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For my guard and all other armies I have sprayed the models for a quick undercoat. I havent been able to get any now, and it is really bugging me.
Is there any other way to undercoat models other than spray? My FLGS guy says no, but I dont really believe him.

cheers

Vallejo makes a paint on primer. You can also use an airbrush primer as a paint on primer as well. Just be careful not to use too much.

Paint on primer, or white acrylic gesso which you can stain with paint if you want a coloured primer. It won't become a proper solid colour but it will get away from the pure white. There is also black acrylic gesso.

Yeah, there's paint-on primer and gesso, but the pros of doing it with spray primer/airbrush primer still outweighs paint-on primer, in my opinion. It's faster, for one.

Like Heartserenade says it won't be as quick for massed armies, but at a pinch I've got to point out gesso too.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Priming_With_Acrylic_Gesso
http://tyler.provick.ca/blog/improve-painting-brush-priming/

I saw the first article when it was still at it's original host, and while I'm still a bit iffy about white gesso, a tub of cheap black gesso has become a valuable part of my hobby supplies. It does shrink around and into mini details, which allows 'untidy' painting and makes things a little quicker, although I tend to brush it on a bit more like Tyler Provick than Stgm.

Yeah 3 choices really;

buy a spray can of primer,
use brush on primer,
invest in airbrush set up and thin your own primer to spray on.

...
Even though Ive got two airbrushes, I still go for the rattle can of primer.
Its more hard wearing than the paints I put through my airbrush, and just more convenient to not have to clean primer out of my airbrush either.
And 1 can will undercoat rather a lot of models as they're kinda really small.

I use army painter sprays, dries as though the plastic (or metal) was always that colour as long as you follow the instructions.

£8 or so a can on ebay and does loads of figures in whatever colour you like.

Depending on the colour you want to use as an undercoat, practically any acrylic can be used. You'd have to make extra-sure that the model is clean from fingerprint grease and dust, and be aware that it won't have the same adhesive/etch qualities as a proper primer, but it's still possible.
Because you won't have the same handling resistance (to wear and tear, chipping etc.) on your model as a primed model, you'll need at least one coat of gloss varnish and maybe two, followed by a coat of matt varnish.

I use Vallejo brush on primer thinned with future. More even than spray, but not fast. Works great and no smell!

As someone who has painted on canvas for 20 years, I can't imagine using gesso to prime miniatures with. It's used for priming canvas because it's cheaper than paint. It does a fantastic job of absorbing into cloth, its plaster content also lets it absorb oil or acrylic after it's dried for a great bond. That being said, oil or acrylic would work just as well, if not better. The only downside would be the expense.

On a plastic or metal miniature, however, it has no bonding properties at all. Sure the paint will bond to the gesso wonderfully, but the gesso won't bond to the mini well at all. Gesso has no etching properties whatsoever.

If you're thinking of using gesso, don't. You'd honestly be better off washing the models in soapy water and just painting directly onto the plastic or metal with no primer.

Agree w beezly. Rattle can primer is superior. Should be available at local hardware store (flat or matte) and several color options.

Well, another way is really, really thin paint, I used to do this, using chaos black mixed with about 3 times as much water - it takes a few passes (not least because the paint pulls together like water) but does give a really smooth basecoat. Time consuming and messier than most painting but requires no concentration whatsoever so can be done anytime. Probably better for black than white.

I can't imagine using gesso to prime miniatures with.

Can you try using gesso to prime miniatures with?

On a plastic or metal miniature, however, it has no bonding properties at all.

What does, besides etch primer?

 beezley1981 wrote:
As someone who has painted on canvas for 20 years, I can't imagine using gesso to prime miniatures with. It's used for priming canvas because it's cheaper than paint. It does a fantastic job of absorbing into cloth, its plaster content also lets it absorb oil or acrylic after it's dried for a great bond. That being said, oil or acrylic would work just as well, if not better. The only downside would be the expense.

On a plastic or metal miniature, however, it has no bonding properties at all. Sure the paint will bond to the gesso wonderfully, but the gesso won't bond to the mini well at all. Gesso has no etching properties whatsoever.

If you're thinking of using gesso, don't. You'd honestly be better off washing the models in soapy water and just painting directly onto the plastic or metal with no primer.

It works fine. I've used it on PVC models, which are notoriously "greasy" and difficult to prime. It has also been reported to work well on metal figures as mentioned in the article.

 Vermis wrote:
Can you try using gesso to prime miniatures with?

Figure of speech I suppose. I can't imagine relying on it as a means of priming.

What does, besides etch primer?

Acetone melts abs plastic, and acetone is in spray paint. Anything in a spray can will etch abs plastic.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
It works fine. I've used it on PVC models, which are notoriously "greasy" and difficult to prime. It has also been reported to work well on metal figures as mentioned in the article.

Prime a test model with gesso and a test model with whatever you would normally use as a base coat. Let them dry then start scratching them. I'm not saying that gesso doesn't work at all, just that it doesn't work as well.