Yay, another primer question!!!!!

[Jewomie]

This one is quick, i'm just curious about an issue i have been having for some time now.

I typically use black primer and just deal with the fact that reds and yellows are a pain. But every so often i try to switch over to a white primer to save myself the hassle... but i always end up with a really chalky dusty white...

I thought maybe it was too hot/cold/humid/dry, but each time i've switched i have used the same brand of what ever black i currently had, and used it in the same conditions, and every time the black has come out smooth like it should, and every time the white has come out like there was sand in it or something. even painted up it gives the model a "furry" look to it...

what could this be?

does any one have a suggestion?

also, where does one find Grey primer... i have never seen it... and would love to try it as i hear great things from some of you.

thanks in advance!

[Malandres]

I use tamiya grey basecoat in a spray I think this is a great colour as it gives you a happy medium between the black and white spray.

[Jewomie]

where would i find this? my lgs has red blue yellow and brown primers, but i've not seen a grey

[Malandres]

I get it from a place called Hobby craft, in the uk. I wouldn't know where to start in the usa....

[Jewomie]

okay, well thank you. You gave me a place to start!

[Malandres]

You could look on their actual website;

http://www.tamiyausa.com/

[Leifer]

I would second Malandres suggestion. The Tamiya primer works in all conditions and is almost idiot proof (If I can't screw it up...no one can).

I had a similar issue with GW Skull White spray a couple of years back. At the wrong temp and moisture it would lay down this very rough coat of paint (furry describes it) that was hell to paint over.

[Mister_Q]

I've never had a problem with the GW primers, but I got a horrible result from two of the Army Painter ones.

Have you tried/considered spraying black first followed by white? Give the model a decent coat of black and then a lighter spray of white from two or three high angles. This gives you the darker coverage of the undersides and recesses along with a whitish base on the main surfaces.

[harbinger]

just go with krylon grey primer from walmart, have also seen it sold at joanns craft store

[JayBarlekamp]

just go with krylon grey primer from walmart, have also seen it sold at joanns craft store

I second this. It is cheap and gives a nice surface.

[Backno]

just go with krylon grey primer from walmart, have also seen it sold at joanns craft store

3rd'ed

For the cost and how easy it is to get there really is no reason not to use it.

[diehard]

A lot of people endorse Duplicolor Sandable Primer, available at most (US) auto stores. I've used it and it's not bad at all. I was a big fan of the GW primers before they changed them, even at their inflated price it was worth the result for me till they changed it. After springing for a can of the P3 primer as the price point is similar to Duplicolor now I'll be using that, as good as if not better than the old GW. And I mostly primer in white as I like the resulting brightness of the colors more, plus it's easier to cover than black in a lot of cases. Black is great for models with a lot of metallic surface and some other instances so I always keep a can of that around too.

[Jewomie]

I use the P3 black right now, and over all i have no complaints. The only reason I'm thinking about a change is that i want to use the lighter primer since my painting skill is increasing and i'm spending more time with bright colors and less time hiding behind black washes to hide my mistakes.

Not that there is anything wrong with that of course. haha

[Justin]

I'm a fan of Board to Pieces. Grey, black and white. 8 bucks a can and never had a problem.

Only thing worth mentioning: the nozzle sprays in more of a line rather than a circle like most traditional spray cans. Actually makes priming large numbers of models way easier, but confusing if you weren't expecting it.

[von Clausewitz]

I am also a fan of the Krylon grey primer. I have never had a problem with it. The coat is smooth and the nozzle is adjustable. At $4 a can it competes with and is even superior to many of the $8+ specialty gaming brands like GW. I have recently been using it at temperatures around 40° F and besides taking a few minutes longer to dry there have been no noticeable side effects.

[dsmiles]

Well, since you're in America, I can tell you that I use a gray Rustoleum brand "double coat" primer that I pick up at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's about $5.99-$6.99 a can, and one can primes more minis than any other brand I've used.

