This is an important step that is often overlooked, learn how to prime your models in this Goobertown Hobbies tutorial!
Goobertown Hobbies is a great content creator who has interesting takes on the hobby. Whether it’s a collaboration with other hobby YouTubers or a challenge for himself, he has a broad range of topics he covers. Since he has so much great content, why not check out what else he has done?
This week he shows the basics of priming, but then a bunch of tips and tricks you may not know.
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How to Prime Your Models: Goobertown Hobbies
There are three types of primers, spray cans, brush-on, and airbrush priming. The can is the cheapest and fastest way generally. The brush-on is helpful for fixing damaged minis, but not much else. Lastly, the airbrush is fast and if you already have it set up, it can be the easiest. Today though, we’ll be focusing mainly on the spray can.
The Basics
Rule number one, always do this outside! The chemicals in it can be harmful if done indoors. The spray works on metal and plastic very well. When you’re just starting out, he recommends using a spray made for minis, not just from your local hardware store.
With ones like GW spray, The Army Painter, and Monument. Number two, bide your time and do this during good dry weather. Meaning when it is not humid, but the temperature isn’t as important, as long as the spray is warm. Next, make sure you shake them very thoroughly before spraying.
If you happen to store your spray in a cold place, warm the can in a bowl of warm water. Let your minis dry inside so they are not affected by the weather. Also, full cans work better, so if you’re running low, it might be time for a new can.
How to Spray
Use multiple thin coats from a distance, with quick hits of the button. Don’t let paint build on any one part of the mini and try to keep all the layers thin. He holds the can about 8″ away from what you’re spraying for the best results. He also recommends putting your minis on a holder or stuck to something like the picture above. You can use magnets, tac, or any other type of easy-to-remove adhesive.
Wearing gloves is a good idea because it sticks to your hands like crazy.
If you have a ton of stuff to spray at once, you can build something like the picture above. He uses magnets to hold it together which allows for easy swapping.
Color Spraying
You don’t just have to spray black or white, or even a single coat. Like the mini above, he sprayed it black first, then from a topdown angle hit it with a brown. This will give you some natural highlights and save you time when you’re breaking out the brush and help disguise your mistakes. The color of the primer will change how the paint looks and applies, so try all the colors out there.
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Zenithal spraying is one of the most common forms of using two colors. You spray the whole mini black, and then from the top-down, hit it with white. This will give an overall gray color, but make the tops brighter, where light would naturally hit, and the bottom darker like shadows. This also makes seeing detail easier to see when actually painting.
If you are curious about everything Brent has to say, and for more details on the techniques watch the full video above! Also, be sure to Subscribe to Goobertown Hobbies if you enjoy his content!
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Presented with permission from Goobertown Hobbies. This post contains affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate Spikey Bits earns from qualifying purchases.
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
