Paint has a difficult time binding directly to the smooth surface of miniatures. Primer, on the other hand, has a bit of “bite” to it, such that it will stick to the miniature and also provide a surface paint can adhere to.
Most painters use a spray on primer, and also have some brush on primer around for touch ups. There are various methods for priming a figure. Some people will mount the mini on a stand, or on a piece of cardboard and spray it standing up. Others will lay the mini on a piece of cardboard, or a paper plate, spray it, then go through three cycles of turning it 90 degrees and spraying it again until one side of the mini is covered. Once the primer is dry, they flip the mini and repeat on the other side.
Regardless of your technique, a couple basic rules will always apply.
Do it outside or in a well ventilated area. Duh.
Shake your primer well. Up and down. Side to side. In little circles. Do the hokey-pokey with it. It’ll feel good!
Keep the can around 12 inches (30cm) away from the mini. The idea is to get a light coat of primer. Too much primer all at once will fill in the recesses of the mini, ruining all of the little details that make the figure look cool. We don’t want that.
Avoid priming outside in very cold or moist weather. The primer in the can is room temperature, so a sudden drop to freezing as it leaves the can will not end well.
Do not start spraying with the can pointed directly at the mini. The first second of spray can be fouled by dried primer and other gunk. It can also take that long for the primer coming out of the can to be properly mixed. Start spraying to the side of the mini, and then drag the spray across the mini. Then stop spraying, return the can to the starting point and repeat until you have a nice light coat covering all surfaces of the figure.
Please be kind to the environment, have a piece of cardboard, or a box on its side, on the far side of the mini to catch excess primer.
If you are having trouble finding all of the mold lines, just go ahead and wash and prime the mini. The primer will make the lines stand out. Then you can clean the figure and use brush on primer over the affected area.
Learning to prime well will help to set you up for success in the hobby.
This post was adapted from an article originally published on the Mad Adventurer's Society.
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