Paint on Primer

[BEAR812]

So, I haven't painted anything in a loooong time. New games means I have to get back at it. I looked all over for a method that didn't involve a spray can. I can NEVER get the consistent results I want with a rattle can, especially GW's, though to be fair I haven't used a GW spray in over 5+ years. Testors is the only can that never failed me, but I don't like the small can.

I read about the "Gesso" method, and was intrigued. I also read several opinions on various brush on primers from different companies as well. Before I sat down with my new minis I didn't want to screw up, I decided to give some different brush ons a test drive to see if they really worked (Gesso) and see which brush on gave me the best results. If you are just starting out you may find my little experiment helpful.

Gesso - It really does work. You can be liberal with the application and use it straight from the bottle. People suggest giving it 24 hours to dry before painting. I didn't water it down, and it only required some minor touch up once dry. I used white gesso with a few drops of Vallejo black paint to make it a little darker. Its fairly quick and easy and doesn't dry up too fast. The only thing about it I didn't like was the "toothy" surface it ultimately finishes with. Probably not a problem if the models are grunts and cannon fodder or you are going for a grittier dirty look. I Didn't give it a try, but you probably can add other colors to the base white to get a different color primer.

Reaper - Brush On Primer. I heard a lot of good things about this one, but I didn't like it. The first reason was a less than co-operative dropper bottle. I don't know if it was defective or just me. I could only get a bit of the primer out and that led to the second reason I won't be using this one again. It dried up fairly quick. It goes on smooth, covers well, but with white you often have to use successive coats to get a really good base. I may give it another chance if I can get a better dropper bottle.

Vallejo Game Color White Primer - This bottle was very old and I'm not sure if that contributed to my difficulty or its just a bad brush on. It behaved like wash. flowing into the crevices and recesses of the mini. it beaded on smooth surfaces. I remember having similar difficulty using it to successfully prime some minis years ago as well. As with white primers again, it took several coats to get the desired coverage (again not sure if age played a factor in that).

Vallejo Surface Primer - Comes in white, black, grey, and different sizes. Its usable in an airbrush (if I can ever afford one I would definitely love to try it) and its brush-on. By far my favorite brush-on primer I tried. I used the color grey. It goes on smooth. It finishes smooth. You have to watch for bubbles (like any primer or paint). But overall it took one, not several coats, and it did its job. After priming several minis in the natural grey, I added a couple of drops of black to the primer and did another figure. That seemed to apply even smoother and with out as many bubbles but began to dry VERY dark. I'm definitely going to pick up a few more bottles of white and black. Might even play around with adding some different colors to the white (almost like the army painter spray primers).

So, I'm sold on Vallejo Surface Primer. If you can't spray because of the weather or temps, its a great alternative.

I'm always looking for alternatives. Are there any other brush on primers out there I should look at or give a try?

[Houghten]

I always had great results with GW's Undercoat Black, but of course they don't sell it any more. Imperial Primer just isn't the same.