How To Prime Miniatures With A Brush - Nice & Easy!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Get the Primer Paint I used in the video here: amzn.to/40jC0LU

[@lloydy272]

Thank you. I use the Army Painter grey or a Citadel spray, but when I can’t be bothered to go outside to prime (live in an apartment) I wanted a white or black paint on. I saw these in by local store but didn’t want to buy them as they were for an airbrush. But this has shown me that I can get them and have no issues.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Glad it helped!

[@starbound100]

Thank you very much, I'm into gunpla but live in an appartment, and don't really have the space for a whole air brush setup, so learning how to properly paint and prime acrylics is extremely valuable. This also looks very good for special finish kits, when you might want to paint only certain parts of the model, and keep most of the plastic "bare" only with a clear topcoat and decals. Priming with a spraycan would imply a honestly hilarious ammount of masking, while a brush goes where you want it to.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Glad the video was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@Xanthelei]

As someone in Washington state who picked winter to get into painting minis, I appreciate this! My biggest question was about thickness of primer and you answered that inadvertently just talking through how you primer with a brush. So many other videos out there only talk about spray paint or air brush, and those are nice but don't exactly work well here in the Pacific NorthWET!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Glad it was helpful! I'm a big fan of this method now

[@elihughes1801]

Fellow PNWer here, watching this vid for the same reason 😅

[@johnbennett4600]

Great tutorial. I live in a small apartment with little outside space to prime my models. This is basically how I've been priming my models. Thanks for all the positive videos.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thank you! It’s a great way to do it. For a long time in the hobby I thought the models had to be sprayed. Thanks for watching 👊

[@wm2922]

Great tutorial! It actually encouraged me to try it myself. Until now, I've used the spray but it was a pain in the neck as I don't really have access to a space where I could do it comfortably. I'm going to order the Vallejo primer this week and prime some of my figs. Greeting from Poland! I appreciate your channel sir!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thank you! That's awesome, really glad the video was helpful and have fun painting your minis 👊

[@MacGyver_-ml2qm]

I live in Florida in the US and it is hot and humid year round and I have been brushing on Badger Primer on my 3D prints for many years. Great Video

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thank you! Badger Primer sounds like a much better name 🦡

[@otterpuente]

Thanks for this. I've been struggling here with these sporadic rain showers.

[@Morrodin-WH40K]

This is basically how I prime almost all my models ... it is also worth noting that when you use these kind of primers of Vallejo that they last a long time. I did get a light grey primer and I am not that happy about that one but the black one I mostly use is solid! Another remark ... I really do not wait 12 hours before going to town on my models :P ... I think I wait an hour or so and they are ready to be painted.

[@helenmcclure]

I concur on the light grey Vallejo primer. The white & the light grey do not prime well with a brush but the black is second to none. Clearly the formulation of the lighter colours is not suited to a regular brush. Living in a small flat I use Vallejo black primer a lot.

[@Silith13]

Yup. The white primer even after 3-4 layers won't cover perfectly well but it's a primer. I'm going to try and drybrush over white primer with more white to see how that ends up for contrast type paints.

[@KrullMaestaren]

Sign me up as well. Either black or panzer grey with a brush. Got an airbrush but to much work to set it up , cleaning etc. Experience with white and the bone colored primer wasn't good because they became too thick

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

That's good to know, I will get painting sooner on the next batch, thanks!

[@thousandcold]

I have using scale color black brush on primer for a couple of years and love it. I just got the grey primer and will test it this week.

[@15gloriousminutes]

Thanks! Your tutorials are really informative and well made.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

That's very kind of you, thank you!

[@davistaylor8782]

Love your videos buddy, always so positive and happy when you’re talking, makes watching your videos really enjoyable

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

That's awesome to hear, thank you!

[@overdriveactive5486]

Definitely having a go at this in the coming months. Going out in the cold with the rattle cans is less than ideal now, though they still cover fine with the right preparation. This'll help me prime when I'm not in the mood to get away from my hobby desk. Thanks!

