Preparing miniatures for painting is a crucial step that ensures a smooth and professional finish. Whether you’re working with plastic, resin, or metal miniatures, the process is mostly the same. Here's a detailed guide to preparing your miniatures for painting:
Unboxing and Inspecting
Inspect the miniature: Check for any defects, mold lines, or flash (excess material from the molding process).
Separate parts: If the miniature comes in multiple pieces (like arms, weapons, or armor), carefully cut or snap them apart. Be sure to keep track of all parts.
Removing Mold Lines and Flash
Mould lines: These are raised seams from the two halves of the mold. Use a hobby knife or a small file to gently scrape or shave off these lines. Be careful not to damage any details.
Flash: Flash is excess plastic or resin that can occur around the mold’s edges. Trim off any flash with a craft knife, clippers, or hobby snips.
Cleaning the Miniature
Rinse the miniature: Resin and plastic miniatures often come with a layer of release agent or oils from the molding process. Use warm water with mild dish soap and an old toothbrush to scrub the miniature clean.
Dry the miniature: After washing, thoroughly dry your miniatures with a paper towel or a clean cloth. Make sure there’s no soap residue left. Air drying is great if you have the patience.
Assembly (If Applicable)
Glue parts: If your miniatures come in separate pieces, use a suitable adhesive for the material (plastic glue for plastic, super glue for resin or metal). Carefully align the parts before gluing.
Fill gaps: If there are any visible gaps or seams where pieces meet, use a gap-filling putty (like green stuff, milliput, or similar) and smooth it out with a sculpting tool or your finger.
Pinning (Optional): For heavy or awkwardly posed miniatures, you may want to pin the parts together for extra strength. This involves drilling small holes into the pieces and inserting a metal pin to hold them firmly.
Priming the Miniature
Prime for adhesion: Priming is essential to help paint adhere properly to the surface of the miniature. You can use a spray primer or a brush-on primer. Choose a color based on your intended painting style:
- White primer: Good for brighter, lighter paint schemes and vibrant colors.
- Black primer: Ideal for darker, more muted colors and shadows.
- Gray primer: Offers a balance between light and dark, giving you more flexibility.
Apply thin, even coats: Whether you’re using a spray or brush-on primer, apply thin, even layers to avoid obscuring detail. Let each coat dry before applying the next.
Smoothing the Surface (Optional)
Sanding and filing: If you want an ultra-smooth surface, especially on resin miniatures, you can lightly sand the model with fine-grit sandpaper (400-800 grit) after priming. Be gentle to avoid damaging details.
Polishing: For resin miniatures, some hobbyists go the extra step to polish the surface using even finer grit sandpaper (up to 1200 grit) for a smoother finish. I personally think this is overkill unless you are preparing a piece for a painting competition.
Ready to Paint
Once primed and dry, your miniature is ready for painting! Make sure the surface is free of dust, and start applying your base coats, layering, and detailing.
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Extra Tips:
Pinching: Always use a pair of tweezers when handling miniatures, especially small parts, to avoid oils from your fingers transferring onto the model.
Work on a clean, flat surface: Set up a well-lit workspace to make it easier to inspect your model and ensure smooth, consistent painting.
Let each layer dry: For better paint application, always let each layer of paint, primer, or glue dry fully before applying the next. The exception to this rule is if you are doing wet blending.
By following these preparation steps, you’ll ensure that your miniatures are ready for a smooth, professional paint job that brings out all the fine details!
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