Bostich.comboard and miniature gaming

Living in an apartment/condo has always presented challenges as a miniature painter.  I don’t have the luxury of a garage or basement or back yard to spray-prime in.  When I first started painting I would save up miniatures all winter and as soon as the first clear/not windy/not humid day presented itself I would prime like a maniac on my balcony.

The number of days favorable to priming at my apartment were few enough that I was encouraged to find alternatives.

The first product I came across was brush-on primer sold by the paint manufacturers favored by miniature painters.  Unfortunately this primer came in such small quantities as to be cost-prohibitive.  In addition it often has a harsh odor I associate with something that’s probably very unhealthy for me.

As I started to investigate alternatives to this I eventually came across a product called Gesso. The primary use of Gesso is as an acrylic background for artboard to stop it from warping and create a surface for further work.

The first type of Gesso is a thick paste.  The advantages of this are that it is easy to spread out on a palette and slowly brush off and on to your miniature.  The disadvantages are you  have to use a fair amount of water to get the consistency correct.  Also you have to manage the water ratio constantly in order to make sure there’s an even coat.

Thick black acrylic Gesso

The second, and for my money favored, kind is straight liquid Gesso: available in clear, white, grey, black. While a touch of water is still recommended, it is less necessary and less fiddly.  Black is used by a lot of people because it is the most forgiving of areas missed by the brush.  White allows for brighter colours but you have to make sure everything will get painted or you have white areas showing.

Grey and Black both work really well to cover-up unpainted areas.

Right now Grey (gray) is my preferred color Gesso as it both allows for brighter colours and works as shade for missed spots.