[@itsallfunandgames723]

I've been using Vallejo brush on primer for over a year now and it's great. There's so many excuses to not paint, having to wait for just the right weather to be able to prime from a spray can, can be one of the worst. I have a bottle of black and white primer, the black covers fantastic, the white is absolutely awful, it's like painting water onto an oiled miniature, but if you combine them you can get a nice grey color that still sticks and runs very thin across the model as you paint it on. You can prime a model in a couple minutes, usually I wait an hour to then actually apply a basecoat, but it dries very fast.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Priming with spray always feels to me like a chore, brushing it on is the way

[@Timoles713]

I just finished painting my Heroes For Dungeonquest minis. I’m going to grab some Stormshield to seal them. Always enjoy your videos.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Nice one, thank you, great to hear!

[@_walruseater]

Yeah this stuff is great. I use ‘USNL Ghost Grey’ as a substituted for Grey Seer and it’s a very good match. Dries so smooth when brushed on. I use it when I forget to put a pouch or something on a mini that’s primed in Grey Seer most times.

[@mattyno964]

AMMO MIG One Shot Primer is the best primer ive ever used! Been brush priming with it for about 2 years now!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Nice one, I’ll have a look at that, thanks for the recommend!

[@commentingisdangerous7530]

thank you so much for this. i live in idaho, it is always too hot, or too cold, or too windy to spray prime outdoors here. being able to use a brush will be a lifesaver as i don't have an airbrush set up.

[@ralphpug08]

The panzer grey primer is great without obscuring the details. Nevertheless the Vallejo white primer doesn't work so well for me with brush on to prepare the minis for contrast paint. It's just not white enough. Maybe something to do with the minis material.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I notice that when I airbrush it and end up adding a base coat of white over the top

[@BB-pn2qv]

This brand and primer is quite amazing and smooth. Can’t recommend enough

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

It’s brilliant, I wish I’d done it sooner

[@joshhafemeister1665]

With cold weather on the way here in the US this'll be great.

[@wpb5876]

This perfect! Airbrush and spray can is not feasible where I live and been looking for good reviews on brush on primer (which is rare on YT)

[@GarredHATES]

I live in a swampy and cold area. its pretty much humid and cold all year round. brush on priming is my only option until I can invest in an air brush.

[@noseraph]

Great video, I use the same Vallejo primer in white. My biggest issue is that I often get bubbles in crevices when I brush on the primer and they will dry and ruin the texture if I'm not careful. How were you able to avoid creating bubbles while priming?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thanks! I try and use a damp brush, almost dry, and really work the paint over the model. I also use a very soft flat brush that can hold a good amount of paint.

[@dearcastiel4667]

When I pass my brush like that on a mini there's bubbles forming and they are impossible to pop after that, then after drying there's buble holes on the primer layer. Using Vallejo paint.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Do you add much water to the brush? I try and use a damp brush and really work the paint across the model.

[@dearcastiel4667]

@tabletopskirmishgames I usualy dip it in water and then pass it on a tissue. Only way I have found to avoid the bubbles is to paint normaly, going slowly over every surface, which takes way too much time.

[@rubmymagiclamp3471]

​@@dearcastiel4667 Agreed, bubbles a lot and makes uneven surfaces which makes it look like your paint is too thick. I really dislike it.

[@noybdi137]

I am new to this and try to apply Vallejo Grey Primer this way - it will not cover the way your German Panzer Grey does. Any hints on how "uneven" the primer can be when applying paint so that the paint does not get "shaped" or look weird? The surface areas look uneven.... maybe it won't show once real paint is on?

[@AMansCounter]

Great vid, thanks for posting!

[@Thedagda801]

Fab idea, must give it a go.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I’m a big fan of this method now. For big armies I’d probably spray again, but for a bunch like the Niflheim models it’s perfect

[@mohsy4686]

How do you get rid of the bubbles?

