This is coming along nicely. I know it's been mentioned, but a couple coats of primer or some pre-paint sanding would go a long way in improving your paint apps.
Use blue painters tape so the paint won't bleed into other areas, and lighter coats if you're using a brush so the paint won't be to caked on. Primer is good, Tamiya primer and paint more than anything IMO. Don't use those primers that they sell at Wal-Mart. They take forever to dry and you get horrible results with them. They don't mesh well with hobby paints. If not a good washing of the figure should do fine.
You seem to have a lot of experience with primers. Would you say it is a good idea to coat a primer to make it more durable or does it decrease the adhesion of it to top coats?
I used Tamyia flat white from a spray can for my RID/IDW Impactor. It didn't dry as quick as airbrush and therefore gathered in corners and grooves. And it wasn't that durable either on edges. Got scrabbed off pretty easy. Are the ones for airbrush better? And what are fine mists? @Venixion If you mind our conversation in here just tell us... Then we can as well use personal messagesl. Otherwise if you find it useful for your custom then tell us, too
The Tamiya paints for airbrush are the paints that are in a glass bottle and are acrylics and are labled XF and thinner as opposed to the spray can which are laquer. Plus if the XF paints still seem to thick, you can always apply a little Tamiya paint thiner. Also, I tend to stay way from Testors spray or bottle paints as well. Yes, you are correct about spray can paint gathering in corners. I used to have that issue, so I started to spray a bit further and 1 fine quick coat at time. As fine as I could get it. Fine mists that I am aware of,are empty spray bottles that the nozzle produces a fine mist. You can use watercolors and acrylics. I've haven't used them, though. I still think that airbrush is the way to go, and Tamiya XF, Minitaire and Vallejo paints work very well. Here are some figures that I've done and I'm working on Hotlink.
They look good but how durable is the paintjob? Especially during transformation. I use Tamiya for coating and just started with airbrush last month but haven't done a primer by airbrush yet. The paints I use for paintjobs are from Vallejo and Green Stuff World.
I transformed him two days after painting without issues. I transformed Bruticus's limbs once to get them ready to merge and that was it. They staying that way. Mainly do to the kit that combines the UT limbs with the Zeta torso. I don't want to break it. The paint held up well. However, I rarely transform my figures, even the factory painted mp's and 3rd party one's that I have due to some being complex and to try and avoid breaking them. There have been times when I transform them that parts of rub together, and the paint doesn't scratch or chip. So far I haven't had issues like that. The one figure that I did have issues with was with Armada Unicron, on the soft plastic that are on his shoulders. I had chipping there so I had to add primer to it. I had some chipping and scratching when I painted with brush and spray can. That why I had to give them 3 very light coats, but when I switch to airbrush, that all stopped due to the mist it sprays and you can control the flow of the paint way better as opposed to the spray can which can cause over spray at times. Vallejo paints are good also from what I read and seen on reviews. I've been wanting to try them. I'm guessing they're the same as the Minitaire paints. Let them cure for a day or 2 even if the paint is dry and handle them carefully after that and they should be good.
a rescue bots blades head would work perfectly. might i suggest applying paint in thin coats instead of heavy ones?
