raised uniform folds, knees, elbows, pockets, and helmet edges. Keep the highlights narrow and controlled.
Finish and Protect
Correct any stray paint, allow the figures to dry completely, and apply a matte varnish. The varnish helps protect the paint during handling, play, storage, and display.
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