strawhat

Yes, if you're going to use a shaded primer you would just hit the model with it like normal--so it will really only be useful if you have a figure where the bulk of that figure will be in a shade like red or yellow. The shaded primer just cuts down the number of coats you need to apply to get proper coverage. So, it might not be worth it on Red Hood or Robin, but if Atrocitus or The Flash were to make an appearance... I've only gone to the different colors of primer/liner on a couple models, most of the time I just get into the groove and everything gets the same color base coat. Eyes stink. Big time. But I will second everything that @garbetsp said about them. A good off-white for the sclera (I use Reaper's Linen White) is a must. One tip I've read about is to have the figure looking to the left or right instead of dead-on, so you only have two parts to paint instead of three.

It's not as fast, no. But the advantage of being able to work year-round here (the Great Plains) makes up for it. Additionally, you can often thin it a bit to help make sure you don't lose any detail. I had a couple bad experiences with spray primer: once I was too close and sprayed too heavily, and the other was humidity related. Once bitten, twice shy. The liners have an additional benefit, as well. With the color selection available (blue, grey, brown, red, green, and sepia), you can do another bit of ground work to help your base coat or work with colors that typically don't cover as well. Reds and yellows are often tricky and require multiple base coats to get decent coverage. By using a brown or red primer layer, you can help provide a "friendly" base to help out with those shades. Heh. As much as I'm looking forward to April, I'm not really looking that far ahead. I have Reaper's Bones IV Kickstarter coming in February(ish), many leftovers from Reaper's Bones III, and a serious backlog of Imperial Assault miniatures, so I've got plenty to do in the meanwhile. That being said, I'd worry more about the miniature production than some of the other components. So while I think April is good, I wouldn't be shocked by May or June.

Nice setup. I won't be contributing any photos, as I work off a TV tray and out of a couple containers, but I envy all those with permanent/designated work areas!

It always starts small, "just a couple of these, and maybe one of those..." Next thing you know, the wife is pulling them out of the stock pot and looking at you like there's NOT supposed to be a dragon (or Batmobile) in there. Unfortunately, not all plastics are created equal. Even Reaper's Bones formula has changed since it was first started. I think that mix is a PVC formula, as are our soon to be coming Batman minis. So it's definitely better to test things first. I haven't worked with ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) before--except to play with LEGO bricks, that is. This is the other material the Batman minis will be made from. So have no idea what spray primers might do with it. If we were working with HIPS (high impact polystyrene) I wouldn't worry. That's what GW uses for their plastics. Which brings me to another point: be aware of your local weather conditions when using sprays. The humidity can make a huge difference in the quality of the priming, as can the distance between spray can and miniature. I've been using brush on primer (well, the Reaper liners) for some time now, so I'll defer to others' experience regarding the best times to spray and the proper distance.

For most minis, primer won't be a huge issue, but you need to watch out for Reaper's Bones line! The plastic used for the Bones line doesn't always react well to primers, and can become sticky to the touch (and it won't "dry"). The best thing for Bones, if you even use primer on them, is what Reaper calls a "liner." Brown works best, but the other colors are OK as well (the sepia and red aren't quite as durable as the brown, blue, and grey). When in doubt, test the primer on the bottom of the base (taping the rest of the miniature) or a bit of sprue (if some is available). I've not done any significant testing on spray primers, but the generally accepted wisdom is that there is very little difference between the generic cans and the branded.

In my experience, paint is (by and large) paint. There are some differences, but they should be pretty comparable and compatible (for mixing). Some folks are very brand loyal, others aren't. As for brushes, I've seen folks swear by Rosemary & Co., but I'm still using Army Painter's "Character" brush (white handle) which is about $7 on their website (I get it a little cheaper from a local shop). I use it for pretty much everything (from dotting eyes to painting large critters). I would recommend avoiding synthetic bristles if possible. The tip will start to curl after a few minis, and that can get frustrating to deal with. I've heard of people getting years out of a good brush, but I'm happy if I can get a couple dozen minis out of one. I'm hard on brushes, but I've learned to thoroughly rinse my brush after two or three dips in paint. That's helped me lengthen my brush life. I'd say that's a fine first mini, and far better than my first.

Oh, I just remembered something! Start a notebook for your painting journey: which colors you like to use, how you mixed a particular shade, hints on certain techniques, etc. Some folks go all the way and do swatch books, but I think that's a lot more ambition than I'm ever likely to have. Also, if you have an Android phone or tablet, there's an app called "paintRack" out there that can really help out with paint inventory and planning your figures. When I had first downloaded it, I was just fiddling with it a bit, and quickly decided that I was going to pay to unlock everything in it (mostly just for the extra storage space). They plan to do an IOS version, but haven't gotten to it yet.

There are almost as many ways to paint as there are painters! We've all got our little quirks. If you haven't painted before, I would suggest getting a starter kit or two (possibly from different companies) and giving it a go. You can find some inexpensive minis out there, so that you don't have to worry much about "messing up" an important figure. Sometimes even regular plastic toys (like the animals in a Safari "Toob") will work for practice. I use Reaper paints, but lots of folks use GW's line or Vallejo. Others aren't very concerned about brand at all. I've also seen person after person swear to the quality of Scale 75's metallic paints. I've used both specific miniature paint and craft paint. I definitely recommend sticking to miniature paint. From what I gather, there isn't much difference in terms of quality between the major paint brands. So it will come down to personal preference most of the time. I also recommend getting a decent brush. You don't need anything fancy to start with, but cheap synthetic brushes do not work as well as something even a little more expensive. After you've painted for a time and can keep a brush in good working order for a decent amount of time, then it's time to start thinking about the expensive brushes. When it comes to YouTube, or if I just want to feel bad about the quality of my painting, I recommend Sorastro's channel. He does a lot of minis, and he's incredibly good. Even the wife likes to watch him work and she's not "one of us."