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can i hand apply a coat of chaos black...like the kind i use for normal painting...as a primer

Yes, but it wont really be a primer it will just be a coat of black paint not primer that your starting on.

paint is not primer. so no.

Priming(despite what some say) is not an optional step in painting. If there was no need for it, it wouldn't exist.

Well as pointed out, that's not really priming, but It is USEABLE as a type of primer, being under 18 It's rather difficult to get a spraycan, even if it's from a hobby shop, and so iv'e had to hand paint some models black. Don't worry, It still looks pretty much the same once you're done.

There are acrylic non spray based primers out there. Airbrush primers, hand paint primers etc.

I highly recommend you do not use Chaos Black from the pot as a primer. I promise you will not be happy with the results. Either use a proper spray primer or use brush on Gesso.

You could use that instead of using primer bur it takes longer and if you apply to much bad things will happen

I'll add a second vote for gesso if you can't get an aerosol can or find that enviromental conditions mean that it's too hot or cold to use one. I've primed up a number of models with both black and white gesso and it seems to work very well for me, good coverage and a good tooth for applying the paint to.

Gesso works well.

It takes longer to paint on and dry than spray primer, that's the only disadvantage.

If you use white Gesso you can mix in a bit of colour.

Sorry to hijack here, but a quick question on this subject.

Are the primers the same as the pot paints, in that, i mean, if i put thinned pot chaos black through my airbrush, will i get the same results as spray chaos black.

I've had the airbrush a week now, but not got round to testing it, too many assignments due in the next 2 weeks.
In fact, anyone good at chemistry

Acrylic paints are in no way the same as primers, and primers are in no way the same as paints. The ONLY similarity is that they both contain pigment to some degree, and they both end up on the model.

Buy airbrush primer such as the VMA series which I use to great effect.

I would also add that Chaos Black spray paint is not primer asfaik. I don't use GW sprays so I'm not 100%.

Either way, spray paint =/= primer.

The purpose of a primer is to rough up the model's surface so ordinary paints have something to grip on. Using ordinary chaos black paint on any kind of plastic surface will likely result in paint eventually flaking off. You might be able to prevent that with a nice thick coat of clear spray over it.
Look around in the hobby stores, I don't know what gesso is but it sounds like a suitable primer or most hobby paint lines include a brush-on primer as well.
GW used to call theirs smelly primer. I don't have any idea if that's still in production as I haven't bought any in a long time but Reaper and Tamiya make it as well for certain.

Gesso is a paint on primer used for canvas painting normally.

If you insist on using spray primers, Floquil is the best on around, albeit expensive. It's made for model train painting, and thus is very thin so as not to obscure detail.

And a piece of personal advice, if you plan on painting bare faces or such, try to avoid black primer, it's a b#@%& to paint on later, in fact, all ends requiring too many layers of paint.

I'd rather recommend to prime grey, and then, with chirurgical discression, undercoat black later as you need.

If you really love chipped paint and paint that rubs off when your finger goes over it, then yeah, hand-applying Chaos Black is awesome instead of priming.

Dark wrote:And a piece of personal advice, if you plan on painting bare faces or such, try to avoid black primer, it's a b#@%& to paint on later, in fact, all ends requiring too many layers of paint.

I'd rather recommend to prime grey, and then, with chirurgical discression, undercoat black later as you need.

That's why you then paint your faces with Tallarn Flesh and work it up from there

Nah, I'm so not buying Citadel paints nor Foundations xD

I use local acrylics.

Just go to the Home Despot (or WalMart); with mom/dad if your under 18; and spend the dollar on a can of (enter color here) primer.
If you've never used spray primer before, grab some sprue and pratice a bit first. You can still mess up a model with spray primer by using too much or even getting your finger in the way of the outlet hole.