Pink primer looks like a joke until the first time you spray red over it. Red is one of the weakest-hiding pigments in any paint range — over grey it goes dull and brick-toned, over white it drifts chalky and orange, and either way you're four coats deep, still not there, and starting to lose panel lines. Pink sits in the same hue family as the top coat instead of fighting it, so bright reds land saturated and true in half the coats. If you're spraying a Ferrari, an F1 car, a fire appliance or anything in Tamiya's brighter reds, this is the correct base.

Its second job is figures. Flesh tones are semi-transparent too, and over grey they read grey — the tell-tale corpse look that no amount of blending fixes. A pink base puts warmth underneath, so skin tones come out lifelike rather than lifeless. Being part of Tamiya's Fine line, it atomises finely enough to protect the cast detail that makes a figure worth painting in the first place.

• The proper undercoat for bright reds — more brilliance than grey or white
• Warm base for flesh tones on figures at any scale
• Ultra-fine atomisation preserves fine cast and engraved detail
• 180ml large can — enough for a full car body or a batch of figures
• Bonds to ABS, polystyrene, resin and metal; sands wet or dry

Tip: On figures, resist covering the pink completely. Thin your flesh tone and let the base read through the mid-tones — that's where the warmth comes from, and it does more for a face than any amount of later shading.

Which primer do I need? Pink is a purpose-built base, not a general one. Use it under bright reds and under flesh tones. For everything else, go grey — standard 87042 for faster coverage and filling, Fine 87064 for small scales and delicate detail. Use white 87044 under yellows, oranges and bright whites, and clear Metal Primer 87061 on bare metal parts before any of the above.

Specifications

Brand: Tamiya
Item No.: 87146
Type: Lacquer-based fine surface primer, aerosol
Colour: Pink
Volume: 180ml
Suitable for: ABS, polystyrene, resin, metal parts
Sandable: Yes — wet or dry
Use in: Well-ventilated area; wear a respirator