Colour Primer Gun Metal: Basecoating Metallic Minis
By The Army Painter: all you need for miniature painting | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: Avaliações de Produtos
Use Colour Primer Gun Metal to basecoat knights and dark sci-fi minis in one pass. Follow these steps for a smooth metallic spray primer finish before painting.
Quick answer
Use Colour Primer Gun Metal as your basecoat when you want a dark metallic starting point for knights or dark sci-fi and fantasy miniatures. Shake it thoroughly, spray in thin passes, and let it dry before adding Warpaint layers.
Why choose a metallic spray primer instead of a grey or white base
A metallic spray primer miniatures session saves time because the base colour is already metallic. Colour Primer Gun Metal is a rich, dark metal, so it suits knights and dark sci-fi and fantasy schemes where you want the armour to read as gunmetal from the start. You can still paint over it, but the primer does much of the work for you.
The trade-off is that a dark metallic base can mute bright colours painted on top. If your scheme relies on pale or vivid layers, test the coverage on a spare part first. For darker, metallic-heavy armies, the gun metal basecoat is a practical shortcut.
What to check before you spray
Colour Primer Gun Metal uses a precision nozzle and fast-drying acrylic formula, which helps with control and coverage. The can is part of a 24-colour range designed to match Warpaint, so you can plan your palette around it. Check the weather and your spraying area before you start; humidity and wind affect any spray primer, and the catalog does not list a recommended temperature range, so use your usual spray conditions.
Step-by-step: priming metal minis with Gun Metal
- Prepare the miniature and the can: Clean mould lines and dust from the miniature, then shake the Colour Primer Gun Metal can thoroughly according to the can instructions. Common mistake: spraying a can that has settled, which can give a blotchy metallic finish. Shake longer than you think you need to; the metallic pigment settles.
- Spray in thin, moving passes: Hold the can at the distance recommended on the label and spray in short passes, starting before the miniature and finishing after it. Build up light coats rather than one wet coat. Checkpoint: stop if the surface looks wet and glossy, because that can obscure detail. Two thin passes usually beat one heavy pass for keeping detail sharp.
- Let the primer dry fully: The fast-drying acrylic formula still needs time to cure. Leave the miniature in a dust-free place until the surface is dry to the touch before handling or painting. Common mistake: painting Warpaint over a tacky primer, which can pull the basecoat. If you can smell solvent or feel tackiness, wait longer.
- Check coverage and touch up: Inspect the miniature under good light. If recesses or undersides are bare, apply another thin pass rather than flooding the area. Checkpoint: the primer should leave every detail in excellent condition, so detail loss means you sprayed too heavily. A missed spot is easier to fix with a second light pass than with a heavy blast.
- Plan your layers before you paint: Because Gun Metal matches the Warpaint range, choose your Warpaint colours now and test them over the dark metallic base. Priming before painting metallics works best when you decide which areas stay bare gun metal and which get colour. Common mistake: painting every surface and losing the metallic base you paid for. Mask or leave bare the areas you want to read as gun metal.
Product facts
- Colour Primer: Gun Metal: Colour Primer Gun Metal is a rich and dark metal intended as a basecoat for knights and dark sci-fi and fantasy miniatures. It gives those schemes a natural metallic starting point, so you spend less time building up dark metal layers by brush.
Colour Primer: Gun Metal - Colour Primer: Gun Metal: The acrylic primer has a precision nozzle and dries fast, and the range includes 24 colours that match Warpaint. You get controlled coverage and a predictable base for later Warpaint layers, which helps keep your scheme consistent.
