Miniature Tip of the Week – 6

Primer is Not Paint

If your going to take the time to paint a miniature, make sure the paint will adhere to the miniature as best as possible. This is achieved by making sure you have a good primer base to work on.

Priming a model is important cause it creates a better surface for the next layers of paint. This seals the model and prepares it for paint. It also will allow the paint to adhere to the model stronger than unpainted models. This will lead to less chipping or damage due to use when gaming or showing them off.

Whether it is Rattle can primer or paint on, here are some tips to make sure to receive a good outcome.

• Always watch the humidity. Too high humidity will cause the primer layer to not adhere as well as if should. The rule of thumb I was always taught is that if, “the ground is wet, don’t prime you models.” Wet being actual wet. Snow is not wet, its frozen. But always watch the humidity. Summer time the humidity can get very high as well and the ground may not exactly be wet.
• Watch the temperature you’re spraying in. Trying to prime in too cold of weather can cause issues. Whether the can itself is too cold or the air cools the primer down too much between the time it leave the can till it hits the model. Priming in cold weather can be tricky. Now living in the Northeast of Ohio sometimes you have to risk it. I usually place the spray can in hot tap water for 5-10 minutes (DO NOT PLACE THE CAN IN BOILING WATER or anything hotter than tap water. Google bleve) and make sure the miniature is at room temperature. I walk out to a place with the least wind (garage) spray the model and return indoors. Usually as long as the model and the primer can are warm, and you spray in a area that wind chill does effect it you reduce the risk of an issue drastically.
• Make sure to wash your model first. We have talked about this before. Plastic models usually are not that bad but resin and metal model really do need it. If you prime and the model repels the primer or the primer is sticky/primer not drying, that usually means something was on the model and is causing an issue with the primer. NOTE: Some models specifically say not to prime them. Priming them will cause primer issues. Reaper Bones line is a good example that displays this on the back of their packaging. If your new to a model line always check for this.
• Don’t prime your model with too thick a layer of primer. Most of the time this happens by being too close. Spraying it down too thick will cause you to loose detail. Its almost better to spray it lightly and go too little than go way too heavy.
• Make sure affix your model to something or have it so you can spray it at all angles. You really want to make sure you spray at numerous angles so the primer travels into the hard to reach places.

Everyone primes differently, everyone has a favorite brand of primer, etc. There is no one right way. Just ways to provide a better result. Experiment and find what you like. These are just some basic tips and tricks to help you prime your model more effectively. We will explore priming choices and different ways to prime next time.

Just a quick tip to think about!

Written by Justin