[@peters.9463]

I already used the Army Painter Brush-On Primer and the Vallejo Surface Primer Black and White. However, only with the grey from the Army Painter and the black one from Vallejo it worked fine. The white primer did not worked out for me for some reason. I shaked the white primer a lot and even after 4 coats it still was patchy. I am not sure what I did wrong or how to fix it? So only the black and the grey is working for me as a brush on primer. And yes, I am usually making 2 coats of primer per model. The army painter one looks really thick when brushing it on, but when it dries the details are very crisp and it does not clog anything.

[@Lesardah]

For me, the Vallejo white doesn't work great out of an airbrush, either (compared to the grey or black, which are excellent). Nowadays if I want white, I airbrush in Vallejo Black Primer then I'll go over it in white ink. The white ink goes on like a dream, although it leaves a slightly satin finish. This is usually a good thing if you're using contrast / speed paints, though you may need to varnish it once you're done to knock it all back.

[@earnestwanderer2471]

Yeah, I just saw another video by a person who was stuck away from her airbrush and just tried brushing airbrush primer on the models. Been thinking about picking up a bottle of primer and giving it a go.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

It works so well, will be doing this most of the time now for small amounts of models like this

[@JohnDoe-bz4yl]

This is perfect for my purposes as I don't want to have to tape up a larger print as I only need to do a smaller area of primer on that model P.S where did you get that little holder you are using in your video?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Glad it was helpful! I got that from Games Workshop. When I batch paint a few models, I use small bottles (like a vitamin bottle) or corks with blue tac on so hold the model on place.

[@brettridings5594]

While i was watching this i found my airbrush so guess i dont need you anymore.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

🤣

[@frostedbutts4340]

Lmao "I don't want to play with you any more.."

[@garypostell5268]

How long to wait before continuing painting? Did I hear you say 24 hrs ?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

The bottle says 24 hours for the paint to cure fully. I heard others don't wait that long so I tried it after 4 hours because I couldn't wait one day and it worked fine. I still wait 24 hours if I can hold out. 🤣

[@kevinmartin5053]

Yeah, the Vallejo primer I tried to use was far too runny and was not sticking much at all.

[@earnestwanderer2471]

Do you reckon dark grey is a better choice than black for general purpose priming?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I’ve not used black much as a primer. I don’t know why, I just like the dark grey. I’m sure black would be just as good, maybe even add some darker shadows. Perhaps I should try it?

[@earnestwanderer2471]

The only time I’ve ever used black primer (hardware store spray cans) was painting WH Fantasy models that were mostly armour. Like Black Orcs and Dwarves. Prime them black and drybrush with Chainmail (I guess the grandfather of Leadbelcher). Now I pretty much use either Grey Seer or Wraith Bone for the base. But this dark prime with light drybrush looks like it solves the problem of covering the light colored primer in the hard to reach recesses.

[@Salty_Sassenach]

I just purchased the Reich Busters Cargo Hold expansion (love the minis) & it hasn’t got any rules as the rules are in the main game. Would Brutally work for the WW2 period 🤔 If so, could scenarios be in a Castle or Dungeon with rooms & corridors ???

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Brutality is great because you can make anything work. You could theme your warband and terrain around that for sure.

[@Salty_Sassenach]

@@tabletopskirmishgames Thanks Lee 👍

[@Salty_Sassenach]

Just watched your previous video about Escape from Stalingrad Z, This would also work, is 35mm scale & Reich Busters is 32mm & there’s a Free PDF rules download 👍👍👍 We likes Free 🤪

[@Dracobyte]

Thank you for the great tutorial!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Glad it was helpful, thank you for watching! 👊

[@radip]

Wojtek the bear!!!!

