If you want to go for a brush-on primer, make sure you have enough for a full coat. These kinds of bottles are usually designed for smaller miniatures and won’t typically last long if you’re an avid painter. It is therefore important to begin any miniature project by thoroughly cleaning the figures. Do you like to darken something when you paint it or lighten it up? Another easy application for primer is via aerosol spray cans. School of Transmutation Wizard 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More, Eldritch Adept Feat 5E Guide | Pros, Cons, and Builds, Order of Scribes 5E Guide | Wizard Subclass from Tasha’s Cauldron, Twilight Cleric 5E Guide | Rules, Tips, Builds, and More. If you have a horde of miniatures to prime a brush is not the most tempting way to do it. Even if you have cleaned your miniature thoroughly, whether it be made of plastic, resin, or metal, you will find that acrylic paint does not adhere well to it. But the more interesting and creative side to the world of miniature is the craft of painting and customizing your own. That way we have a nice undercoat set up and shadows already applied in the various nooks and crevices of the miniature. You'll always want to use a flat, or "matte" primer, meaning it's nonreflective. Mold-release lubricant is similar to a non-stick spray you would use in a skillet, and it ensures that the miniature can be removed from the mold with ease. Acrylic Spray Primers typically use volatile hydrocarbons such as propane, n-butane or isobutene (or a mix of these) as the propellant. The volume here means that you’ll be able to use this primer on a large amount of different models for a pretty long time. Using a brush to apply primer will give you thicker layers. Here a short video I made showing you how to prime several miniatures in one session Be sure that the primer you’re going to get supports the materials you’re going to be working with. Secondly, apply grey primer at a 45 degrees angle. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). ½ oz bottles probably won’t last long if you’re an avid miniature painter, but it’s a really good choice for those starting out. If you’re going to get a dropper bottle of primer remember it’s probably going to be smaller and the primer itself might be a little thin. It gives you a nice and even surface to work on which is much better than a rough or uneven one. It can be thinned out using water to be applied with an airbrush, or it can be applied as is with a brush. You will use the primer to ready the surface for the necessary modeling paint to be applied. We recommend you stick with the neutral colors, such as black, grey, or white. Thanks for reading. If you choose to apply primer using an airbrush, you will be able to apply even, thin coats with great ease whilst avoiding air bubbles. An ingenious combination of Primer and Colour Spray in one. To do this, make sure  that your initial layer of primer is very thin. My brand of choice is Krylon, available at hardware stores or hobby stores like Michaels / Hobby Lobby. This is a fantastic primer mainly because it works really well on almost all kinds of materials. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Stardew Valley Tiger Slime Egg | What is it, What Does it Do? For my Paasche Talon airbrush I usually spray from a few inches away. You can purchase general, industrial primers or miniature-specific primers. This is another option because it also forms a hard shell around the figure. Fantastic for both beginners and experienced painters alike. The best primer to use on plastic is an airbrush primer, as the spray will reach most angles of your miniature. Recommended: Tamiya Surface Primer and Testors Enamel Primer are both enamel-based primers great for use on metal miniatures. Shake the can of primer really well, then spray the miniature with a thin coat from about 12 inches (300 mm) away. But one of the most important distinctions between different kinds of primer is its delivery system. FREE Shipping on your first order shipped by Amazon. All around this is a fantastic primer to choose from and it’s really worth looking into if you want a primer or paint/primer combo. However, if you want a slightly thicker coat you probably want to use a different kind of primer. So let’s jump right into our list for ‘The Best Primer for Miniatures’. If you are someone who enjoys using cosmetics and make-up, you will already have a good idea of the importance of primer. Are you someone who prefers highlights or shadows? BE sure to have really good quality brushes for both applying the primer and for painting the miniatures. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Miniatures are made using molds, where one fills the mold with a liquid plastic, resin, or metal. A spray primer is the best choice, since spraying is the easiest way to apply thin layers over a model. The Liquitex Neutral Gray Gesso is available to purchase for only $9. How to Apply Brush-On Primer … You will be able to spray paint your miniature with this product quickly and with hardly any fuss. Some folks use Krylon with very good results, but it takes a light and even spray to retain detail. Through applying a primer, you create a surface in which you will have more control over the result, whether you are working with make-up, an artistic medium, or with acrylic paint. It’s necessary to make sure that whatever model you paint looks great and stays looking great. But as mentioned before, spray cans tend to lose a lot of that ‘hands-on’ feeling you get with drop primers or primers you need to paint on. You will only have to apply enough primer to cover the reflectiveness of the miniature. You may also need some help on selecting the best primer shade for your project. Apply your spray primer in an area with good lighting so that you will be able to see the light reflecting off of any spots of the miniature that still need to be primed. So really you’re trading speed for ensuring that the coat is thick enough and covers everywhere. This lubricant negatively impacts the application process of glues, primers, and paint. To thin primer, you can use one part airbrush thinner or water to approximately three parts of primer. If you want to go for a brush-on primer, make sure you have enough for a full coat. Product information You may be required to thin out your primer, particularly if you have chosen a brush-on primer, which is thicker. The Best Stylus for the Lenovo Yoga | Best Picks + Buyers Guide, The Best Laptop to Use with Embroidery Machine Guide. This is mainly due to the way that different primers interact with different materials. Our final option on this list is a primer that is suited to those who have experience in painting miniatures or for those who want to start getting serious with the hobby. So be sure to wear a mask if you’re going to use a spray. This sanding down allows you to create a smooth surface before you begin applying paint. We’ve gone for this primer from Vallejo for its fantastic quality finish and its easy application. There's a lot questions about what primer color is best for you to use. Primer has an opaque color that you can either use to your advantage or fight against. Best Primer for Metal and Plastic Miniatures, Best Overall: VALLEJO Acrylic-Polyurethane Surface Primer, Surface primer can be cleaned easily using water, Premium Pick: GAMES WORKSHOP Citadel Spray Paint, Base coating for plastic, resin and metal miniatures, A fast way to get a uniform base of color onto models, Reduces viscosity of heavier paints and gels, Why You Should Use Primer for Miniature Painting, Primer Fills in Small Imperfections and Scratches, Use Less Primer to Achieve Sharper Details. The brush-on approach is favored by some hobbyists, but you will require more patience and skill should you go with this application option. Circumstances may arise where you will be required to use a paintbrush to apply your primer. These negatives mean that you should only be looking to use an aerosol spray can primer for miniatures and large set pieces that do not have intricate finer details, as this form of spray application covers larger areas at a cheaper price point. 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