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Hi all, first time poster, longer time lurker after reading about and looking at so many awesome miniatures, the time has come to show the world that i can be good at this too! And damn am i going to become the best pokemon trainer around!!! Oh wait...

Anyway, I'm starting with the mantic starter pack and hit my first wall. I previously primed with a spray can and that worked fine on 1/72 minis, but as of right now ( weather isn't on my side + apartment )i only have a tub of Lifecolor white acrylic Primer on hand, the brush on type. Tomorrow i may be able to snag a bottle of Vallejo black surface primer, but one thing after the other.

I tried to apply the primer in thin coats because i'm afraid to lose details, but the results are still kinda odd. My minins all look dipped in a white wash, not primed. i can't seem to get a decent coat, even on flat surfaces.

So, what's my play here? More coats? Different primer? Different brush? Different hobby? Or is this actually acceptable to start painting?

I'm sorry for the terrible pictures with glare, if these are too bad, i'll see to build a light box and maybe even take a picture during the day

I hope someone has some tips for me... Thanks in advance

That should honestly be fine. As long as the paint has something to "grab" onto it will work. It does not need to be all perfect and snowy white.

Well, that would be a big relief. Thank you very much for the quick answer.

Is this effect common or is it just my applying skills that need practice?

I always have this feeling that I'm going to ruin the mini any moment now, so I try to read up on all possible topics, but didn't find any pics of my problem. And I haven't even started painting yet ( paints get here tomorrow anyway ).......

This is common with some primers....again, the main job of a primer is to bond to the mini, and create a surface that paint can bond to as well.

Some give better coverage, and some are even colored...but beyond what you have shown...that is all you need to apply a colored basecoat.

best of luck!

Thank you very much!

Onto the next problem i surely go

Oh and dont be afraid to "mess up" a paint job. The nice thing about painting models is they can always be stripped and repainted.

Also most models look like crap right up till they point they are done. Its weird but it just works that way.

most of the time i use white Gesso for priming mini's ... just brush it on thick and it will shrink into the details when dry and paint sticks good after that ...

doesn't work as well on a larger mini / ship though as brush strokes will show through.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Priming_With_Acrylic_Gesso

Ceramite white makes a good brush-on.

That gesso link is very interesting. I have to try it out! Experimenting i find indeed interesting. I would still have freaked out after apllying it due to the apparent loss of detail haha.

Thanks.

So long for being on a budget... Buying spreeeeeeee

Be sure to get a _good_ brand of gesso! I originally bought a tub of Blick's white gesso (store brand), since it was cheaper than Golden or Liquitex. It is likely a 'student'-grade. I wasn't super thrilled with it. It would go on okay, but it left a very rough finish and it didn't shrinkwrap itself while drying the way the articles claim.

I finally went and got Liquitex black gesso (since everyone that has success seems to use Liquitex or Golden). Wow, what a difference! I only did a quick test prior to stripping some old minis down to do it for real, but even in that short time I was able to see it gave a MUCH smoother finish, and was shrink-wrapping the model just as promised. Just beware that you can still goop it on too thick - they mean 'goop' in relation to the hyper-thin layers you use when painting.

daagar wrote:
Be sure to get a _good_ brand of gesso! I originally bought a tub of Blick's white gesso (store brand), since it was cheaper than Golden or Liquitex. It is likely a 'student'-grade. I wasn't super thrilled with it. It would go on okay, but it left a very rough finish and it didn't shrinkwrap itself while drying the way the articles claim.

I finally went and got Liquitex black gesso (since everyone that has success seems to use Liquitex or Golden). Wow, what a difference! I only did a quick test prior to stripping some old minis down to do it for real, but even in that short time I was able to see it gave a MUCH smoother finish, and was shrink-wrapping the model just as promised. Just beware that you can still goop it on too thick - they mean 'goop' in relation to the hyper-thin layers you use when painting.

While I have only used gesso for sealing/priming terrain, I can say that I have been exceptionally happy with both the Liquitex and Golden brands - so as daagar suggests the brand can matter quite a bit.

best of luck!