Priming Primer question.

Most people use a sandable grey primer to coat their dolls. The grey color makes imperfections easier to see, and the primer layers slowly smooth the surface. (You sand in between layers.)

All the white primer I tried ended up shiny and took forever to dry, not something to face-up on. And the color is a bright bright white, not anywhere near skin color.

The primer is a way to achieve a smooth surface, I say it is a necessary step before resin casting. Resin is only as smooth as the original.

I would recommend you primering and sanding your doll, and then airbrushing it the right skin tone. If you don't have an airbrush, you can sponge the color on. I've had good results doing this.

 

You are correct!

The white primer is an option, but I would test it on something less important first. Maybe a little symbol or something silly in the same material. I have tried many a primer, and white just seemed to be the biggest pain in my butt. It didn't sand well or adhere well, and I remember scraping it off in annoyance after waiting for it to dry for hours. I recommend more patience then I have if you try it!

 

I like Rustoleam Auto Primer the best, it's in a can. I've used Krylon too, but it's a bit thicker and shinier.

 

Sorry, I'm borrowing someone else's thread, so that I don't have to start another Primer Question thread.
1) I wanted to know why Mr Surfacer is preferable over other primers.
2) What other brands people use (I'm based in the UK, so any local ones?). Or will any auto primer do the job?
3) Also I notice that some people polish their dolls until they are shiny and glossy like plastic, others leave a slightly matte finish. How does that effect the resin cast?
4) What do you personally prefer? A glossier surface or a more matte finish?
5) How much of the stuff does an SD doll need approximately?

Thanks in advance.

 

I've been using regular auto primer, but I'm going to switch and try Vallejo Acrylic Primer. It's apparently less toxic than some of the other sprays. I'm in the uk too (we're nearly neighbours )). I bought a Tamiya spray primer that had horrific health warnings about it being a carcinogen and causing birth defects, so I left that one aside! :dead

I'm hoping to achieve a very smooth surface with a sheen, but not glossy. I think that a super glossy surface would need more treatment (I.e. msc) before it can take a faceup or blushing.

 

The resin cast will have the same texture as the master, so if the master is shiny... Personally, I'd prefer a matte finish. The only reason I'd want my doll to be glossy would be if it was some sort of creature that was shiny ^^; Smooth? Yes. Shiny? No.

 

Right, going to answer these one at a time.

1. This one I can't answer, I've never used Mr Surfacer so I don't know if it's any good.
2. I use a French brand (I think) called Pebeo. The one I use is the white, universal primer, since it can easily be sanded. I don't use it straight from the bottle, though. I mix it out so it gets thinner, which makes it much easier to use and doesn't ruin details or clump together (or leave stripes from the brush). You can spray it on as well, but I'd advice against it if you are using a clay that's sensitive to water.
3. To me, the gloss is simply the result of very thorough sanding. Whether the resin copy will get glossy or not I think would depend on what kind of resin you are using.
4. Well, I prefer a doll that is perfectly smooth, so I want the original to be glossy.
5. You don't need a whole lot of primer, really. Especially not if you mix it out. A small bottle would probably do, unless you want many layers of primer.

I hope that will help a bit.

 

Actually, the surface texture of any resin will depend 100% on the surface of the mould - which in turn depends on the surface of the prototype. The only exception would be if there was something inherently wrong with the resin - i.e. if it had expired - or, if the conditions during casting inhibited the resin - i.e. if conditions were humid (which would cause bubbling etc.)

 

Does it effect the grip of the resin in the joints? I mean I imagine that if it's all too smooth and glossy it might be a bit slippery... At least that's what's happening with my sculpt where there's been a lot of wear (neck for instance, even Premier clay is now glossy in that joint, without any primer at all), and it's lost a lot of grip, so doesn't hold the position well. I mean I know you can super clear it or suede later, but I'd like the cast to be as good as it can be from the get go.
I've been looking around, and I think I'm leaning towards a matte finish anyway. It looks more like real skin and catches light better. I'm worried that if it's too glossy it looks more like plastic or sweaty skin.

 

I've been wondering this too for awhile. I'm almost to the point of painting my clay doll. She's air dry clay. I was wondering if I needed to prime her with some sort of spray paint before I painted her or if this was mainly something people did before casting in resin? I'm keeping her a clay doll for now, but I may want to cast her in the future so would it just be better to prime her now than to spray primer over her parts before I were to cast her? Sorry to piggyback.