there are two ways to give your pony's body a new color: painting, and dying. i'll outline the pros and cons of each.

painting -
pros
- does not fade in sunlight;
- can cover up unsightly blemishes on bait;
- allows for a much wider range of color choices;
- a 2 oz. bottle of craft acrylic paint only costs between $.59 and $1.19;
- a colored pony can be turned white with paint.
cons
- definitely the slower process (can take up to 25 coats to be opaque and without brush strokes);
- paint can chip if handled too roughly, or dropped;
- learning curve.

dying -
pros
- works quickly, one application leaves no brush strokes;
- does not 'chip' with handling;
- leaves the pony looking more like the orginals;
- at $2-$3 per dye packet, it's still a pretty cheap process.
cons
- if there are marks or blemishes on your pony, the dye probably won't cover them;
- imperfections within the vinyl itself will lead to blotchy dye-results;
- the sun can fade dye on your pony (especially vibrant colors);
- if the symbol won't come off your pony or leaves a stain, that part of the pony will resist dying;
- learning curve;
- dye can be absorbed into your custom symbols if the area isn't sealed;
- you can't dye a colored pony white.

i used to exclusively dye customs whenever possible, but recently i've switched over to painting for the most part. i like the texture of the paint on the customs (especially with tan/brown paint, for some reason). it did, however, take me a while to get a hang of painting customs. the white is especially difficult to handle. i've found that mixing in acrylic gloss medium to the last coat can have a nice effect. anyhow, i will be demonstrating the painted technique for now, and will make another section for dyes the next time i customize that way.

next step - put in a movie, and sit down with your paintbrush...