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Painting figures

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  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: Upstate NY
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Painting figures
Posted by dennyblock on Saturday, May 19, 2007 2:36 PM
Do you have to prime peweter figures before painting? Will the cheap water colors talked about in the other post stick to the metal? Thanks
Denny
  • Member since
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  • 44 posts
Posted by dgraham on Saturday, May 19, 2007 2:45 PM
While my experience has been primarily with plastic figures, I've found that priming them makes the painting much easier.  A rattle can of gray automotive primer will do a lot of figures and is easily covered by acrylic paint.
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  • From: MO
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Posted by Dave Farquhar on Saturday, May 19, 2007 8:57 PM

Acrylic paints don't stick very well to bare metal. It'll go on, but don't expect it to hold up to much handling.  I find primer makes the whole paint job go a lot more easily. Not only does the paint go on better, but it makes fine details show up better. The shiny surface of the metal obscures some of the detail.

Automotive primer would be better for pewter figures, but I did my last batch with plain old hardware store variety Krylon. 

Dave Farquhar http://dfarq.homeip.net
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  • From: West Australia
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Posted by John Busby on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:41 AM

Hi dennyblock

in a word yes.

I have found the best to be acrylic auto grey primer. followed by your favorite brand of acrylic paints Tamiya, Citadel etc from a good hobby shop and finished off with a spray of flat varnish.

The best figure painting books if you are interested will be found in a store that is devoted to war games miniatures

Those war games guy's really go to town painting their personality or character figures and have turned it into an art form I sometimes wonder how they manage it.

regards John

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