Priming Bones

[Hymn]

I picked up my first ever Bones piece at ReaperCon this year. I found out very quickly that water doesn't play well with Bones, but I also heard that you don't need to prime Bones. My question is simple: do you prime your Bones? And if not, how do I need to alter my paint prep to get the best results? Thanks!

[kay13]

http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/48669-bones-the-first-coat-is-the-difference/

 

I don't prime my bones, but I do do a first coat of unthinned brown liner before painting (and after scrubbing the mini clean).

 

Wen has made a compilation of what has been tried for bones in the thread I've linked.  That might be of some help when you are starting painting your bones.  There are also a number of other pinned threads at the top of this subforum that will probably be helpful.

 

http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/48668-bones-preparation-glues-putties-mould-lines-etc/

Edited April 28, 2014 by kay13

[spencerjohn]

Hymn,

 

Same forum as this has an excellent topic on it already

 

http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/48668-bones-preparation-glues-putties-mould-lines-etc/

 

I use Army Painter spray white primer, works fine but hard to tell if I missed a spot.

[ArthurDent]

I painted a few without priming, it worked pretty well.

 

Most of the time I use some ink on them to make the details more visible before I start to paint.

[Pingo]

I have primed mine so far, but I am nervous and old-fashioned.

 

Primed or no, Bones prep consists of scrubbing with a soft toothbrush and liquid dish detergent and rinsing with warm water. I wear nitrile gloves when handling my minis because skin oils can mess with the paint bond.

 

Once dried the minis can be painted. The first layer of paint should be full strength, but after that you can thin to your heart's content.

 

If you do prime, I recommend tinting the primer because white is too hard to see on the Bones material.

[Hymn]

Thank you, all. I'll be sure to check the tutorials before asking other painting questions.

[Teskal]

I don't prime my bones, but I do do a first coat of unthinned brown liner before painting (and after scrubbing the mini clean).

 

 

Scrubbing the mini clean is normally not necessary. A strong Fat Solvent out of the kitchen is enough. Spray it on the bones and wash it away with water after it.

[OneBoot]

I also echo the excellence of Reaper's Brown Liner, and all of their other Liner paints, for use as a primer coat. I actually thin mine ever so slightly to help details show up better, but I also make sure and scrub/rinse them really well with a toothbrush and a drop of dish soap. I tried this on one I forgot to scrub, and it just beaded up like crazy. Lesson learned! :)

 

Huzzah!

--OneBoot :D

Edited April 28, 2014 by OneBoot

[kay13]

Thank you, all. I'll be sure to check the tutorials before asking other painting questions.

 

Meh, ask away.  We are all happy to answer questions, it wasn't that long ago that we were all scratching our heads about how to paint this new material.  That is why those pinned threads are in place.  Wen is good at explaining things though and she'll mention things we forget to say when we answer.

[ub3r_n3rd]

I'm another who does the liner trick, it's a very hearty paint and sticks well to the bones material, no need whatsoever to prime them if you do it this way. After the liner is dry I will paint with thinned paints w/o any problems and then make sure to seal it with either brush-on sealer and/or testors dull coat.

[buglips*the*goblin]

Yeah, basically washing the Bones off and using brown liner are optional, not necessary.  Most Bones probably don't need a cleaning, but every now and then one might, so I figure it's as well to do it just in case.  Similarly, most paint adheres to Bones just fine as an unthinned first layer, but a minor handful don't.  Brown liner (or any reaper liner colour) is thin enough not to obscure details but is exceptionally robust, so it makes a very good and durable underlayer.  This is especially important if they'll see gaming use. 

[Slendertroll]

Another vote for Brown Liner. Evidence suggests that the Liners actually stick to the flexible Bones material better than primer does. So really there's no need to use primer, though some have done it successfully. Make sure that your basecoat is unthinned though, since Bonesium is very hydrophobic, and that's not something that washing will fix.
 

If you do use Primer, I highly recommend brush-on. Some aerosolizers are known to cause funky chemical reactions with Bones (even through paint, in the case of spray-on sealers), which make them sticky, gross, never-drying messes. Some people have had success with some spray primers, but I really can't recommend it at all. (If you do mess up Bones like that though, just use some Simple Green to get it all off, or use some brush-on sealer to cover it up.)

[hungerfan]

I primed the two I have painted so far but during the class on how to paint bones Rhonda hammered into my head that I do not need to prime them so I am going to try it without any primer after a really good scrubbing to see how it goes.

 

There is one that I primed with the brown liner but I think I did it too think. Very dark and hard to make out as much detail as I would like.  May go over it with a thin layer of the reaper primer just to lighten it up.

[Hymn]

I primed the two I have painted so far but during the class on how to paint bones Rhonda hammered into my head that I do not need to prime them so I am going to try it without any primer after a really good scrubbing to see how it goes.

 

Another vote for Brown Liner. 

 

Sounds like I'll take a two pronged approach to gauge my success initially. Brown liner vs. simple soapy scrub. Thanks!

[Slendertroll]

The advantage of Liner, as I see it, is that it's thinner than most paints, and you can't thin your basecoat. Something has to be your first layer of paint, so if you don't mind working from dark to light, it's pretty much ideal. Lots of people prefer to paint over a white basecoat though, and that's when you have to make choices.