Vallejo makes good acrylic paints and primers, as does The Army Painter (https://www.thearmypainter.com/shop/us?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1byll9uxgQMVAmByCh0MZgUqEAAYASAAEgKmtPD_BwE).
Both have enormous pallette ranges and are compatible with one another. I prefer Vallejo for earth tones and machinery-type applications, and the Army Painter for your more garish colors. The Army Painter has lots of flesh tones that mix well together, and they make washes that can add shading to emphasize folds, contours and detail, along with excellent flat sprays. The Army Painter spray bases are color matched to their paints, and settlr nicely into the deeper crevices.
A lot of wargaming figures are "15mm" or 1/76, both of which are very close to HO scale, and 6mm or 1/285 is also common, with some manufacturers making figures for model railroading applications. The level of detail and resolution that's available for HO scale figures can be very comparable- the Lytler & Lytler, Scale Structures and Weston figures are as good as a lot of contemporary miniatures, and sculptors like Andrew Stadden in the UK or Knuckleduster Miniatures have some wonderful HO lines.
If you're modeling the current era, I don't think you need as many people, in part because the modern American railroad is pretty sparsely populated, and the people it serves are often out of sight- working indoors, in cars, what have you. But for earlier eras, people were everywhere, so those of us who model them have to populate them appropriately.
One useful trick is mentally grading the figures by degree of detail: the greater the detail, the more suitable they are to the foreground of the layout, while the less detailed ones go to the back and odd corners.
They can make little scenes in their own right, and bring a sense of life and humor to a layout.
http://mprailway.blogspot.com
"The first transition era - wood to steel!"
IDRickWargame miniatures are significantly more detailed than our generic HO figures and perhaps have a different composition.
(With appropriate reference to model-railroad best-practice applications, of course!)
kasskaboose Are primers needed for HO scale miniatures? I use two coats of cheap craft paint and it works. Miniatures on my layout exist but not as notable as structures, etc.
Are primers needed for HO scale miniatures? I use two coats of cheap craft paint and it works. Miniatures on my layout exist but not as notable as structures, etc.
IMO, the need for a primer depends on the level of detail and composition. Wargame miniatures are significantly more detailed than our generic HO figures and perhaps have a different composition. Best rule of thumb is to test and see your results. For example, I tried using craft paint on CI ground throws but it did not stick. Others have experienced success using a primer followed by craft paint. I've ordered Vallejo primer and look forward to testing on my ground throws. Plus, IMO, it will be nice to have primer available as a test medium for other projects.
Nice article Rick. I've bookmarked for later. Thanks for posting it.
Joe
I found an excellent article that reviews primers for miniatures made of metal or plastic. Has application for model railroaders. The author lists and discusses pros/cons for his top ten. Vallejo surface mount is on his list.
https://tangibleday.com/top-10-primers-for-plastic-and-metal-miniatures-reviews-and-tips/