How do you prime your figure?

I usually use the Model Master's primer on metal and resin figures with no problems. I don't prime the plastic figures but I probably should? But have never tried sealing the primer coat, that's a new on me.

Scott

I just airbrush on a primer. Made the mistake of getting Tamiya's rattle can metal primer which is clear. Useless to help find defects and seam lines.

Sealing a primer would seem to defeat part of the purpose of a primer in giving your subsequent layers somethimg to adhere to better.

I prime my figures (metal and plastic) with Halffords grey acrillic primer (it's intended for cars)

I also prime plastic figures if the are molded in a difficult colour such as red or blue.

steveM

Hi i just use 2 rattle can primers gray for armour & white for figures. Why i  use 2 is one they both show up any problems that need filling & gives a good base coat for in my case acrylic paints. The white primer i find helps when i paint my figures the paint is more translucent which i find lighterns the colour you apply. Alan

RemcoGrob wrote:

I prime my figures (metal and plastic) with Halffords grey acrillic primer (it's intended for cars) I also prime plastic figures if the are molded in a difficult colour such as red or blue.

After reading my respons I see that I only partialy anwsered the question: as for how, I use a rattle can.

for my resin and metal figure in all scales, I will shoot them with Duplicolor sandable primer as a light overall coat.  If that is good, I will finish with MR. Surfacer 1200 from the spray can.

 On my large resin girl figures, I often go thru a LOT of prime/sand/prime/sand evolutions. I will use red Duplicolor sandable fast build primer for this, but these girls tend to be very smooth and devoid of (much!) surface detail. My final coat will be Mr. Surfacer 1200 often followed by a thin coat of the flesh tone i will use.

David

I'm gald to hear of a couple of you using Mr. Surfacer 1200... bought a bottle of it to airbrush as primer, but I'm still too chicken; not sure if it would really work correctly. Not sure how to thin it.

Using rattle cans in the past, I have found that to get good coverage on faces and pe, I usually end up dulling out detail elsewhere. My latest efforts were to shoot MM tan, but oils ate through down to resin. Tried again with Vallejo air Sand Yellow. Seems to work better using acrylic before applying the oils. That, and I schooled myself in better oil technique.

I'm working on a dio consisting of 7 figures on a Pz III... started the faces on the least visable mug, gonna work my way up to the face that looks directly at the viewer.  

Thanks for everyone's input.

Steve