Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by OoS
A good primer always result in great paint finishes. That’s why if you need the best brush-on primer for miniatures, this is the list you will want to refer to. We chose the Vallejo Surface Primer as our top choice thanks to its affordable price and effectiveness in long-lasting paint finishes. Read more about the rest below.
Contents
Best Brush-on Primer for Miniatures: Vallejo Surface Primer
- Surface Primer can be cleaned easily using water
- It is recommended to avoid mixing Surface Primer with alcohol and/or solvents Apply with airbrush or brush
- Packaging: In bottle sizes of 17, 60 and 200 ml
Citadel Model Primer is the most used spray among Warhammer hobbyists. Whether you are a 40K, Fantasy or Age of Sigmar player, Citadel Model Primer is a great all-around primer to use on your miniatures. It dries up fast and is great for both plastic and metal miniatures. The primer color we recommend is Chaos Black. White is fine too but it tends to be powdery and lumpy. If supplies are available, you need to get this as soon as you can since a lot of people buy it. It does sell like hotcakes because of how effective it is.
Pro
- Great coating
- Dries fast
- Good price
Con
- Quite thick
- Creates bubbles
- Limited supply
Best Value Brush-on Primer for Miniatures: Games Workshop Citadel Base Paint Leadbelcher
- High quality acrylic paint
- Specially formulated for basecoating your miniatures quickly and easily
- Designed to give a smooth matte finish over black or white under coats.
- Designed and manufactured by Games Workshop
- 12 ml of Leadbelcher
There’s no need to explain further when it comes to Citadel products. Games Workshop’s very own Leadbelcher primer is a prime example of solid base paint for miniatures for a low price. It is also one of Citadel’s cheapest products ever and has a great matte finish to it. It’s great for whichever color you plan on using for your miniatures. Of course, this primer can be used beyond Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40K miniatures. The only big downside to this product is that it you can only paint enough because of its 12 ml quantity.
Pro
- Good starter kit
- Great value
- Good matte finish
Con
- Only 12 ml
- Limited supply
- Slightly expensive
Best Premium Brush-on Primer for Miniaturesr: Tamiya Surface Primer Spray
- Light Gray Fine Surface Primer (L)
- 180ml Spray Can
- Ideal for preparing ABS and Styrene plastic for paint
- May also be used on Metal Parts
- Part Number 87064
The best part about the Tamiya Gray Fine Surface Primer is that it can be used as both spray and brush-on. While it may be more ideal as a spray, its brush quality is fine too. After all, it is the original product that laid the foundation of primer for pocket racers and miniatures. The only gripe we have about this Tamiya primer is that it is expensive. Then again, you pay what you get; high-quality long-lasting primer for a large 180 ml quantity.
Pro
- Trusted brand
- High-quality final undercoat
- Convenient to bring
Con
- Expensive
- Bubbles up
- Gets quite thick
Alternative D&D Sceneries
- Thick, creamy with satin finish; Good pigment load
- Retains peaks and brush strokes; Ideal for learning color theory and color mixing
- Includes 8.5-oz / 250ml tube of acrylic paint
- Intermixable with Liquitex Professional Acrylic Paint Colors and Mediums.
- Conforms to ASTM D4236; Safe for educational use
- Master Series Paint by Reaper Miniatures
- Exact colors may vary from the colors on your screen.
What I Would Buy
You can choose any of these base paints since they really are the best brush-on primers for miniatures. Personally, we pick the Vallejo primer for its cheap price and high-quality foundation. The Citadel and Tamiya primers are quite well too thanks to their solid base that make a great finish and a good canvas for multiple colors.
FAQs
The best primer includes Vallejo, Citadel, Tamiya and various other products that compete with those brands. It is all a matter of personal preference as to which is the most useful.
Yes, but only when the product allows it. Usually, it already says on the label if you can use it for brushes. Other sprays also allow for brush-on primer if it says so on the label.
Yes, you should especially if you are going to paint the miniatures yourself.
The fastest time it takes to dry up a miniature is 13 to 15 minutes while the longest takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes you can, especially since primers allow you to use it on metal miniatures.
