Humbrol acrylic white No.34

[Rogus McBogus]

I have been using Humbrol acrylic white No.34 on an aircraft, and after about 4 coats, I can still see the primer underneath. So it will need more coats of paint.

Why is it so translucent?

[Ratch]

Are you hand or air brushing, and what colour primer did you use?

[Rogus McBogus]

I am using a brush and it was a grey primer

[peebeep]

You could try using a white primer, white is notoriously difficult to cover using bristle brushes. If you're not using 'flat' brushes then it might be worth investing some. It was problems with pale/pastel colour coverage that persuaded me to invest in airbrush equipment, if you prefer not to go down that route then aerosols are an option. 

[ntpntpntp]

I agree.  I use Vallejo acrylic white primer for most things nowadays.

[Rog RJ]

Yellow is also a difficult colour that works best with a white primer

[Tour de Airfix]

I’ve always found white the most difficult colour to paint. Folk say yellow is worse, but yellow on top of white goes on excellently.  So for me it’s white who is the problem paint. 

Recently, when painting my Cyprus Emergency UN Airfix Ferret, I discovered that white goes on very well over silver and silver seems to go on well over anything. 

An alternative to using your pot of white is to buy one of the rattle cans of white primer. For some reason this goes on over anything with a great finish. The only risk with using rattle cans is that it’s difficult to regulate the amount of paint you spray and thus go easy and test the pressure and quantity sprayed on a bit of card or scrap plastic before moving to your precious build. 
 

 

[Rogus McBogus]

Thanks everyone for your reply.

Time I invested in some white primer

[Sailorman]

Tour de Airfix is right about the spray cans ...... you have to be very, very careful when using them or you end up obliterating all the detail.  I use short squirts whilst passing over the model.  Keeping the can in a fixed position and then pressing the button results in a big mess.

 

[peebeep]

The best aerosol that I used for primer was the old Games Workshop/Citadel Skull White. The cans seem to have been fitted with nozzles that gave you a fine mist rather than a downpour and were much easier to control. I don't know about the new colours introduced since the range was updated and whether or not they still have the same nozzles, but it might be worth checking out their Wraith Bone, or White Scar. I know a lot of modellers that swear by Tamiya aerosol white primer.