Priming

Now that you have all of your minis assembled, cleaned up, pinned and repaired it's time to prime them for painting! But before I get into that I have to quickly go over gap filling and sculpting. I am not going to go too much into depth about it at the moment because I will cover this fully in a tutorial later on. If you are going to use green stuff to fill in gaps in the model, convert or sculpt new pieces like armor, banners and capes you should in most cases do all of this work before priming. This way you can just prime the mini and the green stuff together to ensure the paint finish will be even.

Gap filling on the other hand, can be done before or after you have primed the model, because these spots are usually small areas or thin lines of green stuff that can easily be touched up with a paint brush. If you are unfamiliar with what green stuff is, you can get it from GW stores, online, or get it ordered in from most hobby shops. It is a two part (Blue/Yellow) sculpting putty, that when dry, hardens into a resin similar to the properties of the mini (only a little more flexable). When the two parts are mixed together the putty is green, hence the name green stuff. There was very little gap filling to do on the Warmachine models since most models come as a single piece rather than many parts that need to be glued together.

Now on to priming your models. The first thing you have to do is ensure the models are clean. We have already cleaned them in warm soapy water, and scrubbed it all up with a tooth brush and let them dry. So now we want to make sure not to handle the minis too much after they are clean because of the oils that come off of our fingers. You also want to make sure (especially if you have pets) that there are no hairs or layers of dust on the mini. After I wash my mini's I put them in a cabinet, or a clean tool box just to keep them clean while I wait to prime them.

Tools Needed:

Cardboard box: To place your minis in while you prime, it stops primer from getting on things behind the models and will also get the most out of the primer because when you spray into the box, and it wafts back out of the box it will put a thin layer on the back surface of the models you are spraying.
Mounting Strips: This can be anything that will fit inside your box and still be turned at different angles. You can use popsicle sticks, coffee stir sticks, wood, cardboard strip, metal, etc. Here I have a scrap piece of foam board.
Sticky Tack: Blue tack you can get from any stationary department in any store. It has a number of uses and I highly recommend picking some up.
Respirator/face mask: Safety! Safety! Safety! Make sure your face is covered with a face mask, respirator, or appropriate device. Wrap a sweater around you race if you have to, and try not to breath too much while you are spraying. Primer has many harsh chemicals in it and some are believed to be carcinogenic, and can make you sick.
Primer: I only use skull white GW primer. I also throw up all over the counter everytime I pay that ridiculous price for it. I prefer white over black because not all paint colors will easily cover black primer (I will go over this in detail when I get to the painting section).

I have some friends who swear by "Krylon Fusion" spray paint for plastic, but I find it too glossy and too thick for my liking. I have seen people online use a 98 cent can of white spray paint from walmart and swear by it. I would like to try "Army Painter" colored primers, or even Privateer Press Primer, but I haven't found any in the city, and to order it online is the same price after shipping as buying a can from GW, so I am left feeling ripped off, but you do what you gotta do. I have tried out "1-2-3 Bullseye" all purpose primer that I got for 7 dollars from Canadian tire, and it was a disaster. Any primer that comes out as a wet liquid is no good for miniatures, you want a brand that sends the primer out in a dusty mist.

You can purchase different caps to attach to a can of spray paint that allow for different spray effects.  As far as the generic caps go, they make spray paints come out too thick. You don't have to take my word for it, test things out on old models, bits, etc. and see what you prefer. It all comes down to personal preference. I prefer using a primer that is specifically made for models. I'm sure "Tamiya" primers for model airplanes would work as well, but I have never tried enamel based paints on wargaming models.

Priming:

First you need to find a well ventilated area, preferably outside. As you may know weather in Canada is not always ideal for priming outside. If it is too windy/breezy, raining or foggy do not prime your models outside. The conditions really have to be ideal. If it is 30 degrees outside do not prime outside either because the GW primer is so thin when it comes out of the can it will dry before it hits the model. Ideally you want to prime outside when it is between 15-20 degrees Celsius and no wind, which in Canada only happens about five times a year! So I will go over how to prime inside.

