help with brushing on primer?

[ranulf the revenant]

Hey all,

Apologies if this has been discussed already, couldn't find it so far.
So, my question is if any of you have recommendations on how to get a base layer of primer by brushing it on?
-> To be more precise, I tried priming some heads separately to give Darren Lathams Contrast-face-painting-tutorial a try. I started with scale 75 white airbrush primer, but the problem is that it's too fluid, meaning it flows into the recesses of the the faces, but the elevated parts don't get enough coverage. Do you have ideas on how to fix this? I tried mixing in colour to make it less fluid - still only slightly better - and now I tried some matt varnish... which is drying right now... Any hacks or should I just go and buy a can ? "Getting an airbrush is not a possibility/in the budget" right now...

Edited May 28, 2020 by ranulf the revenant

[Firedrake Cordova]

I've not used the Scale 75 primer, but when I used the Vallejo polyurethane primer* with a brush, it'd take more than one coat.  I'd generally use 2 thinned coats - the first one just to get some paint on it, and then the second one to even things out.  Unless you're using the primer as a zenithal prime, you don't need an absolutely perfectly-even coat, just some paint everywhere for the next coat to key to.

 

Long-term, I'm afraid the best option is to get an airbrush.

 

* The (nearly-white) grey one, which is pretty liquid.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Firedrake Cordova

[Rik Lightstar]

As with getting even and consistent coverage without obscuring detail with any paint, multiple thin coats is the best way to achieve it,

 

Waiting for each coat to properly dry before applying the next is also vital, this can be sped up using a hairdryer (unless you're working on thin resin components) and subsequent coats may not need to be over the entire model as some areas will already be completely covered.

 

Your description of the behaviour of your primer suggests a couple of things are likely to be causing your issues:

1. Your primer needs way more shaking.
2. You're applying it a bit too heavily.
3. Previous coats haven't fully dried when you apply the next.
4. There is something on the raised areas of the pieces that's repelling the paint, dust or oils/grease from fingers can do this, it's easily resolved with a quick rinse.

Rik

[ranulf the revenant]

Thanks for the suggestions Firedrake and Lightstar

 

I've not used

 

Long-term, I'm afraid the best option is to get an airbrush.

 

I know , I'm just broke as   right now. I'll get one at some point.

 

Your description of the behaviour of your primer suggests a couple of things are likely to be causing your issues:

1. Your primer needs way more shaking.
2. You're applying it a bit too heavily.
3. Previous coats haven't fully dried when you apply the next.
4. There is something on the raised areas of the pieces that's repelling the paint, dust or oils/grease from fingers can do this, it's easily resolved with a quick rinse.

Rik

Thanks a lot, I'll try some rinsing, shaking and blowing ( ) and see where I'll end up.

 

[Fajita Fan]

I tried to brush on Vallejo and Synlrez (spelling?) primer because an airbrush is too loud/messy for my setup and I get about two weeks of spraying weather here before it's too cold or two hot.  I thought that the Vallejo stuff went on okay at first but in many places it rubs off rather easily which is totally not going to work as primer.  A weird thing I found with white or sand colored primer is that it bubbled up on me as I brushed it on, the action of brushing must've caused frothing for some reason and the bubbles dried as holes on WHFB dryads.  That would look awful on SM armor panels so I've gone back to rattle cans and I never have issues with rubbing off the surface.  Again it's not convenient but that's the only reliable thing I've found.

 

I bought a bottle of black gesso recently that people swear by (including GW employees for winter/summer projects) but I have yet to spend any time using that.

[ranulf the revenant]

...So shaking actually did help, I think, and not trying this first kind of makes me feel like an idiot :D. Hmmm... gesso, you say? I'll look into it, I always wondered what that actually is.

[Fajita Fan]

It’s meant as canvas primer but it goes on suuuuper black and matte while seeming to shrink into recesses well without clogging detail. The stuff coats well but I haven’t tried painting over it on minis but I have used it on canvases and acrylics seem to stick well. We’ll see, I’m still spraying stuff outside right now while the weather permits. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Fajita Fan