Optimum Prime - A study on priming your models

Priming your model is probably the most important part of painting. When I started over 28 years ago there was no such thing as spray primer, and everything was done with a brush. Nowadays, there are a variety of different manufacturers offering spray primers. This blog is a study of spray primers, and how best to use them.



Why use a primer?
Spray primer is not cheap! Some manufacturers charge up to £10 for their can of spray paint. But the primer stage of any painting project is the most essential part of the process. The primer helps your paint stick to the plastic/metal/resin much better. If you have ever tried painting straight onto a model without primer, you will notice the paint tries to separate, as it struggles to adhere to the model. So, prime your models first, and save yourself a world of hurt!

Additionally, if you buy any primer other than those sold by Games Workshop or Army Painter (these are made specifically for the hobby), you must ensure the primer you buy is for plastic. A good alternative that I have been using is the Halfords Plastic Primer. I did make the mistake of buying their satin primer - it covers well and is really hard wearing, however the paint will bleed, as it does when a model is not primed. You can get primers all over; B&Q and Wilko are the other alternatives that spring to mind. I have not tested these, so I cannot genuinely make a statement.

It is worth noting that you can get pots of brush on primer. Obviously these are applied with a brush, but it's not unheard of for people to put it through an airbrush.

What colour should I prime my models?
There are a number of colours you can use, and these are generally dependent on the colour your model is going to be once complete. Games Workshop have a range of colours from the usual black and white, to gold, green red and silver. Army Painter have a slightly larger range which includes flesh, khaki, camo green and blue. Have a look at these products online and see the range of colour for yourself.

In this blog I will be looking at white and black primers. The white is from Halfords, and the black is from Games Workshop. For those readers from outside the UK, you will have to have a look in your local hardware store and ask about plastic primer.

Primer Colour, and its uses.
Black primer is good for a multitude of base coats. The most obvious is for models with black armour or skin. It is also a good base colour if your model is going to be dark green, brown or blue. If you are a fan of drybrushing, then a black primer is ideal as you can drybrush progressively lighter colours, leaving the black as your shadow area.

White primer is used for much lighter colours. Why work yourself to death painting a yellow Space Marine from a black primer, when a much quicker yellow base coat over white will save you much more time?

Coloured Primers are great if your model is going to be predominantly that colour. A favourite of mine is Halfords Red Plastic Primer. It's almost identical to Games Workshop Mephiston Red, which in turn is ideal for my Blood Angel army, and Khador battlegroup! I have also used the Army Painter Barbarian Flesh primer to paint my Age of Sigmar Fyreslayers, since they are 80% flesh anyway.

White Plastic Primer, Halfords.
The plastic primer comes in a 300ml can for £6.99. Its actually a really good primer. It adheres to plastic really well. I haven't used it on any other surface, but I presume it will stick well enough. There is a 500ml can for £7.99 but it doesn't say plastic on the description, though it is stocked in the same section of the store.

Pros:
- Fairly well priced
- Adheres exceptionally well
- Nice bright white, matt finish
- Hard to scratch off with finger nail once cured *
- Halfords' White and Red primer accept Ink/Shade well

Cons:
- Slightly rough finish
- Limited availability due to your location (not every town has a Halfords)

Black Primer, Games Workshop.
I have been using Games Workshop spray primers for as long as I can remember. They have always been really good quality. It costs £10.40 for black and white, and a little more for the colours.

Pros:
- Product leader in spray primers
- Very dark black, matt finish
- Hard to scratch off with finger nail once cured *
- Adheres exceptionally well to plastic, metal and resin
- Brilliant smooth finish
- Games Workshop White primer accepts Ink/Shade really well

Cons:
- Price may put you off, which leads to seeking an alternative
- When ordering online, you cannot order primer on its own

* While your primer may be dry after a few minutes, it's worth giving your models a few hours in a dry room to completely cure. A touch-dry primer may not be dry underneath, so a grace period is suggested.

How to use our primer.
Your favourite spray primer is only at its most effective when used in a dry environment. Obviously, you cannot spray in your house (though I have done in the past, and boy does it stink!) so if you are using it outside, you need to make sure you bring your models in immediately and put them somewhere dry and warm.

Have you ever noticed your black model has dried a lighter grey? The main reason for this is that the place its been left to dry is humid. Humidity is a measure of the water in the air, and the higher the humidity, the more chance there is that the water in the air will react with your primer as it dries.

Additionally, it is essential you shake the can as recommended on the instructions. This helps mix all the chemicals together inside the can.

Zenthial Highlights.
This is a really new method for me. I am currently working on a study of John Blanche's 'Blanchizu' style, and I think this method of priming might be the way to go.  The idea is to prime your model in black, and then lightly spray white from directly above the model. This will show you where the highlights on your model will go, and has produced some excellent results.

I have tried this on a few models now. When I originally read up on this, some people were saying you should angle your can to about 45 degrees. I found this angle wasn't steep enough - the first few models I sprayed were predominantly white with no real shadows showing - the overspray will stick to just about any surface.

Point 1:  I found the best way was to spray your model directly above, around 4 to 6 inches away, in short sharp spurts. You are aiming to almost blend the colour in.
Point 2:  Change your angle ever so slightly to catch the sides of the model. It's worth pointing out that this point may not be necessary, however I did on the model above as I wasn't getting the desired effect.

There really are no hard and fast ways to use this method, it's all based on the model you're painting and your preference. It might be worth trying out out points 2 with a grey primer, and then point 1 with a white primer - this will add a new dynamic to the result.

Did you find this interesting?
Why not drop me a comment and let me know what you thought of this study? Did I miss something out? Did you learn something new? Your feedback is most appreciated.