Battleground Games Forum

Battleground Games & Hobbies => Painting & Modeling => Topic started by: Imp on January 27, 2013, 11:20:40 AM

Title: primer choices
Post by: Imp on January 27, 2013, 11:20:40 AM
Used GW primer for years but the cost is getting a bit out of control.  Has anyway used the Armory primer or know any good alternative primers mainly going to be used on plastic
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: PhoenixFire on January 27, 2013, 11:42:52 AM
I like Army Painter primer color primer (of course it is expensive)

the reds and greens and such go on great and provide a great priming base

be careful of the metallics though, they go on heavy and make a smooth surface which isn't the greatest to paint over
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: JakeM on January 27, 2013, 12:00:11 PM
Krylon  Flat Black
Gw doesn't want you to know that their "army primer" is just black spray paint.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Ian Mulligan on January 27, 2013, 01:45:01 PM
I've used Armory for years. I would never use anything else.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Randl on January 27, 2013, 02:39:16 PM
Me and paint cans don't mix so I've been using vallejo surface primer and an airbrush lately with results I'm happy with.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: King of the Elves on January 27, 2013, 07:37:07 PM
I use 2 types of primer.

 For my Ulthwe Eldar I use GW Black, it's expensive, but when I'm using that as my main base color, it's the darkest black I have seen. I also touch up the uncovered areas with the Imperial Black Primer

 For my guardsmen I use a mix of Army Primer and GW. Just started using AP but I like it so far.

 The GW stuff can get expensive, but I feel it's worth it. I just finished my first GW black primer that I bought a year ago (almost to the day) and that had primed about 1250 points of guard, 500 points of eldar, and 250 points of Wood Elves, 2000 points worth of models primed with 1 $15 can, worth it IMO
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Grand Master Steve on January 27, 2013, 07:59:37 PM
ive used both Armory and GW. Ive never used Krylon.

The only difference between the two I see is the finish it leaves. GW tends to be a Glossy smooth Finish where as Armor tends to be a Flat soft finish.

No matter what the primer ive had problems. Primer turning white, Primer fuzzing up, Primer getting all cracked and cakey. All can be avoided by shaking the can well, and make sure you give yourself a good distance when you spray dont apply thick coats. It also helps if your not priming when the humidity is high and the temp is cold. I had a prime booth that vented right out side so i could prime in the climate controlled workshop of my house.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: JakeM on January 27, 2013, 09:31:14 PM
Krylon is just a generic black spray paint you can get for $1 at home depot. Im telling you guys thats all you need! Save some money so you can buy more little plastic guys!
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Pat.H on January 28, 2013, 12:44:14 AM
I used the P3 black primer when I started out. It seemed like it worked pretty good. Army painter products are also really good. All my army is painted up using army painter paints. I'm using a can of krylon black primer though. Seems like it works all right.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Mad Dok Rob on January 29, 2013, 10:35:13 PM
I use Army Painter if I want to do Deathwing (Skeleton Bone Primer) or Ork Planes (Dragon Red).

Other than that, Krylon White (most of my miniatures, especially D&D) or Black (Mostly 40K).  I have used a ton of primer of the past 15 years (Ral Partha, GW, Army Painter, etc), and for general stuff Krylon is the absolute best bang for the buck.  I feel the paint just "sticks" to it better.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Loranus on January 30, 2013, 11:45:14 PM
Krylon is just a generic black spray paint you can get for $1 at home depot. Im telling you guys thats all you need! Save some money so you can buy more little plastic guys!

Chris Scotti uses the same exact Flat Black Krylon Paint and I just switched over to it from Games Workshop Primer. It is the same exact if not better than GW brand. Chris Scotti has won a number of the 40k Best Painted at our tournaments so I think he has a good thing going with Krylon.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Erich on February 01, 2013, 08:31:24 AM
Me and paint cans don't mix so I've been using vallejo surface primer and an airbrush lately with results I'm happy with.

Doing the same. Not only do I get better results but primer costs went way down. Of course one needs to own an airbrush and compressor for this to be a viable option.

As for using Krylon over GW (or anything formulated for figure painting), as a professional painter I say go at your own risk. GW, Army Painter, and Flo-quil and so on, are finer primers that go on more smoothly. You can get really good results with Krylon, don't get me wrong and I have used it myself in the past, but it tends to leave a more porous surface which will require more of a basecoat while painting as the primer will "drink" more of the paint.

Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: jhobin on February 01, 2013, 08:59:50 AM
I always prime white unless the model is going to be all black (ravenwing) or a separate piece needs to be black.

Kylon white all the way! There new mixture is really good the bottle says something along the lines of counts as two coats or some advertising shenanigan's. I use armory's black for black primer or home depot flat black if I need it ASAP. 
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Ian Mulligan on February 01, 2013, 03:31:15 PM
The only difference between the two I see is the finish it leaves. GW tends to be a Glossy smooth Finish where as Armor tends to be a Flat soft finish.

Armory tends to adhere better and faster.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Grand Master Steve on February 01, 2013, 05:13:45 PM
The only difference between the two I see is the finish it leaves. GW tends to be a Glossy smooth Finish where as Armor tends to be a Flat soft finish.

Armory tends to adhere better and faster.

good to know, im almost out of primer so i think ills witch back to Armory
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: DanSopel on February 18, 2013, 05:51:10 PM
Anyone here have experience using gesso? A lot of artists use it to prep their paint surfaces, I first used it priming canvases in college art classes. Just returning to the hobby after many years, and I needed a brush-on. I always swore by the GW aerosols (and generic equivalents) because of how thin they went on, and this is just as good. It contracts as it dries, so even areas where I lazily slopped it on retained their detail.

I bought this bottle (http://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-Acrylic-Colored-Gesso-black/dp/B000KNDMNE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361223676&sr=8-1&keywords=liquitex+gesso+black) of it at Michael's for like $10, and after painting 25-30 Warma figures I doubt I've used a fifth of it. Great alternative to sprays, especially for these winter months and those of us in uppity apartment complexes where the sound of a spray can being shook has the entire place looking out their windows.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Ian Mulligan on February 18, 2013, 09:56:07 PM
I've tried Gesso. I think I'm going to continue using it only on canvases.
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Grand Master Steve on February 18, 2013, 11:39:16 PM
i ordered some Armory primer and guess what kids? Its discontinued :(
Title: Re: primer choices
Post by: Ian Mulligan on February 18, 2013, 11:45:55 PM
Noooooooo!