First remove any flash, mold lines, etc. from the figure using a knife and needle files. These are usually sold in sets of ten or twelve, but the most useful are a half-round, a round, a flat blade, and a triangular one. The diamond-tipped ones last a bit longer and don't seem to clog with metal as quickly. Trying to paint over mold lines is annoying and ruins the look of the miniature.

Yes, there are many painters out there who never clean a miniature before priming it, and never seem to have a problem. However, any surface needs to be prepared to accept the paint, whether it's a miniature, a canvas, or the side of a house. A miniature fresh from the blister probably has some sort of mold powder or residue on it; it may be dusty; it may have skin oils from handling. If you ever pick up a miniature to find the primer loosening and peeling away, taking your lovingly blended paint job with it...well, you won't regret those few minutes spent removing the stuff that keeps the primer from adhering properly. Wash your miniatures with warm water and soap. Dish detergent works nicely. I give them a quick scrub with a toothbrush to get everything out of the recesses.

The use of GW white primer can bring out bright, rich colors. It's far easier for to basecoat an area on a figure in black by hand, if need be, than it is to try to work up to a light, clear color, such as a face, from a black undercoat. Primer should give complete coverage without obscuring detail. Two light coats are ideal. Lay the figures flat or turn them upside down, if necessary, to get all areas and angles. You should not prime no more than three or four figures at a time, to prevent a rough overspray hitting pieces in the back rank. Priming cuts the metallic glare of a bare miniature, and really defines the details of a figure. It's at this point that you should start to visualize how I'm going to paint it. It's also at this point that you will inevitably notice a mold line or miscast detail that I missed earlier. You can also mount the figure on its base and add any surface texture to the base before priming.

After priming, you can anchor the mini's base to an old bottle lid with a blob of blue poster putty. The lid will gives you something to grasp to, keeping you work free of fingers. Some people use hot glue, some superglue, for mounting to a base. Dowels and popsicle sticks are also popular--whatever works for you.

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