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So i have run into a issue of the paint wearing off the models corners , mostly around 90 degree corners and was wondering what do people do to correct this. So just for some basic info about it -

The primer isn't wearing off just the color layer.
The models are not actually in use, so it's not chipping or being worm form handling.
I know that i should varnish them but i am not done doing all the details of the models so i have not . I have not heard of people doing varnish layers after painting but i could be wrong.

Might help if you tell us what brand of primer and paints you're using. It seems strange if the paint is coming off and you're not doing anything to cause it to wear off. Are you sure you're not handling the model as you're painting it? You can try sticking it to an empty paintpot/piece of cork with blu-tac and handle it that way.

PS: Some people do varnish between layers of painting, but that's for specific techniques, such as when using oil-based washes.

i used a krylon flat black primer. It has worked fine of all of my other models.

Currently i'm trying to paint up a tau piranha and currently using the base to hold/turn while i paint

One of two solutions: either just keep fixing it until the varnishing step, or weather the chips and play it off like you meant to do it.

You must be touching it or rubbing it with something, I've never heard of paint just falling off. Be aware that paint, even the fast drying acrylics you get from games workshop, takes a day or so to fully cure and will be soft and easy to wipe away for a while after it feels "dry".

You can paint over varnish, and if you apply the varnish thinly, as you should, there won't be any loss of detail.

You could look into a brush on varnish for more control.

Did you wash the models before priming ?

Sometimes, miniatures have a thin "fat" layer due to the demolding products used for their production.
Or you might have manipulated them during assembly and so, and as human fingers are not perfectly clean (never, even if you wash them ^^ ), you have put some grease on the model.


If you use the same undercoat as usually, this is the main reason I can see.

I've got to admit that I've had this problem with using GW paints to paint a set of Salamander SM's. My problem was the same - primer intact, but main coats coming off at the corners. I think the basis of my problem, if it's the same as yours, was A) I painted straight from the GW pots, not using Flo-aid or water and B) I was initially hasty in painting and didn't take due care to avoid touching the model before it had fully cured.

It may be that you just need to wash the model like the above members state, or use a Flo-aid for a smoother coat (like my problem). Also, you can never go wrong with a varnish coat after you've finished painting. Hope this helps

The primer isn't wearing off, which means it isn't an issue with adhesion to the model itself. As some have mentioned already, acrylic paint dries faster than it cures. It sounds like you're accidentally abrading partially cured paint (which wouldn't simply leap off of corners on its own, at least not without evidence of bubbling/lifting elsewhere). I've found that if I'm careless while painting, I'll sometimes rest a protruding bit of model against my cutting mat without realizing it and rub the top coat off of an edge. Just because the models aren't being played with doesn't mean they aren't being handled, especially if they're WIP, as yours seem to be (if they were placed in a cabinet intact and came out missing paint, though, I'll accept the possibility of poltergeist activity).

The solution is to either be more careful or lightly varnish every now and again. A gloss coat would affect subsequent paint applications (good for pin washes and oil dot filters, bad for pretty much everything else), but a matte coat has enough tooth that it takes paint just like another layer of acrylic would.

you can varnish inbetween layers... i do this all the time to protect previous layers of paint. just run a quick layer of matte varnish over them to prevent the paint chipping off when your handeling your models.

sometimes putting a layer of varnish down inbetween layers will allow you some really nice effects... first lay down a layer of browns and oranges, then varnish, then spray on a layer of hairspray, then paint your original color. with a water spray dampen your model, chip away the paint where you want and you have an awesome chipped model... dont forget to let it completely dry once your done (24 hours) and then varnish it again to protect it from further wear and tear

i never heard of using hairspray on a model before , what effect does that have ?

Hairspray can be used as a light fixative for dry pigments (weathering powders) or as a means to chip paint in weathering. In the latter case, hairspray is applied between the under- and top-coat (usually airbrushed on, to avoid disturbing the hairspray layer). When warm water is brushed on top, the hairspray layer weakens, allowing the top layer to be realistically chipped and scraped away, revealing the undercoat. This method can also be combined with a coarse grit embedded in the hairspray (salt is the most popular material, as it dissolves away with the hairspray), which gives realistic randomization to the chipping pattern.