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Is it me or does Basecoating use lots of paint

If you can help it, use a primer that's the same color.

Or, if you're not too shy on $, use a can of army painter in the color of your choosing.

Option C: Airbrush.

Good luck

I have base coated my ork boyz skull white using GW skull white out of a can, i have done 20 of them and a good half the can is gone and they still have grey bits.

Hmmmm.... well if it using so much paint try getting a little closer and painting them. More paint will stick on, but less details will show up. :/

richardmhowell wrote:I have base coated my ork boyz skull white using GW skull white out of a can, i have done 20 of them and a good half the can is gone and they still have grey bits.

I expect to get more than 100 figures primed out of a single can. Something is not right if you've used half a can on 20 figs. Are the grey bits on the underside of the figures? Try laying the figs down and see if that helps get full coverage. Another possible issue, is the primer running? if so - you're applying it too close/too heavy.

Why is everyone talking about spray paint? The dude said basecoating. I know everyone and their brother *primes* with spray paint, but a heck of a lot of people paint on their basecoat.

Either way, plenty of people use cheaper primers than the GW options, with good results (making the waste far less expensive). For basecoating with a brush, you can always water down your GW paint before you put it on.

Not to sound harsh, but read the instructions on the back for how to spray (eg, how far to hold it away).

To make best use of spray cans I take some cardboard (any movable flat surface) and use green/blue painters tape with the sticky side up to hold a lot of figures/parts to be sprayed at one time. Just don't leave them on the tape for long or it'll leave residue. Don't forget to shake for about 3 to 5 minutes before use.

Also note that automotive primer will work just as well if not better and comes in different shades (from white to green). Just beware of fumes.

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Stavkat wrote:Why is everyone talking about spray paint? The dude said basecoating. I know everyone and their brother *primes* with spray paint, but a heck of a lot of people paint on their basecoat.

Either way, plenty of people use cheaper primers than the GW options, with good results (making the waste far less expensive). For basecoating with a brush, you can always water down your GW paint before you put it on.

"GW skull white out of a can" gives the impression he is using the skull white spray primer can.

If in fact he's using the "bottle" of skull white, I'd suggest spray priming then I'd suggest perhaps a darker color (eg, gray) for less bleed through unless he's going for light colors such as desert.

People have varying definitions of the two terms, Stakvat, but it's pretty clear here that the OP is talking about what you would term "priming."

To the OP: My advice is to read the instructions carefully and follow them to the best of your ability. Spraying multiple models at once also helps save on paint, as some of the overspray is still doing work, instead of simply landing on your cardboard/dropcloth/whatever. That said, expect to waste paint when spraying from a can. Spraying simply isn't a very paint-efficient way to coat models. The tighter pattern of an airbrush reduces waste, but it still happens. That's the tradeoff for a quick turnaround and smooth, even coverage. That said, it still sounds like your paint consumption is a bit high.

Technique can definitely reduce the amount of paint needed to successfully coat your models, but you're already at a disadvantage, using GW sprays. Do yourself a favor and look towards your local paint/hardware/home improvement store. There are dozens of alternatives, all equally good or better than what you're using, at a mere fraction of the cost. Should you get more than 40 models primed out of a can? Probably. Will you care nearly as much if you paid for the whole can out of a day's pocket change? Unlikely.