Care & Painting Guide

Priming, painting, and keeping your figurines intact.

DIORAO figurines ship primer-ready: washed, cured, supports removed, parts separated where assembly is required. Here’s how to get them from box to shelf.

1. Wash & inspect

We’ve already washed each figurine in IPA before shipping. On arrival, inspect for any residual resin film (rare, but possible near undercuts). If you find any, a gentle rinse in warm soapy water for a few minutes will remove it. Don’t soak for hours — resin can absorb water and become temporarily softer.

2. Assemble (if needed)

Multi-part figures ship with assembly notes. Use cyanoacrylate (super glue) — gel formula for large joints, thin formula for fine joins. Don’t use polystyrene cement (designed for plastic kits, won’t bond resin) or two-part epoxies (overkill for small figures).

3. Prime

Prime in thin coats. Grey primer is the safest default — reveals sculpt detail without flattening it. Black is good for zenithal highlighting technique. White is fine for bright-scheme pieces (WWI British, colonial).

• Airbrush: thin 50/50 with matching thinner, 15–20 PSI, two light passes.
• Rattle can: shake for 2+ minutes, spray at 25–30 cm, room temperature, avoid high humidity.
• Brush primer: two thin coats; don’t overload or you’ll fill detail.

4. Paint

Acrylics (Vallejo, Citadel, AK, Scale75) all work. Enamels work too if you’re a weathering purist. A DIORAO figure tolerates heavy washes and pigment work — the sculpt is designed with shadow-catching undercuts.

5. Seal

Matte varnish for infantry, satin for some uniforms with polished leather, gloss only for very specific effects (wet mud, blood, varnished helmet shell). Two thin coats beats one heavy coat every time.

6. Display & long-term care

• UV: resin yellows under prolonged sun exposure. Keep figurines out of direct sunlight. A UV-filtering display case is ideal.
• Humidity: primed and painted figures tolerate normal indoor humidity well. Avoid bathrooms and basements.
• Temperature: keep between 5°C and 40°C. Don’t leave in a hot car.
• Dust: a soft makeup brush will lift most dust. For stubborn deposits, compressed air at low pressure works.
• Drops: ABS-Like resin is tougher than standard resin but not invincible. A fall onto a hard surface will break a weapon or a thin arm. Handle by the base.

A painted figure is an archive. Treat it like one — light, dust, temperature.