"White prime vs black or dk grey prime" Topic

I am about to start up a new project with 20 packs of GHQ 10mm CSA and Union troops.

In the past, I have always used white primer. I have used white becaue it allows to see detail well. The colors seem good as well. However I have read of others using black, brown and grey primers. I am tempted to try a black primer for the Union troops and dk grey primer for the CSA on this new project.

What are the pluses and minuses of using black or dark grey primer vs my standard primer?

TMP link

Take a look above. That is one way to do it. All methods produce lovely results if one dedicates his time and effort. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. I personally would follow Alamo's technique.

Black is most forgiving as it is an automatic blackline. You need to follow the color with a highlight to counteract the black from sucking all the color away. White is the least forgiving but it brightens the colors and those little guys can use it. Grey is just in the middle for me and I just don't get it.

Finally, brown can work if you can get the appropriate primer but it would use it if I were to paint up the confederates lets say because they wore a lot of brown. I wouldn't use it with the Union at all since their uniforms are mostly blue. Just my thoughts.

Only ever used white primer (in 30+ years). Works for me.

Only ever used white primer (in 30+ years). Works for me

My point exactly. They all work. It just depends on what you get use to

try some black with a white dry brush over it.
then add your color.

this brings out the most detail of any mini painting technique with the lease amount of work, it adds in the high lights and shadows. (it uses all the work the sculptor put into the work)

"My point exactly. They all work. It just depends on what you get use to"

Well, I did try black primer once. Found it made all the colours painted over it look dingy. Vowed never again and went back to white priming.

try some black with a white dry brush over it.
then add your color.

Good idea! This works to brighten the black on all the high points.

try some black with a white dry brush over it.
then add your color.

Exactly what I did on my 10mm ACW and works great. Actually, I do this on all my figures (10mm, 15mm, 25mm) where I paint light colors. In 10mm, also adds instant 'highlighting'. Union trousers, CSA pretty much everything.

P3 white has to be the whitest white I have ever seen and does make a difference when using this technique.

"P3 white has to be the whitest white I have ever seen "

What is P3 white?

What is P3 white?

Brand of paint=P3

"Brand of paint=P3"

Never heard of it.

Never heard of it.

I will fix that-

link

try some black with a white dry brush over it.
then add your color.

I have tried a sort of inverse of that. Prime white, then give the minis a moderate black wash. I think this is better for two reasons:

I find spraypriming only ever gives 100% coverage if you hit the minis REALLY hard (which is bad for detail, especially for smaller scales). Thin patches with white spray primer just doesn't show like black does.

Secondly, the wash goes where shade is needed, while leaving the higher points less likely to dull paint (especially problematic with thin paints), and more "visible" (I have always found it both eye-straining to paint black-primed minis, and the detail is much harder to pick out).

I have tried the black-then-white drybrush method, IMO it makes for less tidy-looking paintjobs. Just my two cents.

Never heard of it.

"I will fix that-"

Thank you. It seems to be an American product? I'm in the UK. Probably why I've never heard of it before.

For troops who are predomininatly blue or grey, I find black primer works best, but each to their own. I always miss bits with white primer, which stick out like a sore thumb so I end up washing the whole thing so might as well have black primed in the first place.

"Thank you. It seems to be an American product? I'm in the UK. Probably why I've never heard of it before."

Available in the UK from link

Ok, I went to the link and saw the nice paintjobs on those 10mm Union troops. However, this part doesn't make sense to me:

-Dab with white on high areas (i.e. top of cap, upper part of arms and thighs, shoulders, packs, rifle butt)
-Now dab on ACW Union whichever blue you prefer, just enough to cover the white highlight you gave them and maybe a little over that

If I dab over the white highlight with the blue, won't it simply cover up the highlight? What am I missing here?

And the same here:

try some black with a white dry brush over it.
then add your color.

Won't putting color over the highlight simply paint out the highlight? Wouldn't the highlight simply disappear with a solid coat of blue over it? I always assumed highlight went on last over the main colors?

I have tried a sort of inverse of that. Prime white, then give the minis a moderate black wash. I think this is better for two reasons:

Well I have several hundred miniatures on the way. I can experiment.

How hard is it to remove the paint if I am unhappy with a result and want to start over? I assume I could set figures into a can of paint stripper overnight and then use a toothbrush to remove whatever paint may remain. Although I am using acrylics. Perhaps soak overnight in water would do the trick.

This is my first foray into 10MM. I would really like to see them turn out well.

>If I dab over the white highlight with the blue, won't it simply cover up the highlight? What am I missing here?

Painting blue over white will give you a brighter blue than painting blue over black. That's the "highlight". You will see a brighter blue where it has been painted over the white. I hope this makes sense.

w.

Painting blue over white will give you a brighter blue than painting blue over black. That's the "highlight". You will see a brighter blue where it has been painted over the white. I hope this makes sense.

Actually that does make sense. Thanks!

-Dab with white on high areas (i.e. top of cap, upper part of arms and thighs, shoulders, packs, rifle butt)

For the white highlights, is it better to use a gloss white or a flat white?

And also what size paintbrush works best for 10mm?

For the white highlights, is it better to use a gloss white or a flat white?

I use flat white. Actually, flat white should be better for drybrushing since it has more grip than gloss. If that makes sense.

Brush sizes vary by company. I use IMEX sables: 00, 0, 1, and 2. Mostly I use my 1 and 0 for 10mm. Red sable gives a nice fine point as well. ACW is dead easy to paint in 10mm!

Just remembered you are using GHQ. Great minis but smaller than others. More like true 10mm. In December I ordered 10mm ACW armies from Pendraken but sold them at a loss. Way too much flash and misaligned figures for my hands to handle. I was so disappointed. 10mm is perfect for ACW.

