Black or White primer?
* 62% (73) – Black primer!
* 18% (21) – White primer!
* 19% (22) – Gray primer!
* 2% (2) – Some other colour?!
Total Votes : 118
Of all the random polls I’ve run on this blog, this one has been the first that totally defied my expectations. I’ve always used a white primer on figures, apart from one failed experiment with black priming GW Skaven several years ago. However it would seem I’m very clearly in the minority as almost two thirds of the poll respondents use a black primer.
I’ll admit a black primer is probably more forgiving during painting, allowing you to get away with a few crimes. I know this for a fact because I primed most of my Mordheim terrain to a solid black prior to drybrushing. Although I find a good ink wash after applying the base colours over a white prime has pretty much the same effect. I mainly prime white simply because it’s easier to cover with the base coat and gives most colours a nice ‘lift’.
To the black primers out there, do you find it difficult to get good coverage from your colours over black? Are you applying multiple coats of base colours to cover it? Here’s another question, if you’re currently black priming now, have you tried white priming in the past? Also, does anybody out there use black and white priming for different figures? A final priming question: I imagine the 19% of people priming gray are using cheap auto primer, but what on earth are the two visitors that answered ‘some other colour’ using?!
The next poll is a question I’m sure a lot of people will be happy to avoid:
How many unfinished armies do you own?
My current hall of shame goes like this:
- 28mm GW Warhammer Fantasy
- Vampire Counts
- Orcs and Goblins
- 28mm GW Warhammer 40k
- Imperial Guard (only been 18 years now)
- Nurgle Chaos
- Tyranids
- 15mm Flames of War
- New Zealanders (almost finished, just some gun tractors and lorries to paint)
- DAK Armored
- 15mm Ancients
- Romans
- Carthaginians
Hence my plan to get more painting and less purchasing done in 2007!
Related posts:
I vary my base colour depending on how I feel like painting the model. If you want to use washes prime with white, if you want to paint on highlights use black.
No I’m using expensive grey auto primer, Its just cheaper than GW primer thats all. :-) I’ll be switching to the Plasticoat black as soon as I run out of the can of GW black primer that I’ve got. Why? well it has the same feel and characteristics to paint over but is about $8 less per can for a can that has more in it. Anyway enough of GW bashing. The reason I’m using grey is that it has most of the benifits of both black and white. 1st, it doesn’t stick out too badly if you miss bits on the initial colour coat. 2nd like white it takes inks nicely and they still show their colours (unlike black). 3rd it lifts the base colour nicely. I still use black for my 15mm germans but only because it allows me to drybrush German field grey straight over the top, instant shadows!
What specific brand of gray auto primer do you use Kim? And where do you source it from?
I’m on my last can of Citadel’s Skull White primer, but at the ridiculous local GW prices I’m certainly looking for a replacement product.
I use dulux spraycote, either ‘undercoat’ which is white of flat black.
the also mimic the GW paints but need a bit more vigorus shaking before first use.
for painting over black, brown is a good colour to start with as most colours can be built up over it
Yes, Dulux flat black is what I’ve used for a lot of terrain in the past, particularly anything for Mordheim or Fantasy.
I’ve yet to try it on figures yet though. It doesn’t obscure detail too much? It’s pretty thick paint in my experience. Plus I have a lot of problems with nozzles clogging before the can is empty. I’ve got a couple half full in the garage at the moment!
I’ve used red-lead as a base coat for Blood Angels Marines and grey for Space Wolves (both painted for commisions). I tried white for a few models way back when, but I always used black now.
Some colours require a second coat to get coverage but like Dustan said – a good coat of dark brown first is a great base for most of the colours in my pallete.
I used to used cheap car-primer black but I’ve gone back to GW Chaos Black as I find car-primer obscures fine detail a little. It would probably be okay white expensive primer but I can’t be bothered to compare! :o)
I use GW Bleached bone Primer (which is the most amazing stuff for armys with a lot of cloth and bone) on my Eldar and my Clan Pest. Skaven (my two biggest armys) but I alternate between White and Black on my other armys depending on the color scheme it is nearly impossible to paint a good yellow over black, and its just a pain in the ass to paint a model thats primarily black or dark green/blue over white.
you may ask:
Q: “where can I find this great Bone Primer?”
A: You can’t GW discontinued making it because retards were spraying to heavily and filling in there models details with it. (be warned if you find some spray lightly, let it dray then spray again don’t be stupid)
Cheers!
CT
I vary based on what I’m painting. Bright colours (bretonnians, wood elves, semi-naked female characters etc) get the white, while mordheimers, arbites, generally dark characters get black
And I don’t consider any of my armies, gangs, warbands, teams, cabals, organizations, corporations, etc finished. I still like to add stuff
The dozen or so figures I’ve painted in five years of buying have all been done over black primer. A few cultists, some combat servitors, and an inqusitior henchman all painted in maroon, dark grey and black so it worked okay. Now have a dozen more cultists and two squads of space marines primed grey so I’ll give that a go. Marines are going to be Relictors who have a primarily grey paint scheme so it made sense.
Two and a half fantasy armies, five 40K armies, Mordheim and Necromunda gangs, loads of terrain to go. Only one purchase and nine figures painted so far in 2007 so I’m doing better than last year in both regards.
Pagumb
Not wanting to answer for Kim, but I also use grey auto primer. The stuff I use is Duplicolor grey sandable primer. The sandable part is important I believe. Comes in the car section at K-mart, Repco has it Mitre 10 doesn’t, from memory. Costs about NZ$12 a can. I normally wait for a K-mart 15% off everything sale, and get it for about $10.
Thanks for the input everybody. I should mix and match my priming more, because for example I have a old Citadel metal troll that I’ve half painted Dark Angel’s Green and that certainly took several coats over a white primer.
And George, ta for the brand names, I’ll definitely be checking out Duplicolor shortly! Even at $12, that’s HALF the price of Citadel’s primer cans.
… and I forgot to mention, it’s the brand used by the Privateer Press studio painters as well. If it’s good enough for Mike McVey, it’s good enough for me…
Stop the presses! I’m using Plasti-Kote, yes its the sandable variety and comes in a 440g/500ml can. The GW stuff is a 280g/400ml can so it works out that you are getting even better value!!!