Joshmohr:
Well, honestley i never prime my metal models (I ALWAYS hand prime with PVA glue+Chaos Black). Is this wise? With my plastic ones, i always prime them.
Geckilian:
I always prime all my figures with spray - I’ve never heard of priming metal figures by hand with pva. Wouldn’t that kill some of the detail?
dedwrekka:
I prime by hand with a slightly watery mix of foundation paint, water, and wash.
The whole point of priming is to give the paint something to adhere to
GRNDL:
I prime based on what colours I need. Black for dark colours, white for bright vibrant ones. Occasionally, I’ll go off white or grey. But always prime with something, especially on resin models. On some rank and file models recently, I’ll forego the black/white primer and instead lay in colours of foundation paint as a base colour instead.
snowblizz:
Spray prime them black. Always.
Touching up with paint when/where necessary.
Even so far that I always use GW’s spray. Expensive, but when the option is to ruin miniatures finding substitutes, which isn’t exactly easy anyway in the Wilderness of Hobby I’ve found I gladly pay the “GW extra”.
Swissdictator:
I use automobile primer. Cheaper then GW’s and I have actually been happier with it.
Kera foehunter:
uses primer it only takes a few second!!! That like going out for a date and leaving them at home !!!
fondu77:
If you prime you begin to paint on homogenic surface.
If not prepare for a messy job at the end, because you put more painting lose volume paint go in hole and destroy details.
BUT after all it’s you choice and your fun so make what you feel
Pyro Stick:
I dont really see the point in NOT priming your models, unless you want to give them a bad paint job on purpose. It doesnt make sense to me so i always prime my models.
ElEndro:
I think metal figures need the priming more then the plastic ones, (i prime everything) and some times you also need to prepare the models, with washing them with soapy water. This way you can prevent grease and oil on the figure, and the paint will stick better.
Grotsnik:
sorry i put that i never prime my models, i actually always do sorry about that
two_heads_talking:
here’s the deal. If there is any release agent on your model, if you don’t prime, you will have odd spots…
2 things to always do.
Wash your models with warm soapy water and let dry.
Prime with any primer, even a cheap car engine primer is better than pva and paint.
Now, on a specific note, primers are meant to adhere to plastic and pewter, while paints are designed to adhere to primers… leave out the primer and the adhesion is terrible. Over time the paint will rub off or flake off and that’s just terrible.
Do’nt buy the GW primers unless that is our onely option. I use krylon primers and they cost about 4 or 5 dollars per spray can. much better than 9 or 10 dollars for GW’s stuff… Although, in my opinion the GW primers are the best, they just cost too much for me now.
cornixt:
I don’t always prime plastics, but metal really has to be done that way.
BilboBaggins:
I usually use gray store brand primer I get from the big chain discount stores. I do prime some models white (my Empire army was primed white for ease of painting the Stirland colors) and Black but the gray works well and at $1.98 a can ($.98 a can stuff is too rough a finish) cannot be argued with.
Thommy H:
I always prime in black. It just suits my painting style: I layer from a dark base coat up to the lightest highlight, so it makes sense that the very bottom layer would be black. Not only is it worth doing in a technical sense (i.e. gives the paint something to adhere to) but it’s also useful to make everything black first because if you can’t get your brush into certain nooks, it won’t look bad: it just looks like shadow. Also, if you want to black-line all you have to do is leave the primer showing on the edges of each part. Very easy.
Kera foehunter:
i use good old krylon black primer!! cheep and leaves a smooth finish
BilboBaggins:
Has anyone tried the paint that bonds to plastic as a primer for their plastic models?
Groznit Goregut:
I started with black primer, but have moved more towards white primer. Well, I think it depends on the type of mini you are going to do. Going black and leaving a lot of black in the recesses is one way to go. The white primer makes the colors pop out more.
Has anyone else used gesso? It’s liquid primer. I know a lot of people are worried about losing detail on their minis. Some people use gesso, which is what regular artists use to prime their canvases (if it’s not already pre-primed). You can buy it in white and black (and probably a host of other colors). I know Wal-mart carries Liquitex white. It’s not terribly expensive and it is kind of like a paint (if a little thick). I got the white gesso as it’s great to do detail work on banners and things. You know how hard it is to cover things with white, right? Well, the gesso is a lot better at covering things than regular paint, so if you want to go over something with white, you don’t need to do as many coats.
Bassman:
I strongly suggest to prime your minis. It really helps to get an uniform and clean surface. Also painting will stick better on primer than bare metal or plastic.
Once I used to prime everything in black and directly paint over the primer but now I’ve found a new very smart technique (as a matter of fact not invented by me :~ ). I prime black, to get a dark surface, then I lightly spray the mini white from 45° degrees from top, front and rear. This technique naturally enhance shadows and details giving a nice sense of deep to the mini. It naturally gives light to the highest and most light exposed parts of the mini and gives darkness to the recesses and darest parts. Imagine the white color can as “sun” and the flush of colour as rays and you got the idea. :hashut
Spraying takes a couple of minutes for an entire regiment.
Regards,
Bassman :cheers
Lord_Nagash:
I always prime my models, regardless if they are plastic or metal. I do not use ANY GW primer because I don’t believe in spending $15 on spray paint. I use Flat Black Walmart spray paint for $.99 a can and when they are dry, I go over them with a mix of chaos black and water. It gets in every nook and cranny and it is still chaos black in case I make a mistake in painting and need to do some touch ups.