Topic: Basecoat: Spray or Paint on?

[Rilian1]

So far I've used a spraypaint base coat for my models, and I was just wondering, is there a special kind of paint needed to do it, or can the regular Skull White or Chaos Black paint pots work just as well?

[serge]

Stay with the spray, not only saves you time but also gives smoother finish!

On you question: There is not special undercoat paint to my knowledge, just normal paint.

When spraying, spray in short bursts one second long or so. Don't spray too near or too far from the mini. Too near and the color will run, to far you will get corns as the paint sets (or even freezes when outdoors) while still in the air.

Happy spraying!

Serge

[Czar]

I always spray. The canned stuff is different to the stuff in the pots, being primer, it seems to adhere much better to surfaces, and the finish (if you spray right) will be more even than it's possible to get with paint. It also gives you an ever-so-slightly rough texture to paint on top of (helps the pigment to take),  wheras paint from the pot is more smooth.

Always use spray primer! I think you can buy primer in tins but it's for much bigger projects than models.

Oh, and it never hurts to cover spots you missed with the spray with watered down black paint from the pot or black ink.

[Rick]

So far I've used a spraypaint base coat for my models, and I was just wondering, is there a special kind of paint needed to do it, or can the regular Skull White or Chaos Black paint pots work just as well?

I always use gamesworkshop white spray primer.  It's designed, like other primers, to give a better surface for painting on (much better than the paint from the pots).

You could probably use a cheaper spray primer, as others do.  But I have no experience with other brands of primers.

[gambitrah]

I definitely agree with the spray on primer. I use GW black and grey. I've bought white and green for a DA army I want to start.

I also heard you can use standard primer from a auto store if you need a color thats not available, not sure how valid that is.

[Fayden]

Go to a regular hobby shop, not a Games Workshop store and you will find several brands and colors of spray on primer. They are designed to cover the bare models. Several brands have the same mixture in a bottle so you can reach the hard to spray places. Make sure that you get a brand that is compatable with both plastic and metal. Most are but you should always check.

You will find many items in a regular hobby shop that are 1) cheaper 2) designed for model builders and 3) are superior to Games Workshop products.

[Czar]

Like many hobby products GW sell, the primer is just another product they buy-in and repackage and sell for more. The key is finding the proper brand name! I don't know what it is, but I used grey primer for a while which was just cheap auto primer and, contrary to popular myth, it gave results just as good as the GW stuff. Worth experimenting with.

[darthplagis]

for base coating tau my painting buddy put me onto tamiya sprays, they go on nice and thin but cover great.....ok the tins are small but as they use less and thinner paint then it evens out a little.

my buddy did his tau like the ones on GW site (the guy who done the stealth suits mid cloaking) but they looked way cleaner, then i bought a blue grey for mine (haze grey) it looks a bit like the bare GW plastic with a blue/purple tint, its great to build up the greys from as it adds a different contrast to GW 'standard' colours.

FWIW GW paints are really bold and 'standard' they rarely do a nice earthy shade, thats where shopping around comes in handy

 

[Czar]

Just to illustrate the point, yesterday I primed Lilith Helisprax but forgot to prime her trident arm before the spray ran out.

I undercoated it with paint from the pot instead but damn, I've never had so much trouble with a part. It keeps flaking off and it really mars the paintjob. The arm now brings down the rest of the model which IMO is the best mini painting I've ever done.