[@jmc7034]

Might give that a try

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I wish I’d done this a lot sooner, it’s a great way to prepare models

[@k.h.raider9329]

Used the Vallejo black primer for my first model and it came out great. But this second model I used it on it's almost like water, too thin and runny and I have no idea what I did differently.

[@barbareusz6595]

Great video. Thanks for highlighting the possibility of priming with regular brush. If I may ask, do you recall how many drops of primer goes on one miniature?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thanks! I have no idea, sorry.

[@jhallcomposer]

I'm pretty new to this and I actually got Panzer Grey to prime with brush and was unsure if that was a good way to go, but this video gave me some confidence. However, I had problem painting skin on an ogre primed with panzer grey. Is a dark primer bad for skin tones or am I doing something else wrong?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

If you add 2-3 layers of the skin tone (thinned down) you should be able to achieve it. But, the primer does have a big effect on the finish. I like to prime with dark grey, then drybrush with white to create a Zenithal Prime. This is brilliant for contrast paint, the 'Slapchop' method, and even for layering different colours. It's all a personal preference and series of exploration, but I'm glad I worked up to zenithal priming. If you are using contrast paints, light colours over dark primer won't work. Wraithbone is a great primer for all contrast colours, but I definitely recommend the Zenithal Prime. It took me ages to do it but I'm glad I did, the finished models are much better. The Zenithal Prime will work with all contrasts too, and make the contrast between shadows and highlights stronger.

[@jhallcomposer]

@@tabletopskirmishgames thanks, I will try Zenithal Prime!

[@Nardio]

Great vid!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thank you!

[@glazecase]

Hey, how are you keeping the white primer from drying up too quickly during the “dry brush” process? My white primer keep drying up really fast, and it’s not applying nicely like yours. Do you use water or thinner?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

For the dry brush I used a regular layer paint.

[@BoldElf5]

When priming with a brush what sort of consistency should the paint be? Is it the same as base paints almost like "milk" as I don't want yo lose the detail on my models. I didn't dilute it on my 1st one and it turned into a blob luckly I got the detail back by brushing a lot off and using kitchen towel. I ended up almost doing a dry brush technique in the end :S will have to put another layer on tonight and hope I have full coverage. (Its hard to tell as it's grey is very close to the moonstone models default grey

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

The paint I used in the video dries as a nice thin coat, and I used it straight from the bottle. Some other colours/brands might not be as good. The white Vallejo, for example, can be a bit too thin. I would recommend experimenting with what you have on some pieces of the sprue or model parts you don't use.

[@d.s.dathaniel7552]

It's amazing how you can make it work like that, I have the white and grey vallejo primers, and cannot repeat the same result you did, it's just terrible coverage.

[@albertorochareyes2427]

Could black primer + light grey drybrush work?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

That would work and you might some nice effects with different contact paint colours over the top. For traditional layer paints it will defo work

[@tethys17]

Does it smell much? Spray makes my whole apartment smell even when the minis are in a ventilated room to cure after being sprayed outside. Some paints just smell too. Citadel is really good at having odourless paints.

[@novaenforcer1563]

Do ineed to wet my brush before paint priming, also my brush hardens after i use my brush to paint with the primer how to get it back to soft bristle

[@Justimight]

i was looking to get some brush on primer cuz spraying is becoming a hassle But ive never used brush on primer and ive only ever used black for when i was doing a strictly black based figure Does it really matter if i use the black, white or grey primer when i get to painting?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

The primer does have an effect on the finished model, especially with contrast paints. If you are using layer paints, the effect will be more subtle, but the colour you choose will still matter. I like to go black or dark grey with the white dry brush because then I can use layer paints and contrast on the same model.

[@samuelchow2221]

Hi, how do I clean my paint brush after applying primer?

[@ToshiwaNamae5701]

Sometimes I do hand brush on priming not just figures but also on 1/72 and 1/76 vehicle models, btw how good was the adhesive of this primer brand? I’m currently using Army brand.

