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Like most of us with prepainted plastic minis, I've ended up with some duplicates. I'd like to try repainting them, either just parts (a different colored cape or something) or maybe even an entire figure.
What are the best paints for this? Do I need to prime or can I just paint right over the existing paint?
Thanks
Like most of us with prepainted plastic minis, I've ended up with some duplicates. I'd like to try repainting them, either just parts (a different colored cape or something) or maybe even an entire figure.
What are the best paints for this? Do I need to prime or can I just paint right over the existing paint?
Thanks
Some people strip them first, but I've gotten pretty good results just painting over the existing coat. The result isn't quite as durable as the original paint job, but is definitely more durable than the paint job on your average metal mini! I still toss 'em in a bin and they don't seem any worse for the wear.
Like most of us with prepainted plastic minis, I've ended up with some duplicates. I'd like to try repainting them, either just parts (a different colored cape or something) or maybe even an entire figure.
What are the best paints for this? Do I need to prime or can I just paint right over the existing paint?
Thanks
I learned from my mistakes and will always prime everything I paint, for 2 reasons: adherence and homogeneity. Depending on the pigmentation and chroma of your new coat of paint, old colors might show through. Generally, D&D minis use relatively dark and saturated colors, which will definitely reduce the chroma of your new paint job and make the result 'muddier'.
Especially with the plastic mini, I'd use a real primer. I repainted a few base coated a few with a paint that was not a primer and they have flaked off here and there. Much more than the ones I primed anyways.
If you're just making small changes, you can save time and effort by "priming" them with a coat of clear sealant, then paint your changes on top of that, then seal it again when you're done.
The few I've repainted I just painted over the existing paint and the encased them in carbonite... ok, it was thick high gloss finish, same difference. Regardless the paint doesn't crack/chip, lol.
My experience with matte finish on plastic minis has been poor.
BTW, I should probably also add that my standards for paint quality are pretty low. In the rare cases I paint a fig myself, primer + 3 - 4 colors + ink wash, seal and I'm done. I spend about 15 minutes on the actual "paint" part of a typical "medium-sized" mini.
So if you're looking for great results, my advice probably isn't the best. :)
Like most of us with prepainted plastic minis, I've ended up with some duplicates. I'd like to try repainting them, either just parts (a different colored cape or something) or maybe even an entire figure.
What are the best paints for this? Do I need to prime or can I just paint right over the existing paint?
Thanks
Check out Vallejo's Extra Opaques. They are like GW's foundation paints and are thicker so they'll probably be better at covering the original paint job.
Mark, if you decide you want to strip them first, I suggest (with a test model first!) getting some Simple Green. It's an all-purpose household cleaner that is environmentally friendly enough to safely pour down the sink. Soak the mini in the Simple Green overnight (note the minty fresh scent is POTENT), and then run it under warm water, rubbing gently with your fingers to get off any excess. Gentle scrubbing with a toothbrush also helps.
(This also works for stripping metal minis, though you might want a brass brush for scrubbing off stubborn bits.)
(If you find this doesn't work well, it is at least an effective and environmentally friendly cleaning agent you can use for its intended purpose.)
What paint to use is the same paint you'd use to paint any other mini (water soluble acrylic).
Everybody else's advice is golden and I am jotting down notes on what everyone else said as we speak...
The few I've repainted I just painted over the existing paint and the encased them in carbonite... ok, it was thick high gloss finish, same difference. Regardless the paint doesn't crack/chip, lol.
My experience with matte finish on plastic minis has been poor.
Try a coat of matte finish over your inital coat of gloss coat. I've used this method for several decades. It gives you the potection and handle-ability that only gloss coat provides, but a nice matte finish for looks and photographing. Best of both worlds.
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I've done this a bit since I have a bunch of DDM figures and my players often end up picking minis that look just like the goons I had planned for them to fight. All I currently own are GW paints and they work fine for simply painting over the existing colors. If I'm really concerned with making the color change stick, I'll thrown on some gloss but most of the figures I've repainted haven't needed it.