Because of these downsides, aerosol spray can primers are best used for large set pieces and miniatures that, Applying it this way will always result in thicker layers. If you have a relatively large, oblique figure, you may be better off saving your money by using this cheaper primer. Dark paint covers over white primer far easier (and with fewer coats) than painting light colors over darker primer. Let it dry completely. Just be aware if you’re out in freezing cold or crazy humidity, your results might be crappy. Some miniature painters use a technique called blackwash or preshading to prime their miniatures. $10.99. Amazon's Choice for miniatures primer The Army Painter Color Primer, Uniform Grey, 400 ml, 13.5 oz - Acrylic Spray Undercoat for Miniature Painting 4.7 out of 5 stars 424 This is the color I have used most often. The ideal consistency is that of whole milk. Unlike plastic models which are more flexible, metal miniatures are more prone to scratching and chipping and thus, require a tougher primer. Colors you paint on top won’t be quite as bright as white primer, and any empty spots will be more noticeable than black primer. It’s just my favorite and that’s that. For metal, plastic, and anything else, it is the best water based primer on the market. Recommended: Citadel’s black primer sprays evenly and smoothly, drying to a nice, hard finish. It bites plastic extremely well, sprays very well out of the bottle & hand-brushes well. The most difficult parts of a figure are the tiny crevices within the fine details of the model. Avoid the really cheap stuff. For this reason, I typically prime with white. I often use Krylon primer, but any major brand will probably work fine. Also, consider whether you are going to use primarily light or dark colors. For some great ideas for a do-it-yourself version and product recommendations, be sure to check out my article on spray booths. Undercoat, I'm not sure about…. Some hobbyists swear by white, and others refuse to prime with white. Rustoleum 2X Primer in Black and White. Right off the bat, my favorite primer for miniatures is Stynylrez Surface Primer. The primer, therefore, must cover thinly and evenly, bonding securely to the miniature material and providing a textured surface for the paint. I've found the nozzle often clogs up and you can get uneven coating of paint, especially when priming when it's colder than room temperature where you prime. Primers can be applied with spray cans, brushes, or airbrushes. Weather can be an issue if you’re using a rattle can, but it’s not a huge deal. You can achieve really good highlighting with this technique. This was something I didn't understand well when I first began painting miniatures over 20 years ago, but this has a lot to do with how my painting techniques have evolved since then. The spray isn’t as fine as that of an airbrush, so it’s best to do several pieces at once to avoid wasting primer. I used the same primer on both and applied it with my Badger Patriot 105 airbrush (all about that baby here). It dries into a hard shell and has the added benefit of having a rougher texture to which paint can easily bind . What are the best primers for miniature painting? Priming is just one aspect of miniature painting – there’s so much else to learn! Stylinrez stomps anything but the tamiya on that list. Novice miniature painters may underestimate the importance of a primer. Even my pinky toes. Rust-Oleum Automotive doesn’t need a primer to stick to slick plastic surfaces that are prone to pits and scratches during the daily commute. The primer can often be used as both the primer and the base layer of paint. Remove mold lines or flash as detailed in the page linked to below, then apply a thin coat of primer. White also makes it tough to see details and surface volumes. are both enamel-based primers great for use on metal miniatures. Apply Sealant to Protect Your Painted Miniatures, Conversion: Converting a Skeleton Figure into Dragonborn, Sculpting: Creating Sculpting Tools from Greenstuff Epoxy Putty, Prepping Miniatures: How to Strip Paint from Miniatures, Basing: Create Custom Oak Bases for 25 Cents Each, Paper Miniatures: Create Steampunk Spider Miniature, It provides an undertone for the color applied, I destroyed details of the miniature by filling them in, I created a smooth primed surface that paint doesn't stick well to. ... you’ll find it easier to apply the best miniature paint. If you’re considering getting an airbrush. No flaking or chipping. This article gives general information about putting a primer coat of paint on to scale models. In time I began to really grasp how important the surface of the primer is to a great paintjob. The more coats that you apply, the more details get filled in. For those of us who live in areas where it gets pretty cold in the winter, I've found that spray-painting in a garage, even if not actually heated, often gives better results than doing so out in the cold. Often, only after applying a coat or two of primer will you see mold lines or flash appear which you had overlooked. To enable this to happen easily, the mold is first coated with a mold-release lubricant. Apply the base coat. They also need to be stored properly (especially aerosol cans) to avoid bursting or leaking and be disposed of at appropriate collection sites. It’s made by combining an acrylic polymer with color pigment. There are plenty of situations in which you are unable to spray primer. I've also found that some of the cheap primer I've used is too thin, and easily flows into cracks, filling in details. A white primer, therefore, is better if you like bright, vibrant colors. It’s hard to quantify exactly why I love the Stynylrez so much. Again, I use it right out of the bottle. Hey I just wanted to show you the primer i ise on all my mini and game pieces. It will kill the small detail on it and make it look like a turd. Both techniques involve priming the entire miniature black to create shading, then applying white primer where lighter and brighter colors will be used. Even though the primer is designed to go underneath your paint, it is not clear in color. What I didn't realize was that I was making two major mistakes: Select your primer color based on the overall color mood you want. Spray primer in a well-lit area so you can easily see the light reflecting off the portion of the mini you're priming. It's a shame to degrade the work of a skilled sculptor and the best casting techniques by blanketing over it with a thick coat of primer. Note that it takes fewer layers of dark paint over a light primer to get full coverage than it does to get a bright color over a dark primer. It can be used for thinning both primer and model paints, and act as a flow-improver. Metal miniatures pose additional complications over plastic figures. provides a surface to which paint can bind. It was a real game changer for me. The white undertone will not dampen the colors and you won’t have to apply as many layers trying to overcome the darkness. There are two basic issues that traditionally has been considered as "major … There are many industrial primers that are cheap and packaged in large sizes and many niche primers marketed as miniature primers that come in small expensive packages. You’re also not going to have as deep of a shadow as black. Applied excessively, primer fills in fine lines and rounds the edges of detailed areas. Some hobbyists actually prefer the brush-on method, but it requires a lot more skill and patience than spray methods. Head over to my article, “The Best Paint Brushes for Miniatures” to see what I use and recommend for both beginners and those more advanced. Assuming that you paint with thinned acrylic paint (which you should) you will need to paint several coats over gray primer to get either bright or very dark colors. Pro Tip on white in general: if you find you’re having trouble, look into White Acrylic Ink. Miniatures are usually made from metal, pewter, resin, or plastic. Give it at least 30 minutes to an hour to dry depending on conditions. If you were to paint the miniatures directly without primer, you would find that the paint easily chips or flakes off the figure. 6 Best Primers for Miniatures in 2021. Wicked colors are great for airbrushing different surface types. The type of material the miniature is made out of will affect the type of primer you want to use. If your goal is to color your print with a high level of detail, you’ll need to start … Many resin miniatures are either cast in gray material or are primed gray. Use light passes on your model just like you would with the other brands. Light colors are far less opaque than darker ones. The Citadel Model Primer sells for about $21-23 per can. This is what you are paying for in the more expensive, yet smaller, spray cans. One point I didn't understand when I began painting minis is that thick priming results in a smooth, plastic-like surface. As such, they may apply in thicker layers or runoff of smooth surfaces and settle in cracks. Recommended: Krylon and Rust-Oleum both make cheap, widely available primers that work great on less detailed miniatures. 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