How to Prepare Resin Miniatures for Painting

Primer is the first coat on any miniature, and it does two jobs. It gives your paint something to grip, so it goes on smoothly and doesn't rub off the first time you pick the model up. And it turns the whole miniature one even colour, so every coat after it looks the same from one part to the next.

The colour you prime in matters more than most people think. Paint is slightly see-through, especially the first coat or two, so the primer underneath changes how everything on top looks.

Zenithal priming

Zenithal priming takes it a step further. You prime the whole miniature black, then add a light spray of white or light grey from above, at an angle, the way light falls on a figure from the sky. The top surfaces catch the white, the recesses and undersides stay dark, and you end up with the light and shade already mapped out on the model.

That map works like a guide for every colour you add. Thin and see-through paints, like contrast and speed paints, pick up those highlights and shadows straight away, so you get depth with very little effort. Even with normal paints, it shows you exactly where the light should go.

A lot of resin prep advice starts with a bath in warm soapy water and a scrub with an old toothbrush. You can skip all of that with ours. Our miniatures arrive ready for primer, so please don't wash them at all.

That's one less job, one less wet miniature drying on the windowsill, and one less chance of a small part disappearing down the plughole.

Resin miniatures are printed on supports, but our miniatures usually arrive free of anything you need to remove. Now and then, though, a miniature may have a micro support or two left on it, or a tiny nub where one was. They're small, but primer and paint will show them up, so it's worth taking them off before you start.

You only need one of two tools for this: a fine grit file or a mould line remover. The file is easiest on flat and gently curved areas. The mould line remover gets into the corners and edges a file can't reach.

Always wear a mask when sanding or cutting resin, and always wash your hands afterwards. It doesn't matter how small the job is. One nub or twenty, the mask goes on first and the soap comes out at the end.

It takes seconds, and it's the habit that keeps resin dust out of your lungs and off your sandwiches.

A spray can, or rattle can, is the quickest way to prime. It gives a thin, even coat and you can do a whole batch in a few minutes. Any good quality primer will do, so if you already have a brand you like, use it.

The one thing to avoid is the really cheap bargain bin primer. It clumps, and those clumps sit on the surface and fill in the fine detail you're about to paint. Spend a little more on primer and the rest of the paint job gets easier.

Brush-on primer comes in a pot or dropper bottle and goes on like paint. It's slower than a spray can for a big batch, but it's a great option if you only have a miniature or two, it's cold or wet outside, or you'd rather not spray at all. It's also handy for touching up any spots the spray can missed.