I painted 160 resin fish and you’ll never guess what happened | Fish Guy blind box process
- Abs Bailey
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
How many little resin fish do you need to paint to lose your grip on time? I’d place it between 40 and 50, which is when I started referring to this project as ‘clocking in at the fish factory’.
If you stopped by my table at a convention between 2024 and now, you might have spotted these little fellas! My very own blind box figurines.
Quite a few other creators have been curious and asked about the process of making these, so I figured I’d write it up. I fully think everyone who makes comics should have their own toys.
I’m no stranger to making 3D characters, and certainly not to 3D fish. My final project at university involved a big paper-mache puppet I used in a comic (you might have seen Fish on my table at comic fairs in the decade since), but there’s something about that smooth, geometric, mass produced(?) vibe that was present in 2010s blind box toys (think Tokidoki Unicorno figures) that has always tickled my brain.
Luckily, the humble 3D printer, some friends with big brains, and the blind box renaissance over the last few years presented the perfect opportunity to try this out myself.
Design
Using my big paper-mache Fish as a guide, I drew up a simple design, and tried to sculpt myself on the 3D design software I have access to at my job. It came out… Bad. My friend John at Crow Industries (check him out if you like cool mechs and sci-fi miniature games) made an adorable, teeny tiny first run that helped me feel out what I needed and how it'd translate into 3D.
That's the great thing about these sorts of projects - There's almost always multiple really skilled people a stone's throw away than can help you with the parts of a process you can't do yourself.
Then I commissioned comics pal Josh Hicks (who has his own brilliant fish guy and some wicked comics) for the final sculpts!
Printing
Next, I sent the file off to be 3D printed in resin. In 2024 I used a guy on Etsy who seems to have disappeared completely. In 2024 I printed with Jit at 3DPrintGenie (also via Etsy). Both did a really brilliant job.
Generally you’ll need your file as an STL or OBJ file for 3D printing. It’ll also need supports (this is like resin scaffolding) to help it print, which the person printing your guys can usually add if your 3D file doesn’t already have them.
One thing to note is that the 2024 editions of the fish guys were solid resin, and had a lovely weight to them, but as a result were quite brittle and broke easily if knocked or dropped.
In 2025, the fish were hollow. A bit because resin prices skyrocketed and a bit because it’s safer (no risk of inner voids filled with evil uncured resin), but with the unexpected result of the final prints being much sturdier. Because they’re lighter, now they just bounce instead of breaking.
Prep
When the printed models arrived, I needed to clean them up. Resin 3D prints go through a lot of process after printing to help release them from the printer and cure the resin properly, and this can sometimes leave a harmless but greasy residue that would stop paint adhering properly.
The fish guys got a nice bath in some warm (not hot!) soapy water.
Then I gave them a once-over with a craft knife and some sandpaper, taking off any support stubs, sanding down any bumps, etc. Then I rinsed anyone that got sanded again to get any dust off.
Next, a base coat of primer to help the paint stick. I used Citadel (Warhammer) Wraithbone because we had some in the house already.
⚠️Take heed!⚠️
Disclaimer: I’m not a pro, please do your research before messing with resin yourself!
Don’t handle uncured resin with your bare hands, it’s super toxic. Work in a space with good ventilation, wear gloves and clean up any spills or smudges immediately.
UV will cure resin if your models arrive sticky, but do be wary of cavities filled with uncured resin.
Spray paint outside or in a proper spray booth with ventilation. Wear a respirator.
Be careful with craft knives.
Don't sell this stuff to kids, it's not safe to be chewed on. They're art figures, not toys. 🤓
Painting
I drew a few colour schemes on Procreate and narrowed it down to 6, sticking more to the freshwater vibes.
I painted each colour scheme in one go (so all of the yellow guys, then all of the reds, and so on). My favourite ones to paint were the blue ones, the salmons.
One of the questions I got a lot was about the paint I used, because the paint job was so smooth. While I’d love to take credit for this - I used Warhammer paints, again. They’re made for tiny little models, so the pigments are really small with good coverage, limiting brush strokes. As the colours are pre-mixed, it also saved me time on colour matching. It’s probably not the most price effective method, but it worked a treat.
I thinned the paints a little with airbrush thinner and applied in thin coats, allowing the paint to dry fully between each layer. For big base coats, I used a hairdryer on the cool setting to speed things along.
Once all of the fish were painted, I gave them a final coat of clear varnish to protect them - This time Army Painter’s bog standard satin finish (again, we had it in the house). I also use this to seal graphite drawings!
I made 60 fish in 2024’s batch, and 100 in 2025’s. I spent most evenings after work painting for the best part of 2 months, for each batch. I think time-wise, it's probably about 40 minutes per fish from base coat to final details.
Packaging
I purchased some 5x5cm boxes online and designed the label stickers (produced by my trusted source of all printing, print.work!)
I stuffed each box with blue shredded tissue paper to look like water (it got everywhere, I’d use sheets next time) then popped the fish in, and the labels on.
And voila! Fish dudes!
While I don’t plan to make any more of these (the novelty has worn off and I have too many comic projects on the go this year), I totally recommend this as a project for any comic makers out there.
It’s really fun to see your little dudes in 3D! If you're making your own dudes and have questions about my process, drop me a line.
Go forth, I hope to see many little dudes at conventions across the UK!
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