How many use Gesso as Primer?

[Deadite]

Just curious, how many of you fine folks use Gesso regularly as a brush-on primer (when you can\'t/shouldn\'t spray)?
Do you have pictures of completed models that you primed with gesso?

I\'m trying it out for the first time, and would like some tips, tricks and to see examples of successful use.
Thanks.

 

[uberdark]

water it down... always! or it will fill in more than you expected. also do a very very light varnish over it. this will seal it and from experience the gesso on metal can make it peel off so a varnish is a must. hope this works.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

For canvas it cant be beat. For mini\'s it\'s too thick. There are a ton of good spray on\'s. I use Rust-Oleum spray primer.

 

[Deadite]

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
For canvas it cant be beat. For mini\'s it\'s too thick. There are a ton of good spray on\'s. I use Rust-Oleum spray primer.

While I agree sprays are usually better, for many a spray is not an option. Sensitivity to fumes or the weather is just not ideally suited for sprays (too cold, too humid, etc) for example (i.e. not all of us can live in sunny california ) .
I\'ve read several posts on several boards that Gesso is a good brush-on substitute. Some thin it, some don\'t.
I was curious to know if anyone here uses it with any regularity on minis and might have pictures of minis that were primed with Gesso.

I figured cmon was the better place to ask as there are some true artistes who frequent the site.

 

[chrispasseno]

I\'ve recently been thinning it with rubbing alcohol 1:1 and sending it through my airbrush.

When I watered it down a bit and put it on with a brush, it was a bit thick and required frequent touchups. With the airbrush and the 1:1 thinning it works great!

I specifically use black gesso. I also love the tooth when it\'s dry. Just make sure you let it set for a full day.

Here\'s some Skinnie Venerables I recently did. The pictures not that good, I\'m still figuring out my \"white point\".

 

[airhead]

Gesso is made to fill the weave on canvas. Primer is made to bond to metal and plastic. Both are designed to give good tooth to the next layer of paints.

 

[M. D. Van Norman]

Here are a couple works-in-progress that I primed with Bob Ross black gesso.

It sticks to the metal fairly well. I previously found that Liquitex gesso would rub off quite easily.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Originally posted by Deadite

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
For canvas it cant be beat. For mini\'s it\'s too thick. There are a ton of good spray on\'s. I use Rust-Oleum spray primer.

While I agree sprays are usually better, for many a spray is not an option. Sensitivity to fumes or the weather is just not ideally suited for sprays (too cold, too humid, etc) for example (i.e. not all of us can live in sunny california ) .

Had\'nt considered that. Polly Scale makes a great paint on primer. goes on thin, flat and is VERY strong.

 

[Wren]

Reaper now makes both a white and a black brush on primer. I\'ve been using the white almost exclusively for my priming needs for at least a year now and the only problem I\'ve had was with this last mini I painted. It was primed with the dregs of a bottle and I don\'t think the mix of thinner to primer was right. I spot primed with a new bottle and it was as good as usual. It sticks pretty well, I usually have a bit of a time cleaning it off a ceramic palette, even with soaking. That\'s the Master Series primer in the dropper bottles. They also have a Pro Paint primer in a twist off cap. It\'s decent, but Reaper themselves say it\'s not as good as the Master Series.

Before Reaper came out with the black I had also used Derivan black primer. It was _very_ thick (though not clumpy or anything) in the bottle I purchased, not sure if that\'s standard or it was on the shelf for a while, but it thinned down beautifully and worked fine. I imagine they also do a white primer, but I don\'t know for sure.

 

[NAVARRO]

well im also curious about gesso specially since im about to paint some resin minis and as we know resin released agent not particularry good with normal primers... so has anyone tried it on resin?