Simply block paint the colors, do a brown or black wash, highlight, done. You're going for mass effect in 10mm.

Simply block paint the colors, do a brown or black wash, highlight, done.

On the wash, do you just wash in the crevices? As you can tell, I haven't used washes. I assume the wash is to create darker colors in recessed areas.

I like the concept of using a white base on the black to create a highlight due to the lighter base vs using a lighter shade of the base block color on top of the block color. Although I don't really know which creates the better results.

Jagger2008,
I primed some 28mm Vikings gray once. When painted, they looked fine in my well lit painting room. Then one night, I took the first batch off to participate in a fantasy game in somebody's dimly lit basement. During the other side's first turn, I had the opportunity to step back and look at my figures. I was shocked! I thought I must have accidentally grabbed some of the partially painted figures from the desk. I picked one up, and realized I had painted him. But in the dim light, all the gray primed figures looked gray.

So, I prime most things in white, a few things in black, and never again anything in gray.
Grelber

I paint 15mm by priming black then drybrushing white. After that paint the miniature using thin coats. Worked really well but I am now switching to 28mm and was thinking the results might not be the same for the larger minis. Don't ask me why. Foolishly tried the 3-layer method or whatever it is I saw on Foundry's site--minus the brown lined faces and hands. Also I didn't paint the eyes because I didn't see the point. Can't say I cared for the results so I will give what I was doing on 15s a shot next time I paint. Probably should have done that in the first place but wanted to try something new.

Jagger2008, do a search for 'magic wash'. That is what I make and use. I just paint it on with a brush. It will sink into the folds. Apply too much and wick it away with a paper towel. Black for the Union, brown for CSA. Very easy to do.

You'll still have to do a bit of highlighting since the wash darkens the paint. I tend to do a lighter wash only because I like it that way.

I've also painted ACW without a wash and was also pleased. Depends on the look I want for that unit. Experiment on a few figs. I always have a few figs set aside for testing my techniques.

Sorry if I'm being too brief, but I've had scant moments to post to TMP today.

Well I started on my first batch of 10mm CSA GHQ last night. I primed the CSA dark gray, painted the upper body a light grey, then pants and slouch hats a variety of browns, greys and blacks. Next, I did flesh colors, then rifles, followed by haversacks and cartridge boxes. I couldn't tell if there was a canteen over the haversack and finally decided there wasn't. The figures actually looked very good at this point.

The final step was the white straps. The straps were a killer. I simply could not paint them well. The awkward locations and thinness resulted in white paint all over the place. I will have to do some serious retouch up the coats and some rifles and hats. I am not sure the straps are worth the trouble. The figures looked pretty good without them.

Is there any sort of decent way to paint straps on 10mm?

Maybe paint straps first and then do the coat color around them??? I do that with 15mm horses and it works reasonably well. But 10mm really don't have much space to play around with.

Not sure the straps are worth doing considering the time and trouble unless there is some sort of more efficient method.

PS: Are all Union straps (haversack, canteen and cartridge box) black?

Union accoutrement straps tended to be mostly black. Haversacks were oilcloth, cartridge box slings were black leather. The only thing I vary depending on the figure is the canteen strap. Some have canvass straps while others had black or English brown leather straps. I like the canvass (use dirty white) because it offers a slight contrast to all that black and blue.

PS- I have always used grey primer. I have just never come across a black primer, although once I found white. I didn't like the white much, mostly because the brand I got didn't seem to hold the paint very well and places would chip off.

Actually I painted up three boxes this weekend-about 72 figures. One Union in white primer, one CSA in dark grey primer and one Union in dark grey primer.

The white primed Union definitely resulted in brighter colors than the Union with dark grey primer. However the white primer required a lot of touchup due to white spots showing through in any little spot missed. The Union with dark grey primer produced a darker shade of blue. Since I mix my light blue, I was able to produce a very similiar light blue as the white primed figures. And no spots with the dark grey primer.

The CSA with dark grey primer worked out very well with the light grey coats. Pants and hats were a variety of blacks to greys and browns. No problems with spots at all. The CSA with dark grey primer turned out very nicely. Actually both Union and CSA, all turned out well. The white primer produced slightly better color results IMO but is good bit more work.

I want to try black primer with the Union. With so many black accoutrements and straps, black base would make painting the figures much faster.

26th, check out your local walmart. They should have several types of dull black primer including Krylon. I think I used krylon dark grey and rustoleum white primer. Both worked fine.

PS, the secret to painting good straps is to paint the straps first. Then block in the coat colors around them… A little slower process but much better results.

I painted my first group of CSA with light grey coats. Did the CSA use all shades of grey from light to dark grey for their coats? Also when did butternut coats appear? And is butternut a light or dark brown?

Black primer, then dry brush white, then paint.

I experimented with gray primer years ago and regretted it. At one point skipped the white dry brushing as I hate the work but found I prefer the brightened results. Some prefer the darker look present by skipping the dry brushing.

Priming white? Egads! Run!

Cheers,

The Bandit

Well I have now painted GHQ 10mm Civil War figures using all three sets of primers. Of the three, black is the best choice for civil war in my opinion. White does produce the brightest colors. Dark Grey is useful with the Confederates if you want to use the same grey for the uniform. But black produces shadows and depth which is lacking with both Dark Grey and white priming.

The shadows and depth really bring the figures to life. Washes help with shadows to a certain extant but I believe the black primer is a major player in the end result. Washes with white or dark grey primer just don't seem to produce the same depth without the black primer.

I would possibly use a white primer for uniforms with lots of white or bright colors such as AWI or SYW. But I don't think so. I think I would rather put the extra effort needed into painting the white and brightening the colors needed with a black primer rather than sacrifice the loss of depth by using a white primer.

So after testing all three primers, black primer is the best choice, IMO.