Problems painting figures

[Rhines]

Hello. Newbie here. Have got the Battle of Britain set which includes RAF personnel. The plastic of the figures seems to be very different from the normal Airfix grey. It is darker in colour, more flexible and slightly translucent. I'm finding that they will just not hold any paint....I've tried various sorts of primer after washing them and applied acrylic paints, but everything simply flakes off. Any ideas please.

[Dad Paul B]

Soft plastic figures are tricky. Try washing in vinegar then applying a coat of Gesso (you can find it in art shops, used for preparing canvases). Others swear by waterered down PVA glue to create a flexible surface the paint can grip. Solvent based paints will do better so you could try an enamel primer.

Bending will cause flaking for hard paints like enamel so they have tobe handled with care. That is why gamers tend to favour metal but you can get some nice results on the polyurethane figures. They are molded this way toget more surface detail with undercuts so they come out more easily.

[Rhines]

Thanks Dad Paul B...........very useful advice and I will experiment.

[Ratch]

 I spray with Vallejo Acrylic 74602 Polyurethane Surface Black Primer before painting

😉

[vimal_indrasoma]

 Car paint primer for plastic bumpers works well, too. Usually comes in spray cans.

What I really hate about soft plastic figures is that you can't clean them up by sanding - carving the flash off with a sharp knife is the best you can do.

[nmcabecadas]

I use a knife, sand it and put some glue, if needed, to hide mould lines or to correct shapes after removing plastic in excess. Remember to use 2 compound resin Araldite to hide some mould lines and to spread a little over more exposed areas. These old wargame figures still have all the paint after 35 years.

[genesis1210]

Diluted,but not too diluted Pva works for me though it is better if you are using acrylic. Rather than enamel . A spray of good gloss varnish followed when dry by a matt varnish spray seems to help hold it together . Only down side is metallic items need retouching after the matt spray