[@elvisyongwk]

Do you think it would work with the Vallejo Primer Black? I'm new to painting miniature, and I'm mainly looking to add primer and shade it with a dry brush for details without adding any color.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Yes, that should work fine. The white one seems thinner, but black, dark green and dark grey all work brilliantly.

[@JorgeLopez-iv4wh]

I only air brush all the terrain I get from killteam but I started to prime by hand after my first rattle paint failure

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I wish I’d started brushing it on sooner. For a long time in the hobby I thought the models had to be sprayed.

[@JorgeLopez-iv4wh]

@@tabletopskirmishgames it takes long no doubt but the details and the smooth finish is what I strive for

[@jonahdonahue2930]

WARNING!!!!!! The Valejo Grey surface primer is not good for this! It feels like I'm trying to brush on water. It immediately shrinks back from everything I brush on. It's probably good for air brush but god damn does it not work with brushing

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Is that the light grey?

[@TurtleWargaming]

Does priming this way prove safe for someone who is pregnant. My wife wants to participate but im not sure on the safety of painting on primer.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

I recommend checking with the manufacturer to be safe

[@Lesardah]

Brothers, I come to you in an hour of great need. I'm about to travel and I'm bringing a box of Grey Knights from my pile of shame to paint while I'm on the road. I can't bring my airbrush / compressor, so I really want to try this. It's already the primer I use. I need a real opinion.... does this REALLY work.. or do I need to rush to prime my models before I leave? Goobertown says I don't even NEED to prime. I'm not about to try that, though.

[@Dracobyte]

By the way, can you prime miniatures with gesso?

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Ooh I've never heard of gesso, sorry

[@Dracobyte]

@@tabletopskirmishgames do not worry!

[@metalblizzard6024]

Giving you a follow... good vid

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thank you!

[@bebopkirby]

12 hrs to dry? I guess they know, but for me , and l have used this product, it would be more like 12 minutes, less than a minute or two if l zap it with a hair dryer. Never had a problem, and have never noticed acrylic paint getting harder after it is dry to the touch. Brush for one or two minis, airbrush if I’m doing a production line , and only for the speed factor.

[@Volgan16666]

You should check out this youtube vide "How to paint chainmail on miniatures (the easy way)" by Jon Barrett. Game changer for. Good video - keep em coming.

[@supervike1]

I do about 80 percent of my priming with a brush.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

It’s a great way to do it

[@alternate3787]

I primed a lot of my minis with the exact same method using a cheap make up brush for application. However bigger models will be a problem or lots of smaller minis. Its ok for skirmish games, but for painting an army I suggest a cheap airbrush set

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Make up brushes are great for this and drybrushing. Yeah, for larger armies I break out the airbrush for sure

[@rataca100]

I asked vallejo how best to brush it on they replied "dont" effectively

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Did they say why? If it works, it works.

[@rataca100]

@@tabletopskirmishgames just checked apparntly its not self leveling. Their bottles say you can do both but both they and their website discourage it. The colours of war book also suggests brushing it into gaps.

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Thanks for checking, that's good to know.

[@NorthInium]

Just an FYI dont use the normal grey or white primer they are watery/foamy/bubbly mine is so foamy I cant even apply it so I wasted some money on a product I cant use not even with an airbrush.

[@philgee486]

👍

[@gbirdnonsense1084]

I miss smelly primer so definitely going to grab some of this. God I miss that smell lol

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

🤣

[@GypsyGuyy420]

sick

[@border304]

Airbrushed the Vallejo black primer. Works great. No need to wait 12hrs. Almost instantly dry in my experience.

[@michaeltrivette1728]

If it can be rubbed off with my finger then it ain’t primer.

[@Sirusdark]

6:36 - That's THE hidden part of the video: priming metal miniatures! Title and description should be updated to include those key words!!

[@tabletopskirmishgames]

Maybe I could do another video dedicated to metal miniatures and compare with other priming methods?