Some time ago I ran across a site that sold pilot figures to the RC plane modelers. The busts came in several sizes and were done as spin cast figures, hollow inside rather than solid resin, but had very crisp detail.

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Craig... The pilots are 3 1/4" high, that is the smallest size the are available in. You should try your hand at figures. You just need to find products that work for you. The faces are the most difficult, and there are paint sets available just for doing faces, complete with a system for applying them in the proper order. It might sound a bit like painting by the numbers, but it is a good way to start out. You might want to start with brush painting with Acrylics as they are water based and are very forgiving. I would suggest trying Vallejo paints, I order mine from Rollmodels.com. There are several painting reference books available as well. My figure painting has come a long way from when I started, but I have a longer way to go before I have mastered it. I want to move into airbrushed oils next.