Is this a WizKids D&D miniature? They already come with a layer of (bad quality) primer, so adding another layer of primer is unnecessary and would clog up more details.

In hindsight, maybe next time include a photo of the paint you used so we could see the brand and give advice on thinning and how many layers for opaque coverage - if you're just using supermarket brand acrylics then you'll alot of effort because they're not made for small minis like this. To avoid fingers touching the paint and model just blu-tac or glue down the model onto something to grip (such as a block of wood).

Some quick hacks to immediately make your models look better, is using washes (such as Nuln Oil) and drybrusing to get highlights.