painting soft 1/72

[RichyBee]

In an article in a mag a painter said mixing PVA and black paint for a base to paint onto.
Would varnishing in well er vanish be enough to protect them.
.

[gnomehome]

In an article in a mag a painter said mixing PVA and black paint for a base to paint onto.
Would varnishing in well er vanish be enough to protect them.
.

I usually prime with gesso. This is available in several colors. I've started using Vallejo Airbrush varnish after painting them to seal the lot (two coats). So for no chipping, but  I treat the finished figures with some respect (I do not throw them together in a cardboard box, but store them like metal figures)

[eilif]

I've not painted soft 1/72, but I've had pretty good luck priming similar soft plastic (polyethylene?) toys for terrain using Krylon "Fusion" spray paints which are designed to adhere to plastics. 

The Krylon Camo series is a nice flat set of military colors that also includes black.  Camo is a separate line from "Fusion", but they have a small label on them indicating that they are made with "Fusion Tech".

[philp]

the Krylon Fusion is a good primer for these.

Another option I heard of was coating them with superglue but I haven't tried that one myself.

[eilif]

the Krylon Fusion is a good primer for these.

Another option I heard of was coating them with superglue but I haven't tried that one myself.

If you use superglue I'd be a bit wary.  Plastic figs are easily bendable and superglue cracks when bent.  Maybe if you were extra careful to only grip them by the base?

[Pijlie]

I doubt superglue would do anything useful, since it dries up very brittle.

White PVA glue in a 1on1 water solution however will provide a thin and permanently flexible coat that will hold paint quite well. It will also double as a varnish finish, since it dries up colorless and matt.

Mind, not all 1/72 plastic figures will need this, but it will work on all kinds of soft flexible plastic. Some of which will refuse to attach to any kind of paint or glue. The old ESCI were extremely terrible in that regard. The new HaT figures will accept any primer. So some trial and error is to be expected.

[Vintage Wargaming]

As I reply to every thread I come across on painting soft plastic figures: top tip is -

After painting spray with clear Plastidip spray. This lays down a flexible rubberised coating which will prevent paint loss, even if you bend weapons etc

[sundayhero]

Personally I recently discovered the "vallejo premium" range for the 1/72 soft plastic, because it was noticed as compatible with polyethylene

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/premium-rc-color/family/20

I bought the premium matte varnish bottle (wich I use on all my figs, plastic and metal, brushed or airbrushed varnish), keeping in mind that I would also test it on some soft plastic figures, as a primer. I explain the method I used here :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=88423.msg1105237#msg1105237

Even if I don't have a durability feedback on this, it's very promising ! And best of all, it's a very good matte varnish (especially when airbrushed).