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I have a couple models that I want to paint but unfortunately Im out of primer. would be okay to just airbrush them black or whatever color? or what would happen?

Strictly speaking you don't "need" primer.
It usually helps get a "cleaner" base coat and allows the paint to grab onto the plastic/resin/metal better.

I have some old Battletech minis that I didn't prime, but did seal after I finished painting, and they're just starting to have paint rub off almost 2 decades later.

Its my understanding that GW chaos black spray isnt primer at all....so would it basically be the same thing?


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rigeld2 wrote:Strictly speaking you don't "need" primer.
It usually helps get a "cleaner" base coat and allows the paint to grab onto the plastic/resin/metal better.

I have some old Battletech minis that I didn't prime, but did seal after I finished painting, and they're just starting to have paint rub off almost 2 decades later.

yea I spray all my models with matte varnish hen Im done with them too

GW Chaos black primer is all but a mandatory, or Skullwhite.It helps the paint show better and you dont need to worry about wear and tear so much

If you have an airbrush, get the vallejo polyurethane primers. They're excellent. But do leave them at least a couple of hours before working on them, or preferably overnight.

Personally I use krylon grey primer (which I have no more of until I go to the store next) but I have white, would be a good idea to just use white and airbrush over it?

Using a different color primer will make the finished paint job look alittle different. Going from gray to white will make the colors brighter.

If you're trying to get them uniform with other models you've primed gray you might run into some frustrations. Otherwise it should work fine.

You dont need the GW primer(omg its $$$). I use it because its one less color to paint :p. but I airbrushed right onto pewter before and it just makes the color VERY bright. Also the paint chips alot more. I suggest reading above statements regarding different primers from other companies. If you didnt want to spend the money on GW primer.

With my airbrush I've been doing this because I hate spray primer

1.Spray 2:1 mix of Vallejo Matte Varnish : Base Color
2. Light Gloss Varnish
3. Light Matte Varnish

Holds really strong, hasn't chipped on me yet. Just have to be careful handling the model before step 2 because it does rub off easily.

1. GW sprays are NOT primers. show me on their website where it says they are.

2. Priming is mandatory if you want your paintjob to last and if you want any sort of quality out of it. If priming was optional then car manufacturers would skip it to save a buck. Then your door panels would chip from every day wear, just as your models will.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who say you don't need to primer. Might as well leave your mold lines on and not drill your barrels...

Aerethan wrote:1. GW sprays are NOT primers. show me on their website where it says they are.

\

Right on the can


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Also quoted from the product description on the Black Spray

Citadel Colour spray cans are designed for undercoating metal and plastic models. The purpose of the undercoat is twofold: it acts as a primer and it provides a flat base colour to paint onto. You will find that a spray finish is far flatter and better to paint onto than a brushed undercoat.

I'll concede to the point made. I was wrong. Been years since I've wasted that much money so...

Wal mart sells Color Place primers for $1 a can in white, gray and black. It is the same quality as the GW or Krylon nonsense.

I don't use any aerosol paints these days save for Dullcote. I airbrush all my primers for several reasons. First, I can do it indoors without needing a massive fan and open windows. Second, I get a much smoother finish without any chance of gritty or thick coats like you can get with spray cans. Third, I look for any excuse to whip out the airbrush!

I just like to bust balls, I apologize!


Regardles, Totally agree, airbrushing on the base coat is the way to go, spray primer (for me at least) is a disaster waiting to happen.

I bought a can of Rust-oleum Automobile Primer at Lowes for about 1.50 and its works great for me. The grey one almost matches Space Wolf Grey.

Aerethan wrote:I'll concede to the point made. I was wrong. Been years since I've wasted that much money so...

Wal mart sells Color Place primers for $1 a can in white, gray and black. It is the same quality as the GW or Krylon nonsense.

I don't use any aerosol paints these days save for Dullcote. I airbrush all my primers for several reasons. First, I can do it indoors without needing a massive fan and open windows. Second, I get a much smoother finish without any chance of gritty or thick coats like you can get with spray cans. Third, I look for any excuse to whip out the airbrush!

