I recently purchased a Tamiya Willy MB 1:35 model. it is molded in dark green. Question, is it still necessary to prime, (gray or Black??) then paint with dark green paint?
Its always good to prime,especially if you are using acrylics,also with gray you can see your flaws and sand.Also it’s easier to see if you are getting good paint coverage. But there are plenty of opinions about the necessity of priming.
Stripping paint and repainting 5-6-10 years or 1 year down the road is a royal pain in the butt. Some paints stick to plastic fairly well and some don’t, all of them stick better with proper priming.
Are you air brushing, rattle canning or hand brushing your finish ? And what paint are you using ?
I agree with Tojo, priming is a good practice, I prime pretty much everything, especially acrylics. Once applied I let it air dry overnight, then with low abrasion 800 - 1200 grit pads or sandpaper I sand the surface to a smooth, even finish. It makes it really quick and easy to locate surface flaws, then you either sand it away, or re-fill and prep again.
Aside from the ease to check and repair flaws, it makes for a really good “grip” for the final finish surface. My primer of choice is the Badger “Stynylrez” gray primer. I know, it’s a goofy name, but it sure works exceptionally well for me.
Using that primer, I have zero lifting problems with any paint.
Patrick
Maybe I’m misreading your question but it sounds like you might be asking why do I need to paint if the plastic is already the color I want.
To me, the answer is if you don’t, the model will always look like molded plastic no matter what you do to it.
And in any case, I agree with Tojo, OMG and Patrick. I too am a big believer in priming.
I wondered about what Greg has brought up too, that the OP might be looking to skip the paint. And I agree, If you don’t paint it will always look like plastic.
Colored styrene is slightly translucent, rather than reflecting light entirely at the surface. The human eye is a wonderous thing, and can tell the difference. Painted real vehicles reflect light entirely at the painted surface.
That is interesting, Don. I didn’t know that, and this thread had me wondering why paint adds so much to bare plastic.
[Y]
Good explanation Don, exactly.
Edit: And actually not all top coat paints are fully opaque either. So primer not only aids adhesion but makes a blank canvas so to speak.