Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I've recently acquired some model tanks and I have a question. The plastic they are made of is already colored and I was wondering if I should prime them or not. Well dakka? Should I?

Yes. Absolutely.

If you don't prime them then the paints you use will bead up and pool funny.

Priming is for much more than a base color, primer paints will adhere to nearly any surface, and provide a better surface to paint on.

Prime away.

Prime, always with the priming.

Priming is the foundation of your painting. Without a good foundation your painting wont be at it prime.... HAHA I made a pun.

schank23 wrote:Priming is the foundation of your painting. Without a good foundation your painting wont be at it prime.... HAHA I made a pun.

You sir, are a terrible human being.

Prime that stuff.
Also, use primer, as opposed to just painting over the plastic with any old paint.
Primer has a different composition.
I find krylon black flat primer is pretty great.

Priming is always necessary, paint will stick to the primer, but might not stay on bare plastic. While there are painters who do not prime, I've read an old White Dwarf article about one back when Skaven were being released for, if I recall correctly, fifth edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, but they are few and far between. Thus, prime, although do so in moderation.

Priming isn't so much for color, but for the aforementioned effect where paint will actually stick to the model.

Allways prime any models you have !!! Priming makes paint stick to the miniture and in case of a black primer gives it a mencing look.

Yay *bounces onto the bandwagon* prime your stuff, always prime your stuff.....

Always prime.
Wash and dry models before priming.
Use spray primer, several light sprays is better than one heavy. I prefer medium grey.
Varnish after painting, markings, and weathering. Spray varnish is easiest. One coat of gloss then a coat of matt, in light sprays. I sometimes use satin on vehicles.

Also, prime your models.
Hahahha.

Also, not all primers are the same. Some tend to dry longer, some go on thicker, some leave a glossy sheen, others can stay tacky for porlonged periods of time.

In general, "Flat" primers tend to do the best for me.

One of the best primers that I have come across is Krylon Rust Tough Enamel Spray Paint (again, the Flat colors) that you can get at True Value or online at Amazon.



This stuff goes on thin and smooth, dries very quickly (like in 20 or so seconds), has no tack, and has very good adhesion. $4-5 for a can which can go a long way... I just used a can to prime over 60 models recently and I still have more to spare.

I have found that a foundation paint and a wash makes for a really tight seal and works like a primer

Allways prime a model.


Also, colour depends on what your painting.
Black for a darker tone to the finished model.
White for a lighter finish (high elf etc)
Grey for a mid tone finish (Sallies)

Krylon Fusion Black satin is designed for plastics and is above and away the best primer I've used...and i'm not even a fan of black primer. But I can't argue with results.

As has been mentioned above, light even strokes, usually two on the front, one from a downward angle and one upward, front and back should give you an even coat that doesn't knock out any detail but still provides coverage.

There is no question just prime prime prime
Black is for a model thats going to be a dark color
White is for a bright model thats going to be light greens and blues, etc
Grey primer is what I use for metallics and gives it a very nice natural metal feel

Jackal wrote:Allways prime a model.


Also, colour depends on what your painting.
Black for a darker tone to the finished model.
White for a lighter finish (high elf etc)
Grey for a mid tone finish (Sallies)

I always use gray primer. If I need a lighter base I mist it with flat white after the gray primer.

hemingway wrote:Krylon Fusion Black satin is designed for plastics and is above and away the best primer I've used...and i'm not even a fan of black primer.

That's the stuff I spray too.

schank23 wrote:Priming is the foundation of your painting. Without a good foundation your painting wont be at it prime.... HAHA I made a pun.

Always follow the prime directive, and you can become optimus prime

That said, you possibly are talking about Tamiya tanks, not 40k tanks. It is possible to not prime them, if you only add details and some weathering. But for 40k, you will want to modify them, so priming is necessary to cover the different colours of different parts.

To prime or not to prime?

-- This is not a question....everything you apply paint to needs to be primed...period.

Primer is awesome stuff. Although I think I may have chosen poorly when I used household primer for a project involving gouache on balsa.