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Hi,

Im about to paint Nemesis(board game) miniatures and im aiming to make the monsters dark and the heroes really bright.

I already got Citadels black primer but from what I read its not really primer? More like a base coat? Im hoping I can use it as primer and base on the monsters?

For the heroes I need to buy a new primer, Im thinking Vallejo Gray primer? Would that work? Or should I take a white? I have tried Vallejo Model Color and Spray Varnish which works I liked.

Any suggestions?

You're correct in that GW sprays are not primer, but in most cases if you're painting plastic or resin this isn't a huge issue, as the paint sticks to the surface of the model just fine, and it is more about getting a uniform surface to start painting from than any sort of bond with the material. Metal, OTOH, can be very vulnerable to chipping without a solid initial layer, but not something we need to consider for this situation.

I'd definitely go white if my objective was a bright finished item. While there's no reason a bright, vivid finish can't be achieved over black, life is easier if you start from white. The only thing I'd look out for, if you're new to painting, is that a light prime coat is a lot more punishing if you aren't diligent about painting into the recesses. Miss a spot over black it just looks like a shadow, leave that same spot unpainted over white and it's an obvious error.

As for brands, don't get too bogged down with hobby specific stuff, there's an awful lot of affordable automotive and diy primers which do a fine job for better value. I've used nothing but the own brand automotive primer from the big national chain for years, and I've yet to encounter any issues.

Army Painter do spray primers that are also basecoats.

I msotly use light grey primers. Had very bad experiences with white, but i've found that off-white grey goes on quite nicely. I use vallejo and tamiya, those have worked well for me.

 Danielle Rae wrote:
I msotly use light grey primers. Had very bad experiences with white, but i've found that off-white grey goes on quite nicely. I use vallejo and tamiya, those have worked well for me.

Yes! The grey seems to have less problems with uneven surface, is this true?

Army painter White is the worst spray i've ever used, i don't know if it was bad batch or what, but it produced enough dust to give you black lung.

Cronch wrote:
Army painter White is the worst spray i've ever used, i don't know if it was bad batch or what, but it produced enough dust to give you black lung.

+1 army painter white is awful

My favorite spray primer is far and away Krylon ultra flat grey. It's superb for priming hard plastic and does well on metal as well.

Citadel spray will work if the models are not metal. I've found that board game minis need to be washed first.

You could spray them all black, then do a zenithal drybrush/overbrush with grey then white on the hero models. This avoids the problem of having white showing in the recesses and saves you the trouble of buying another spray.

If you use a big make-up brush, you can get a smooth enough transition from black to white for your undercoat.

For very bright vivid models start from white primer and do a series of washes and finish with shaders to get the shadows dark enough.
Caution: I find touchup can be difficult with this method but when done well can look exceptional (anyone good with watercolours would ace this).

Grey is a bit more forgiving where you only need a couple steps to build up to a brighter colour and only a couple to get shadow.

Black is my goto only because if you somehow miss painting any surface it will be black and not draw the eye or be noticed (also makes it a bit hard for you the painter to notice).
If my model only has a few light spots I paint the area a light grey and then the colour needed to get it there.

Some people prescribe a hybrid which I am becoming a fan of:
- Spray from underneath with black, all the underneath crevices.
- Spray the sides and top aiming slightly down with grey. We are trying to cover any of the black that got onto side or upper surfaces completely.
- Then from about a 1.5' (~45cm) away (tip model on side holding it and keep can upright): spay white lightly just on the top surfaces favoring slightly the front of the model till you can see it lighten (Zenithal highlight).
This is ace for a dip, heavy wash or contrast paints.

Gosh-darn, found this that explains it a fair bit better, only difference he is not fussy and paints the whole thing black which on hindsight is better but careful about the thickness of coatings.
https://www.powerfisted.com/?p=199
It is fantastic just for this graphic:

 Excommunicatus wrote:
Army Painter do spray primers that are also basecoats.

Basecoat is a general term. It's a bit fallacious to say "this primer is also a basecoat" in a sense that a particular product is both a primer & basecoat. GW sprays are simply different formulation. Both GW spray and other products sold as "primer" provide basecoat that will allow the paint to sit on.

The only thing "unique" about GW sprays is that it will not gunk up as fast as other sprays. Other than that, it behaves just as "primer-y" as other actual primers. The down side is it's price. There are other non-miniature specific primer sprays that has garnered good reputation for performance. I just happen to use GW spray because I'm lazy and don't want to go hunt for bargains.

As for the color choice, as above, I'd do a coat of black followed by touch of grey @ neutral or zenithal angle. The grey allows for easier transition to any color, both light and dark, while the black provides coverage for theoretical "dark" spots.