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Painting tips for Miniatures?


Shareb

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Hi all.  I've started my Gypsy wagon today by painting a coat on the wheels.  I'd really love to hear tips from those of you who are so much more experienced in the miniature world, for how to get the best possible paint job on wooden miniatures!!  What words of wisdom do you have for those of us who are beginners?  Thank you!

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What was said above. I usually like to see the texture of the wood grain so often I don't prime before painting. For plywood I do prime and sand with gesso or plaster around the rough edges. Because I use acrylic paint and water based stains, if I'm painting pieces that aren't glued down I use masking tape to stick them to a flat surface and prevent warping. I also think it's best to use a brush that is soft and smaller than the surface you are coating, may take longer to cover everything but it's less likelly to get excess layers of paint or spots around the edges. If you want to go for a really smooth and shiny look, polishing the surface with steel wool in between thinner coats will get you a very smooth finish.

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15 hours ago, shannonc60 said:

Undercoat first. I use either gesso or a water based interior household undercoat. Light sand to get a smooth surface. Then top coats. Plan ahead - it is easier to paint some components before constructing. Have fun.

I see from a local shop that there are many different brands of Gesso and a range of prices.  Is there much of a difference between them?  I've never used gesso before.

1 hour ago, Gleise said:

I use nail polish. Lots of colours to choose, dry fast and it is shiny! And the generic brands are cheap too!

Wow - that's a good idea for the tiny details!

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7 hours ago, jbnmini said:

And use quality artist brushes!  :)

Yes - I went and bought some really nice brushes just for my wagon! :)

3 minutes ago, wormwoodz said:

What was said above. I usually like to see the texture of the wood grain so often I don't prime before painting. For plywood I do prime and sand with gesso or plaster around the rough edges. Because I use acrylic paint and water based stains, if I'm painting pieces that aren't glued down I use masking tape to stick them to a flat surface and prevent warping. I also think it's best to use a brush that is soft and smaller than the surface you are coating, may take longer to cover everything but it's less likelly to get excess layers of paint or spots around the edges. If you want to go for a really smooth and shiny look, polishing the surface with steel wool in between thinner coats will get you a very smooth finish.

I hadn't thought of steel wool.  Hubby tried to tell me this morning that you can't sand acrylic....but I'm sure you can?  I also thought that once I've finished painting I can coat with gloss Mod Podge for the shiny look??

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Just now, Shareb said:

I hadn't thought of steel wool.  Hubby tried to tell me this morning that you can't sand acrylic....but I'm sure you can?  I also thought that once I've finished painting I can coat with gloss Mod Podge for the shiny look??

You can, I've done it a couple of times specially if I'm trying to get a 'metalic shine' in fake tin surfaces made out of wood, it's mostly to remove the grain effect and make the surface really smooth. However you will remove a lot more paint than with enamel, I just do it very gently and in several thin coats. You can add varnish to acrylic paint too yes, I often buy "satin" paint for that effect but sometimes I don't want to buy a whole can for a small project so I just add the transparent gloss over matte paint.

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