Warhammer Wednesday: Priming tips

Priming models with spray paint
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Why should I prime? That's a good question. Priming your models will help bring out the color qualities in a model and also helps with paint adhesion. It can speed up your paint job depending on what type of base color you chose. Some will argue if you must prime a model before painting, but most will agree that it helps preserve your model in the long run.

What color should I use? Black is a very popular choice when starting out since working from darkest to lightest is a common method. Using a white primer brings out lighter colors (like Eldar) while others prefer grey since it is a good medium tone.

Lets say you just started playing Orks and have 100 models to paint. You could use a flat olive or camo green for a basecoat, throw on a wash, and some quick colors and you're table top ready. A friend of mine did this and won best painted recently at a local tourney, lol.


Here's a list of some different kinds of primers

• Games Workshop: Chaos Black is more forgiving but costs a lot more. A few people claim that since GW changed paint suppliers they have been getting more batches of bad paint cans. All I can say is every can I used worked exceptionally well.
• Vallejo Black Primer - Another nice primer. Personally I haven't tried it, though many reviews I've seen really like it overall.
  
• Krylon FLAT Indoor/Outdoor: I love this stuff! Takes a little patience but worth the effort. Has an adjustable nozzle for better spray control. Available in lots of colors. Did I mention CHEAP!
• Krylon SATIN Indoor/Outdoor: It varies depending on the type of model you want to paint. I found satin black doesn't work as well as flat black on plastics and scrapes off easier on pewter models. I used the Burgandy Satin on a test plastic model and it turned out pretty nice.
  
• Krylon Primers: I've tried the white (can't find black locally) and it didn't work as well as the flat counterpart. It went on thin but didn't take as well. It took about seven coats before I could get a decent finish. Both had the least amount of "fuzzy" compared to most whites so they aren't bad for the price.
  
• Krylon Fusion Plastic Primers: It would chip off a little. Not a big deal if you want tabletop, but for quality minis I wouldn't suggest it. Good stuff for terrain.
  
• Quick Color: Not so great. It peeled off too easily for my preference. Some people have better luck with this than I do. Good for table top and terrain stuff.
  
• Board 2 Pieces: One can worked for me, the other clogged (siezed) after a few uses. I changed 5 nozzles, thinner, etc. The local vendor said it may have been on the shelf for too long. That may be true, but why buy a paint that goes bad so quickly? Runs about $7.99.
  
• Design Master Flat Black: I had this lying around and tested it on a sprue. It chipped off very very easily.
  

Spraying Tips:

• Shake the can until you hear the ball rattle (anywhere from 30sec to 1min). Depending on how much you paint you'll want to shake the can more during use to keep the paint smooth and prevent nozzle buildup.
  
• Hold the can upright. Having the can tilted too much will cause it to spray unevenly.
  
• Spray just before and after the model.
• Spray the model in a quick sweeping motion. Back and forth. This prevents running
  
• Only spray for a few seconds at most to prevent paint buildup. Don't get trigger happy :)
  
• Cover all sides equally, top and bottom. It will give a nice even coat.
  
• Turn the can upside down after use and spray until no paint comes out (just air). This will help keep the nozzle clean and prevent "spurts"

Here's my picks for Best/worst overall (from what I have used)
Best Quality: Chaos Black by GW. Very forgiving of mistakes. I've had no problems with any cans.
Best Value: Krylon Flat indoor/outdoor $1.50-$3.00 @ Walmart
Best Tabletop: Krylon again. Cheap and easy. Flat and Primers first choice, Satin second, Gloss if nothing else.
Worst Overall: Design Master for priming