I haven't used white or black primer in years. White gives you brighter colors, black gives you truer metallics, but gray gives you a little of both.

[Dustcrusher]

I wish I could remember where I saw this tip, but I remember reading an interesting idea for speeding up shading: prime from underneath with black and then from the top with white. The result seemed to be a budget take on a single light source directly over the model.

I like white for anything that isn't going to be mostly metal or dark colors. It's easier to see where I missed filing or cutting away flash and mold lines, plus if I really want to be lazy with shading I can wash the whole model in a dark color then paint as normal.

[dunce002917]

I usually use a slightly darker shade of the color to "thin" out the black primer coat. So for example, I used 1 coat of Skorne Red (P3) to paint Lady J's hair and then used my mixture of Skorne Red, Ember Orange and Cygnus Yellow to get my desired hair color. This did not take me multiple coats... maybe 2 layers. Then to highlight, I did streaks of ember orange and streaks of Cygnus yellow to make her more reddish blond.

So far, P3's paint has a more opaque coverage and can save you a ton of time. I started with white primer but preferred black after getting frustrated with the hard to reach areas.

[Mister_Q]

I wish I could remember where I saw this tip ...

Page 1 of this topic?

Have you tried/considered spraying black first followed by white? Give the model a decent coat of black and then a lighter spray of white from two or three high angles. This gives you the darker coverage of the undersides and recesses along with a whitish base on the main surfaces.

[Omenbringer]

A lot of people endorse Duplicolor Sandable Primer, available at most (US) auto stores.

I am in this group, it is the only primer that hasn't caused issues for me. Whether priming in the Dry Heat of a Southern California Summer, the Dry Cold of a Detroit Winter, or the Hot Humidity of a New Orleans Summer, Duplicolor has performed. Additionally, even with the heavy coats I usually spray duplicolor has never obscured fine details. I love the stuff.

[Jewomie]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I ended up going with the Krylon Grey. picked it up about a week ago.

Of course i didn't have much left to paint at the time. Now this past weekend i worked a bit on the last pair of mannequins for my girlfirend's Colette crew, and she primed and started painting her entire Von Schil set.

From battle armor to ball gowns i have no complaints so far.

When my new Resser stuff gets here later this week, we'll see what happens, but for now, i can dig this stuff.

[KenS]

I use the Krylon Grey, and I love it. I had problems early on when I didn't shake it enough, but it normally goes on smooth and full.

[RedScorpionsGirl]

Several companies provide Grey Primer, the best ones I have used (and I use it a lot!)

- Army Painter

- Tamiya

While yes, the Krylon will work, unless you are familiar with it, there is a chance you will put it on too heavily and obscure a lot of the details. Be very careful with using it.

For an informative primer article, visit my website:

http://redstickstudio.weebly.com/priming-101-whats-in-the-can-man.html

And if you have any questions, feel free to message/email me!

[Omenbringer]

Tamiya is great though somewhat more difficult to get and fairly expensive.

I have noticed the same problem with the krylon primer (it definately goes on heavier than what I normally use).

With that said I still prefer Duplicolor sandable primer (available in several colors), it is fairly cheap, relatively easy to find, goes on without obscuring detail (even when spraying close, heavy, and several coats), and most importantly can handle a lot of different temprature/ humidity ranges (as I pointed out earlier).

[El Indio]

I've used many different primers over the years, and have recently switched to Army Painter (http://www.thearmypainter.com/), which has hands down the best coverage and the least clumping I've ever experienced. They have loads of colors, including several greys, and they are releasing matching model paints this month -- perfect for touch-up work. Their matte finisher is tops, too, although it has to be shaken for around a minute before application.

The great thing about Army Painter's primers is that they are formulated to work best when applied close up -- less than a foot away from the mini is best. This allows you to really get in there and spritz those hard-to-reach places without worrying about loss of detail. No other primer I've ever used works this way, and it's an absolute godsend. Cans are on the pricey side, but they last damn near forever, especially for a small-scale game like Malifaux.