As someone who buys colorplace cans by the cart-full I can promise you they are not the same quality as the krylon sprays. They have their uses, especially for terrain but the garbage nozzles alone put them in a much lower bracket. You wont get the same flow and its much harder to get thin and consistent covering on the model. Also colorplace only makes a grey primer. The flat white and flat black are paint, but I've used them to prep models with decent results.

chuckachu wrote:I bought a can of Rust-oleum Automobile Primer at Lowes for about 1.50 and its works great for me. The grey one almost matches Space Wolf Grey.

Be careful though because a lot of automobile primers are designed to be high build so that you can sand down to smoother coats.

Yeah I go really light spray with fast passes over the model then touch up after that coat drys as needed. Only messed up on one bolt pistol side so far and primed 1500 pts of Crons, two bldgs, and 90% of my SW army. But boy does that bolt pistol look sad on that one side...

Always Prime, but you can use Grey Autoprimer. Chaos Black is lame, Army Painter range does colour Primer this can save hours of painting base coats.

When ever I had skipped on using a primer, I was always disappointed later.

Patience grasshopper - your and your models will be in harmony if you wait and get more primer.



Primer is formulated to stick to stuff better and leaves a surface with more "grab" for the paint to adhere to.

Also, as others had mentioned, if you want consistent top coat colors, use consistent primer colors (I use black, grey or white, depending on the army).

I favor the vallejo model air primers, reaper and vallejo brush on, and army painter brand spray on.

You can also use the krylon 2x coat primers from the hardware store, but use it sparingly as it goes on thicker than the others I listed.
(I use it for terrain and vehicles).

Best of luck!!!!

Moartiki wrote:I have a couple models that I want to paint but unfortunately Im out of primer. would be okay to just airbrush them black or whatever color? or what would happen?

What would happen is that I would hunt you down and gently slap you across the face with a rubber chicken. Also, you want primer so paint can stick to your model nice and proper. With Krylon primer costing 3-4 bucks at Wal-mart or a craft store (need a coupon for Michaels), why aren't you getting primer? I am guessing you can't be in so much of hurry. Bettre to do it right the first time than have to do it twice.


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blessed be thy emperor wrote:spray primer (for me at least) is a disaster waiting to happen.

Why? Are you worried you will spray yourself in the eye? I've found spray primer to be the easiest, and quickest step of building and painting models.

Joe Mama wrote:

Why? Are you worried you will spray yourself in the eye? I've found spray primer to be the easiest, and quickest step of building and painting models.

You haven't airbrushed a primer and base coat(meaning the second coat of paint after priming, some people get the two mixed up) on 60 models in 1 hour then have you?

Airbrushes save hours and hours on models.

Aerethan wrote:2. Priming is mandatory if you want your paintjob to last and if you want any sort of quality out of it. If priming was optional then car manufacturers would skip it to save a buck. Then your door panels would chip from every day wear, just as your models will.

Painting a car is a completely different kettle of squig to painting a miniature. Car paint has to stand up to being out in the weather day in and day out, and having dust, stones, hail and the occasional bird bounce off it at high speed.

Most of my earlier 40K minis were 'primed' with a brush-on coat of Chaos Black straight out of the pot, and 17 years and countless games later are still showing very little wear. If you're using any decent quality acrylic paint, you don't need primer. The ability to bond to a whole range of different surfaces is one of the major strengths of acrylic paint.

Aerethan wrote:

Joe Mama wrote:

Why? Are you worried you will spray yourself in the eye? I've found spray primer to be the easiest, and quickest step of building and painting models.

You haven't airbrushed a primer and base coat(meaning the second coat of paint after priming, some people get the two mixed up) on 60 models in 1 hour then have you?

I don't have an airbrush, but my question was, why is spray primer a disaster waiting to happen? It was an odd thing for someone to say, and I don't get what they mean.

They will be less durable but it wont be the end of the world.

Its always better to prime if you can tho.

Artists Gesso, most brands do black or white (i use windsor and newton galeria gesso, but theres tonnes of others, all similar), Can be thinned with acrylic reducers (like liquitex airbrush medium) and water/flow aid, or the windex solution some use.
Can be coloured with any acrylic paints or inks and sprayed through an airbrush or brushed on for great results.
A small pot (250-500ml - something like that) should cost under ten pounds and cover several armies worth of mini's.