What Primer

[Ravenson]

So what primer do you guys and gals use and why?   Do you use a white primer or a black one or does it depend on the figure you are painting?

 

[Bengt]

By default I use white. Because I think it's easier/faster to paint dark colours on white than it is to paint light colours on black. I used black primer when doing Raven Guard (Space Marines with almost completely black armour), I've tried black on some other projects through the years but have always ended up thinking it would have been easier if I had used white.

 

Specifically I tend to use GW Skull White spray because I've never had any trouble with it and it's readily available everywhere. I've not tried their new spray (Corax White or whatever) that is supposedly reformulated.

[lusciousmccabe]

I use black primer for Malifaux because I like the models to have a dark look and find it easier to get that by shading up from black with thinned down paint. It is can be annoying the amount of layers you need to apply to get bright colours to stand out but it's more forgiving than white in that a mistake in one layer of paint may not really show through.

 

I've used white and coloured primer for other models and they certainly do have their uses, although if you apply a fairly bold mid-coat the colour of the primer tends not to matter so much.

[spectrehorseman]

I prefer black primer because sometimes its impossible to get every nook and cranny. Black is more forgiving if you miss a spot since it just looks like shadow.

 

I use Sandable Primer which can be found at any Autozone or similar store for cheap.  Paying $10+ for a can of spray paint is absurd.

[dgraz]

Agree that $10 is absurd. I use Krylon spray for everything (including their clear sealants).

 

I use gray. It hides hard to reach spots like black, but isn't as hard to cover as black when you want to do light colors. Everyone I've convinced to at least try gray have never gone back.

[zFiend]

I mainly use grey army painter. When I want something very colorful and easy to paint vivid colors I go with white. I rarely use black anymore. I used to, but then I tried gray once and never went back, like the Beastie Man said above. 

[Ravenson]

Thanks guys sounds like I need to hit my local autozone.

[Fetid Strumpet]

I use rustoleum black camo paint as a primer.

[tmod]

Vallejo Polyurethane primer through airbrush; black from below, German Panzer grey from the sides, grey (almost white) from the top. Easy to paint bright colours (most is grey/light grey) and automatically deep shadows...

[Gabbi]

Occasionally I use white or black primer, if I think the miniature / paint scheme I'm going to paint would require so, but for the most of my minis I use gray primer + black wash. It's the best base for my needs/style/skills.

[Absolution Black]

I use a grey primer for Malifaux minis as its a nice middle of the road shade.

 

But for 40k I still use black..after all I play raven guard so I'd be stupid not too!

[zFiend]

Abso.. You can't say you use grey primer just because the plastics are gray. Come on. It's not primer.

[odinsgrandson]

- On the question of white or black primer- for the finished mini, it shouldn't make a difference (since you're covering it all up).  Some people say that it is easier to get light or dark colors over a similar primer, but I haven't found that to be the case since you don't want ANY primer showing in the end.  Also, black primer will cover up the mistake of missing some small part of the mini, while white would highlight it- but those are easy to work around.

 

White primer makes it slightly easier to see the details on unpainted portions of the minis.

 

Black primer makes it easier to compose the mini as you go, as it is much easier to ignore black than white.  For example, it is easy to tell if you've got the lighting on the skin just right when the rest of the mini is black, and harder when the rest of the mini is white.

 

I use black for this reason.

[armyofmites]

I use black primer, after i built the models and greenstuffed it. But sometimes, i can use different color when i know the model will be mostly painted with different shades of that color precisely. Ex: blue Army Painter primer for ice golems/gamins (and after that shades + layer + drybrush and here you go). Saves you lot of time!

[-Loki-]

I use grey, namely Vallejo Grey Surface Primer. I used to use Army Painter Uniform Grey but had issued with pressure consistency. EVery now and then you'd squeeze too hard and a model will turn into a blob. Now I just brush on surface primer. There's so few models to paint I don't feel the need to rush with rattle cans, and I never got into airbrushing.

[AuroraZ]

I use black Krylon for the same reason that many have already stated - it's cheap and black doesn't stick out as much if you miss a spot. Also, I've found that if you're ever going to use metallic paints on your model, black gives them a bit more pop on the model.

I use white primer when I have a model that is going to have a lot of light or bright colors - my ice gamin and golem are all going to be primed in white so I can get that icy look to them without putting on a ton of layers.

There are some local painters I hobby with that will actually do both on their models - black primer first, then a light spray of white to bring out the details. Mostly it's for their own convenience, but a couple of them have sworn that it makes shading their models look a lot more natural. I haven't tried it myself, but it's something I'm gonna give a go with my next project.