As this blog suggests, I live in an apartment. If I am able to prime on my deck I use the same set up as I do inside the house. But priming models in the house is risky business. If you have a shed or garage, even a closet in the basement use these spaces. If you live in a one bedroom apartment, bachelor, or two bedroom with a roommate, I recommend doing this work in the dining area next to a window, or in the bathroom if you have a window. I live in a two bedroom apartment with a spare room, so this is where I have chosen to set up. DO NOT SPRAY PRIMER NEXT TO ELECTRONICS! Especially if they are on, they will suck primer dust all inside and can ruin them, not to mention your black HD TV is now gray looking or white.

Place your Cardboard box on it's side next to an open window. If you are in a room, close the door and clear the room or any living organisms you cant put a face mask on. My girlfriend took these pictures for me, and is wearing a face mask. The room will fill up with fumes quickly and primer particles will get in the air. Depending on the size of the job you may also notice a layer of primer dust coating everything in the room. I sprayed 2500 pts worth of High elves in one sitting and the room had to be cleaned top to bottom afterward. So if you are doing a big job I suggest just waiting for ideal conditions and prime outside. I'm impatient, and spent an hour cleaning as a result of it.

*This dust is why you want to use breathing protection, and take breaks after each block of models is finished. Get some fresh air and give the room a bit to clear out before going back in to do the next block. If you do not heed these warnings, you will, get Nurgle Rot! What is Nurgle Rot? When you inhale too much primer dust and fumes you start to feel sick to your stomach, you cough and wheeze, you start to get a headache, and a pain behind your eyes, you will also experience waves of dizziness and purple, yellow and white dots in your vision. The headache can last up to 24 hours, and can also cause problems to your nervous system if you have prolonged exposure. This is something that I have experienced first hand on a few occasions. Nurgle Rot is real, so do everything you can to be safe when priming inside, and isolate yourself so you don't make others sick.*

Next you want to grab your sticky tack and place it on the bottom of the base your mini sits on. Do not glue the mini down on the base yet because you may have to remove it from the base to get full coverage of the model.

Place the mini onto your mounting strip. The size of a model and the size of your box will determine how many you do in one go. In this case here I did them in block of 4 for units, block of 3 for Solos, and I did the bonejack and slayer by themselves. Make sure that the models you spray together are from the same unit to ensure the primer coat is even, and that there isn't a larger model blocking a smaller one when spraying primer from different angles.

Once the amount of models you are going to prime are mounted on the strip, place it in the middle of the box. make sure before you start priming that you can turn the mounting strip around in a circle without getting snagged on the inside walls of the box. If this is the case shorten the mounting strip or get a bigger box.

Hold the spray can at least 25-30 cm from the model and spray down at an angle. Spray a short burst in front of the models and observe how thick the spray is coming out, if it is too thin move a few centimeters closer and if it is too thick move back a few centimeters. When you find the right distance start spraying the models with short blasts, and move from left to right in a sideways dusting motion starting at the top of the model and working down. Once the front of the models are covered turn the models 45 degrees and use the sideways dusting motion again. Keep turning it at 45 degree angles until it is covered. When the models are facing you a in a way that the first model you started spraying is now turned  inside and at the back of the box, you will have to hold the primer can above the models at a 45 degree angle and start at the back and work your way towards the front pulling the can towards your body.

Once a block has dried for about 5 minutes you can remove them from the mounting strip. You can lightly touch the edge or the base to see if the primer has dried. Remove the sticky tack from the bottom, and start all over with fresh models. When all models are sprayed, you may have to take the models off of their base and lay them flat so you can spray the underside of the model. Once they have all dried for an hour they are ready for painting!

Next up I will discuss the very basics of painting with a focus on materials rather than techniques.