Category: Tutorials & Guides

What you need

• A fully finished and cleaned 3D print
• A soft brush or lint-free cloth for removing dust
• A compatible primer: POP ART Professional Acrylic Surface Primer for controlled brush or airbrush work, or POP ART Multipurpose Matte Spray Primer 400ml for a spray application
• Gloves and suitable ventilation for your chosen preparation and primer method
• A spare printed test piece, if available

Prime a 3D-printed miniature in six steps

1. Finish the print safely. Remove supports and smooth visible marks using the process appropriate to the print material. For resin prints, complete the manufacturer’s washing and curing steps before handling them as finished pieces; keep uncured resin off skin and out of drains. Avoid breathing sanding dust.
2. Clean the surface. Brush away dust and residue. Let the model dry completely. Paint or primer can fail where powder, oil or moisture remains.
3. Choose a color. Grey is a flexible base for most schemes. A light primer helps bright and transparent colors stay vivid; black makes recesses easier to keep dark. Test your planned colors on a spare piece because the base changes the final appearance.
4. Test compatibility. Try the primer on a hidden area or spare print. Check that it bonds well and does not soften or distort your specific plastic or resin.
5. Apply a light coat. With surface primer, use thin, controlled brush or airbrush passes according to its label. With spray primer, work outdoors or in a properly ventilated area, shake and spray as the can directs, keep the can moving and avoid flooding details. Do not try to cover every recess with one heavy pass.
6. Inspect and let it cure. Look for missed spots, grainy texture or obscured detail. Add another thin coat only where needed after the first dries. Follow the product label for drying and curing before painting.

What to paint next

After the primer has cured, build thin color layers with POP ART Acrylic Model Paint or another shade suited to your project. For textured figures over a light base, the Flow Shade tutorial explains how to guide transparent color into recesses without heavy pooling.

Common problems

• Primer rubs off: Recheck cleaning, full curing and material compatibility; repeat a small test before coating the full model.
• Rough spray texture: Review the can’s recommended distance, weather conditions and shaking instructions. Test on scrap before another pass.
• Softened detail: Use less primer per coat and let each coat dry fully.
• Print lines still show: Primer reveals rather than reliably hides large layer lines. Correct the surface before adding more paint.

Cleanup and safety

Clean water-based primer from brushes and airbrushes promptly as its label directs; do not let it harden in the nozzle. For aerosol primer, follow all label precautions, keep the can away from heat and flames, and avoid breathing the spray. For sanding or resin preparation, use protection appropriate to the material and dispose of waste according to its instructions. Keep all products away from children.

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Want shadows and highlights to read clearly without painting every recess by hand? POP ART Flow Shade is a transparent, brush-applied acrylic designed to settle into sculpted details over a light base. This guide shows you how to control the paint on a miniature, model, or primed 3D print—and what to do when it pools.

What you need

• A clean miniature or model with a fully cured white, off-white, or light-grey primer or base coat
• A medium brush with a good point, plus a clean spare brush
• Water, a palette, and a cloth or paper towel
• A shade from the POP ART Professional Flow Shade 12-color set, or a single shade such as Marine Blue Flow Shade

Before you start: Choose a test area underneath the model. Transparent color changes noticeably with the base color and surface texture; a dark base will not give the same bright contrast as a light one.

Apply Flow Shade in six steps

1. Prepare the surface. Remove dust and loose residue. Let primer or your light base coat cure fully according to its own instructions. For a 3D print, clean and prepare the print as its material requires before priming.
2. Shake the bottle. Dispense a small amount onto a palette. Start with the paint as supplied; test any adjustment on a spare piece before working on the model.
3. Work one section at a time. Load the brush enough to cover an armor panel, fold of cloth, or other small area. Move the color across the surface and guide it into the sculpted recesses.
4. Control the pooling. Watch flat areas and the lowest points. If a large puddle forms, touch it with the tip of a clean, slightly damp brush and wipe the excess away. Avoid scrubbing areas that have begun to set.
5. Leave the coat alone to dry. Finish the section, then let it dry completely before touching it again or adding another layer. Repeatedly brushing partly dry paint can leave tide marks and uneven patches.
6. Refine the details. Once dry, assess it in good light. Add another controlled coat where you want a deeper shadow, or restore a raised edge with an appropriate lighter paint. Test before applying any final varnish, and follow that varnish’s label for curing and ventilation.

Fix common Flow Shade problems

• Dark blotches on a flat panel: Too much paint collected in one place. Wick away excess while wet; on the next section use a smaller load and move the model to inspect hidden puddles.
• Weak contrast: The base may be too dark, or the surface too smooth to produce deep recesses. Test over a lighter base and use a second coat only after the first has dried.
• Streaks or tide marks: Avoid going back over an area as it dries. Cover smaller sections and complete each one in a single pass where possible.
• Lost fine detail: Check for heavy primer or accumulated paint layers. Use thin, controlled application and remove wet pools before they dry.

Choose your next project

Use one shade for a quick test on a textured cloak or armor plate, then move to the 12-color set for a broader starter palette. The 36-color set offers more choices for varied projects. For brush handling fundamentals, see our brush-control tutorial.

Cleanup and safe handling

Rinse brushes with water promptly after using the water-based acrylic; reshape the bristles and let them dry. Keep paint away from food and drinks, avoid getting it in eyes or mouth, and follow the product label and the primer or varnish manufacturer’s safety guidance. If sanding a print or spraying a separate primer or varnish, use the ventilation and protective equipment specified for that process.

Have a finished miniature you would like POP ART to feature? Visit the tutorials and community hub to share your work for review. Customer submissions are shown only after approval.