BLACK or WHITE?

[CoffinDodger]

Gentlemen,

I am about to embark on buying and painting up French and Allied armies for BtLB.

Now, when I first painted metal miniatures back in 1973 I used a white undercoat. I graduated to black later on. Black was more forgiving and, if you missed a bit, there wasn't this great white patch glaring back at you. However, red and yellow are notoriously difficult to paint over black without an intermediate colour so, I'm asking those experienced painters amoungst you to please help out here.

What is your preferred undercoat and why? I also realise that some people use other undercoat colours.

Regards,

Jim

PS: If anyone knows how to edit a poll, can they please correct the spelling of preferred?

[CoffinDodger]

Gentleman,

Further to my last post, I should point out that I am an experienced painter although not in the same class as Barry or Churchill. I paint to a reasonable "wargames" standard but, I really want my BtLB armies to stand out. I don't think I can manage the eyes at my age and with my eyesight but, I am determined to get the figures looking as good as possible.

Here is a sample of what I've done to some 1/72nd plastc figures:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/554101

Jim

[Atheling]

Usually black, but depending upon what technique I'm using, sometimes white.

Cheers,

Darrell.

[quindia]

I almost always use black. I use primarily the Foundry three stage paints and the 'A' color of the series does a good job covering the black undercoat, even with red, orange, and yellow. If there are any inconsistencies with the first coat, the second and third highlights normally hide them. The Games Workshop Foundation paints also cover black easily and if I'm using GW for a project, I usually start with those.

Another reason for using the black undercoat is that I favor the high contrast created by leaving black showing between each area (between hand and cuff, belt and tunic, etc).

That being said, I have experimented with Quickshade, starting with a white undercoating, painting flat colors on the areas, and then painting on the shading varnish. The results were not bad at all (and can be seen on this forum at http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/fightin ... php?t=1657), but they just don't look like my models so I'm back to the black undercoat.

[Darkman]

I use white nowadays. I use army painter on all the items that I paint and white is the best colour for it I find. Also I find that I do not have to strain any more to see the little details that I need to paint.

[Coyote]

Black, for the same reason as Quindia and CoffinDodger - leaving blacklining behind and if there's a hard-to-reach armpit, I can just leave it black.

However, if I'm painting a display piece, grey. Never prime white, all paints cover grey better than they do white.

[lenin]

Mostly I use brown, as I have found it combines the shadows of black, without being too harsh, and it allows certain colours, reds and yellows, better coverage.

[subedai]

I use black acrylic undercoat on all my figures -and have done for at least three decades- for the same reasons as others have said above. But saying that, I have recently started using One Coat Matt Black from International (obtainable from my local DIY store (Homebase). Normally used for painting the external timbered bits of Ye Olde English Cottages. This is a quick drying, acrylic, flat matt paint that actually -after one coat- ends up more of a dark grey. This minor difference does make the lighter colours cover slightly better.
I have never used the Foundry system, preffering (sic) to use Vallejo paints mainly because they are more easily obtainable. The only problem colours are some shades of red,yellow, orange and cream -sometimes a couple of coats are required; apart from that most of them only need just the one. Anyway, the shading colours usually cover any dullness. Also, sometimes a slightly thinner consistency of paint works with some of the brighter colours.

[CoffinDodger]

...preffering (sic)

I'm never going to live that one down, am I?

Jim

[Coyote]

Isn't that weird Subedai? I've also noticed some paints absolutely misbehaving, going on blotchy, not covering well, etc roll over and positively beg when properly thinned. Counter-intuitive but it works.

[Ronan the Librarian]

I've tended to use grey primer (Halfords) - which can be a little grainy I'm told, although not in my experience - for most figures, but a red oxide primer (also Halfords) for figures with red or brown coats, which gets around the "thin red" problem. The grey also facilitates a "faded" look if you use thin coat colours.

[CoffinDodger]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the replies. I have also experimented this weekend with the Army Painter dip on the free Crimean miniature I got with the Black Powder rules and realise that, whilst it may not be ideal for the professionals in our midst, it may be just the job for me.

In future I will be painting it on and not accidently dropping the figure into the tin as I did yesterday.

Jim

[Artmaster Studio]

We use a Black undercoat.

To fix your Red/Yellow problem I would advise using GW Foundation Tausept ochre as a base for yellow and GW Foundation Mechrite Red as an undercoat for a bright red. These colours are well suited for a one coat undercoat over black.

Hope this helps!

[Coyote]

Or, try Liquitex Ultra Matte Medium. It's supposed to increase coverage without changing the colours, though at 50% it'll fade colours (not always bad for historicals)

Sounds like the basis for foundation paints to me. If you're not adventurous I'll be giving it a try myself shortly.

[toggy]

not in mr.Imrie`s class, but i find that several thin covers of the base shade usually gives a good foundation to work from.