Primer is the first coat on a model and varnish is the last. Neither is exciting, and both decide whether everything in between works. Primer gives paint something to grip, so it doesn't rub off plastic or metal, and it sets the starting colour of the whole model. Varnish protects the paint from handling and evens out the sheen.
Most of the problems people meet with them come from the weather and from spraying too much at once. This guide covers both, including zenithal priming (also known as éclairage zénithal in French) and the dreaded frosting.
| Type | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Spray can (rattle can) | Fast, even coverage on whole armies. | Needs a dry, mild day: spraying in cold, damp or humid air gives a rough, grainy finish. Hold the can 20 to 30 cm away and use short passes. |
| Brush-on primer | Small batches, any weather, indoors. | Use two thin coats; a thick one hides detail. Let it cure fully before painting. |
| Airbrush primer | A smooth, thin coat that keeps fine detail, and zenithal priming. | Needs an airbrush and ventilation; polyurethane primers like a full day to cure. See the airbrushing guide. |
Whatever you use, shake it well (a spray can for at least a minute), do several light coats rather than one heavy one, and let it dry completely before you paint. Primer that looks dry can still be soft underneath.
| Primer | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Fills recesses with shadow for you and hides gaps you missed. Colours look darker and need more coats. | Dark armies, metallics, drybrushing, grimdark looks. |
| Grey | A neutral middle ground. Shows detail well and suits most colours. | Mixed colour schemes and beginners. |
| White | Makes colours bright and clean, and is essential under contrast and speed paints. | Bright schemes, yellows and reds, and contrast paints. |
| Coloured | Basecoat and primer in one coat. | Armies with one main colour. |
Coloured and neutral primers on the site include:
Zenithal priming sprays the light on before you start painting. Prime the whole model black (or a very dark grey), then spray grey from about 45 degrees above, then a quick burst of white straight down from above. The tops of every surface come out light and the undersides stay dark, as if lit by the sun.
It shows you where the highlights and shadows go, and it makes a great base for contrast paints and glazes, which let the light and dark show through. You can do it with spray cans (keep them further away for the white) or, more precisely, with an airbrush. The painted version of the same idea, working up highlights on each panel, is in the zenithal highlighting guide.
Varnish protects the paint from chipping and rubbing on the tabletop and stops shiny washes and metallics making the model look patchy. It comes in spray, brush-on and airbrush versions, in three finishes:
Once the varnish is dry you can put the shine back where you want it with a little gloss varnish on a brush: eyes, gems, wet blood, slime, lenses. Varnishes on the site include Gloss Varnish, Satin Varnish and Matt Varnish, made for the airbrush.
Frosting is a white, cloudy or chalky haze that appears when a matt spray varnish dries. It is almost always the conditions: humidity, cold, spraying too heavily or from too far away (so the varnish starts drying in the air), or a can that wasn't shaken enough. Some brush-on matt varnishes also turn cloudy if they are put on thickly.
If gloss doesn't clear it, the haze is deeper in the varnish and the only fix is to strip the model and start again.
Black for dark schemes, metallics and drybrushing, white for bright colours and contrast paints, and grey if you are not sure. Zenithal priming (black, then grey and white from above) gives you some of both.
Priming a model black, then spraying grey from about 45 degrees above and white from directly above, so the model is pre-shaded with light on the top surfaces and shadow underneath. In French it is called éclairage zénithal.
Let it dry, then brush or spray a coat of gloss varnish over it. The gloss usually clears the white haze; then add a thin matt coat in dry, mild conditions.
For gaming models, yes: varnish protects the paint from handling. Display pieces often get a matt coat too, to even out the sheen.