Hi guys,

This is a bit of a ramble and I feel a littel stupid for asking so please bear with me.

When I was a kid I was really into games workshop (more assembling and painting than playing) and recently I was reminiscing about it so decided to start up again. I bought some models off ebay (space orks), many cote d'arms paints and some brushes. Now when I was a kid i'd dip my brush in the pot and put it straight on the mini and maybe lose a little detail but not too much and get a nice even layer of paint. I've since learned its best to water the paint down a little, so I attempted to apply a white undercoat to a model. After two coats so thin you could still see the plastic the details of the face were already dissapearing and in trying to brush the excess away from the fine details I covered the model in brush strokes. I've watched many videos and read many articles about painting since and all explain the importance of "priming" and I understand why but I never primed my models as a kid, sometimes never even undercoated them and never had this problem. Could it be the paint? or the brushes? So basically I need an idiots guide, how do you get good coverage without losing detail?

Thanks in advance!

Dear Uncle,
Welcome to this planet. If you are not sure then no question is stupid. Did you wash the figure with soap and water first to get rid of the mold release on the plastic? If so then I think the answer could be to prime the figure first to give the paint a tooth to stick to. The paints are different now than when you were smaller. I prime all of my figures first. I use Tamiya white or grey spray primer. Sometimes I decant the spray primer into a glass airbrush bottle and then paint with a brush. Some use Auto primer . The primer coat must be thin in order not to lose detail. I sometimes use Mr surfacer non spray bottle and use a brush to prime the figure, thinning the primer down for the brush.. Mr Surfacer is a laquer base and may not do your plastic figure much good. Reaper make a paint called "Bones Line" which is for their bones line plastic and does not need a primer on the bones models. This paint should work on any plastic but I have not tried it. If you can still see the plastic after painting then then losing details, it sounds like you are not unloading your brush and it is pooling into the cavities.
I am sure that others will chime in and you should get lots of help. Just my view.
Cheers
John

Welcome aboard Uncle,
I agree with the rest of the crew.Wash off the release agent,let dry thoroughly and then prime.The thing with priming using a spray can is that it can get a bit tricky.Use too little or from great a distance and you do not get coverage,use to much or from too close and the primer fills any existing cravice and ...the detail is lost.Personally I use good quality car primer in multiple sessions from different angles usually letting each coat dry before I spray the next one.On the other hand I paint figures bigger than yours.For such small scales (I started this hobby many years back painting Games Workshop miniatures too) I would recommend priming them by brush.It gives you better control of paint consistency and paint flow and you can experiment with spray primers at the same time until you get the hang of it. I also agree that priming is crucial.You might be able to paint without priming but in that case colour does not adhere properly on the figure's surface and it chips away very easily.A few trials should get you well on your way so do not get discouraged.I await to see your first works on PF.

Oda.

Thank you everyone for your input. I will have a look to see what primer I can get a hold of and make sure I wash my minis before I start! I'm glad brush on primer has been mentioned as according to the information I have found spray primer does not like temperature extremes and at the moment it is very cold in the UK so I think spraying outside isn't an option. Would I be best decanting spray primer? or should I just buy brush on?
Thanks again.

Welcome aboard. As for the rattle can I keep mine in doors so it always warmish and shake before I use it outside. I have had no problems

HI I can only add that when i use a spray can primer i have to use it in my basement because that is where my spray booth is at . I get a glass container about half the size of the can i am using and in cold weather i fill it up with hat tap water let it sit for a min take it out shake it . Then test spray a bit and repeat the process if I have to.

Hi all..I'm just returning to figure painting after a long break..would it be possible to get some help or advice? The figure that I'm starting is Pegaso Models 90mm of a Japanese "Ronin"...could anyone suggest a paint mix for oriental skin types either in oils or acrylic paints.
Thanks John...
I hope I posted this in the right forum.....

Uncle Crassius, part of your issue may be that you're applying too much paint at one time. You said it's obscuring details, but still not completely covering up the underlying plastic. My guess would be that the paint is thin, so it flows over the surface, but you've got so much on the brush that it's pooling in the recesses of the figure.

A base coat (properly thinned) should generally take 2-3 layers for complete coverage. Some will do it in one, but you do risk having the paint too thick there. The brush shouldn't be soaked with paint, you should be able to control where it goes. If you do get too much on the figure, quickly wipe the brush off on a towel and then use it to spread the paint already on the figure around. It's also important to make sure each layer is dry before you apply the next. The drying time with acrylics is pretty quick, but it's not instantaneous. If you're focusing on a single area, you can try gently blowing on the figure before applying the next coat. If the paint is still wet, the next layer will mix with the first and just push the other around (rather than building up on top of it).

For priming, it should definitely help. You'll hear different opinions, but mine is that you don't need a thick layer of primer. That can obscure detail if you go overboard with it. A light coat should be enough to get the job done.

Lancer115, have fun with that Ronin figure. It's a great looking kit. I've got a copy, though I haven't painted it yet. I recently did a samurai and found Reaper's Bronzed Skin to be a good color. I used a brown for the shadows, then Bronzed Skin Shadow, Bronzed Skin, Bronzed Skin Highlight, and Linen White. I also use red, blue, and purple glazes to add a bit of color variation (a little red in the cheeks, some blue to imply stubble, etc). You can see the figure here if you're interested: http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/samurai-archer.73824/

Hi Bailey ....thank you for your comments on flesh tones for painting my "ronin "figure...I'm very interested in your technique, I would never have thought of reaper bronzed skin you have given me plenty of interesting information....where I might run into difficult is with glazes and washes,while I've been painting on and off for some time its not a technique I have become familiar with...it's not always easy to improve as a lone painter.
Your samurai archer is a spectacular bust your technique certainly pays dividends...first class..John

Thank you "Housecarl" for you very interesting article on skin tones a lot of useful information...thanks again....John.