20mm plastic figures and PVA.

One of the potential problems of using the really fine 1/72 polyethylene figures is that of paint flaking off in use because of their flexibility.  Historically probably more of a problem with enamel paints which aren't as flexible as the more modern acrylics. This may be a worse problem if they're based, or not, in a way that encourages touching the figures with your fingers.

I do prime any figures that I paint usually with black although I've experimented with other colours, brown and gray for example. I have read quite a few articles, there's one here on the Baueda site, where people swear by using watered down PVA as a base layer before painting. So I thought It would be an interesting experiment to give it a go on a unit of Revell Winter Germans I was painting up to be based for Crossfire.

 

I'm trying a couple of different things here. Holding the figures as you paint is a bit of an issue with figures this small and in the past i have used a small stick with 6 figures PVA'd to it. This is a problem if you're trying to get at the side of a figure so my solution stolen from the world of airbrushing is to use small nails with the figures glued to them. A bit of board with drill holes provides a place to dry.

My biggest concern was losing detail but the PVA seems to shrink a bit and was also watered down lightly. Simply applied with an old craft brush. An interesting side effect on the brush was it stripped any old paint sticking to the bristles.

I'll let them dry overnight and will see what they look like in the morning.