black or white prime

ok here is a question for you all. Do you prefer in general black or white primer. Me personally i use a white primer more prefering a brighter colored model.

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Not the old Reaper The New reaper

For me it depends on what I'm painting. I use a variety of different primers - not just black and white, but also gray.

Black primer is great for layer painting or shading. The black primer makes block painting easier, because it does not reflect as much light and allows you to see the small details on the figure more easily. Black primer is a must when dealing with chain mail and other types of armor that are best done by dry brushing. The use of black primer can eliminate the need for black lining of belts and equipment on your figures. I find that using black primer as a base also provides depth to your figures when they are done.

The biggest advantage to using white primer is that the paint colors look brighter and the white doesn't bleed through with some light colors. White is great when you are painting faces and other fleshy bits, it make the flesh tones lighter and more lifelike. Mostly I use white as a base when I am painting animals or miniatures that are wearing "street clothes", like Hasslefree's Adventurers.

I'll use gray primer if I'm doing earth tones for certain armors or terrain that call for a dirty look. It's a perfect middle ground between B&W.

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I'm riding an open canoe down a rocky mountainside. What could possibly go wrong?

I ditto the dane...

It's based on what I'm painting.... 

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"In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.” Napoleon Bonaparte

black or white primer

I also ditto Dane, although I'll admit that most recently, my choice in primer has been a financial one. I can get a full size can of grey auto primer at Big Lots for one dollar versus the tiny little cans of black or white at the hobby store for, what, 3.50 or 4.00?

Ther is a difference, to be sure, but since I generally undercoat the things i want to brighter anyway, I find starting grey, undercoating the stuff i want darker in black and the lighter stuff in white saves money in the long run. I also rarely use the paints from the hobby store anymore. I can go to Walmart's craft section and get about 5 times the paint for one third the price.

Of course, some specialty colors need to be purchased at the hobby store, and if you are painting to Games Workshop specs you don't have a choice, but there are ways o cut costs. 

I picked up a can of Tamiya white primer when I was at a local railroad hobby shop a few years ago. After using it I swear by the stuff. Smoothest finish regardless of weather, paint sticks to it like a dream. It's very possible that I passed a hurdle in painting and just got a little better at the time I bought the primer but my paintjobs looked so much better that I won't prime with anything else.
I haven't tried a black primer in three years or so but I didn't like it back then. Gray also didn't match my painting style (I use style in the loosest term possible) as it gave me the worst of white or black rather than the best.
I think I can be seen as more superstitious about my priming than functional if that makes any sense.

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Where are the Nova Fuzz when you need them?

Its balck for me I use matt car spay paint. I undercoat 20 at a time.

Tony

www.occultwars.com

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Stealthy Spider Publishing the home of Occult Wars

I ALWAYS prime black.
Hides alot of mistakes, and makes it easier to leave black between colors.

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The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all it's contents

I always use white. Mostly because that's what I have on hand. If I need a black base for something, then I layer my color over black.

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Qui ne risque rien, n'a rien.

I used to use white or black according to the reasons stated before but I have gotten into the habit of just using white (cheaper that way).

I have seen people use gray which is IMHO the worst of both worlds; not dark enough for metallics but too dark for colors.

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That which does not kill you usually hurts a lot.