Myth Exposed... Primer Color DOES Matter!!! Here's the Proof... 

Thank you for this demonstration. I am planning on repainting my Mustang and you were able clearly answer a question I had about Primer. This helps tremendously in my planning. Thank you so much!

Thank you for this video! its 5 years old and still helping folks. After spending weeks paint matching a damage kitchen door in gloss grey, I finally found a match from Tikkurila. I then primed with light grey high built primer with LVLP gun, sanded and sprayed the gloss grey, thinned 10% with white spirits. The results were a much darker grey than that the paint chip I had matched was. I was stumped! tried polishing it out, buffing to try lighten it, nothing worked. I went back to the drawing board, sanded with 320, roughed up my beautiful gloss finish and primed with yellow car high build primer. The restuls were a much better paint match, the gloss grey from the same tin, thinned 10% again is now 99% the same as the paint chip. I tested with white primer on a spare MDF board, again the gloss grey is 99.9% the same. It is insane how the primer colour affects the base/top coat so much, even with a thick gloss paint which I would expect to hide the prime coat. I was told on another form to try purple tinted primer to get where I needed to be with the kitchen door paint matching but TBH yellow and white primer done it for me. Take note that mid grey primer with mid grey gloss base/top coat will turns the finish very dark.

The fact you are here Old man is such a great boost to the Hobby. You are a great resource to many of those internet Trolls who've built 3 models over 30 years and wanna argue with everyone on social media. Keep bustin them Myths and thanks!

Absolutely spot-on ol' man.. Anybody that says different has not painted! Excellent job!

After i read the title and description i was like Wow what a great job you did there, i ask myself this same question all the time "Do primer color affect final color " and guess what you make the explanation so clear and with clear proof. Thank you for sharing.

SHORT. SWEET. STRAIGHT TO THE POINT..... Thanx for the proof along with explanations without unnecessary droning on!

Great video Don! as a custom car painter myself I didn't realize that there was an argument about that, kinda makes me laugh! Now go and make a video on the special effects that can be done with sealer tints! My old favorite was the checkered flag under colored metallic but that's old school.

I have used this idea to some success on bodies where I wanted a two-tone scheme, same colour but different shades. Likewise, for interior/exterior. It works beautifully! Thanks for the illustration, Don.

Man your technique and the results speak for themselves. Top flight all the time. I marvel at the volume of paint you throw so quickly. I’ve been doing it a long time, but if I tried your speed and volume.... it would be “fugly.” A tip-o-the-hat to you sir. This old goat appreciates the insights.

This is what I was looking for. I plan on painting a sonic blue pearl with a grey sealer. Your samples give a clear look at what differences you'll get depending on the base. Thanks!

I've wondered about this for ages, and just now in my life realized I could try and youtube it. Man, what a great video, thanks!

I chanced upon your channel and I like your no nonsense advice on techniques for building cars and other things. I was sold on you when I saw you talking about resin cast cars and the rip-offs there are out there who undermine good, honest craftspeople by offering crap knock offs. I never had a problem with speaking my mind and if someone has a problem with that, I just don't give a rat's bee-hind. Best wishes and good health, Don, from Virginia, Cork

That red metallic on white looks like a gloss red for me. Beautifully done!

Great way to show the difference. I do like that over the light gray

great video don!! i just purchased one of your videos!! can't wait to see and apply!!

This is an amazing video! Thank you sir for the demos. Learned something new today.

Short and Sweet! That's what she said! Much appreciated 📌💯

Perfect demonstration! I am just about to spray my motorbike a pearl metallic red. I never knew what a difference it would make. I think I am gonna go with the light grey. Thanks dude

Thanks for the very information demo on how paint changes. It was very well done vedio. Very professionally done. I liked seeing. How the color changes by what color of primer you use. I'm going to be repainting my bike in a dark blue metallic. I got a light gray primer. But, I'm going to do a white base coat first before I paint the blue metallic. I can't wait to see how my moutian bike turns out .

AMAZING results!!! Well, u put that argument to rest, so ifs, ands or buts about it....nicely done...

Short & Sweet it maybe but it's rich in info and after all that's what is needed. I like your no-nonsense plain talking and as far as I concerned I am now better equipped to do my task thanks to you👍👍👍 Oh, I'll stick around for some more treats🤣🤣

Just that quick you answered a hundred questions. Thank you

That was very interesting you Old Geezer. Thank you that was a good tip . I was thinking of the same type of experiment to see what different shades I could get. I am using your method in Hot Wheels versus plastic models but I think I could come up with basic same results. Thank you again and keep all these great videos coming.

AWESOME!!! No argument to be had, no Sir! Picture IS worth A Thousand words! Thanks A MILLION for the video!👍

It most definitely makes a difference. I have a scalefinishes midnight blue that looks almost black over dark primers

Just beautiful and so helpful at the same time. Thanks!

This was very helpful! I will be painting my car brown soon, and think that black will now be my base coat

Well Done Donn...... Excellent way to clear up the confusion for all of the "Doubters" out there..... Seeing is believing.....LOL Thanks for the Awesome videos....

Thanks! This totally explains what went wrong with my last paint job. Lol

Wow that makes a huge difference! Good to know! Thanks.

Great point Don. Also. Many Trick paint jobs like Fades ots multi mask varied primers to achieve the effect. 70s mopars used Rust red brown primer followed by light gray then thin metallic coats use of wrong primers cause paint not to match chip chart

I learned this years ago back in the eighties. When I was a kid building model cars my dad taught me when he was painting candy colors. By using a silver gold, copper or black as the base coat. Your candy color will have a different shade to it. It's good that you showed this demonstration that to show other people in hopes that will understand how different shades of base coat will affect your final color

Thanks man! I did a patch on my truck in dark green. But I used a light grey primer looks like a totally different color

Thanks for not removing this video yet… more lessons for the newbies! You really do the hobby justice Don. Thanks again.

0:04 I knew it made a difference but damn that’s a big difference. Excellent video and your old school like me the doubters an talkers are always gonna spew negativity unfortunately it’s what they do. ✌️

Thank you for sharing your skills and information with us.

Thanks! I don't paint cars but this does help with ideas I have when I do custom sneakers etc.

Excellent demo! Thank you.

Excelente demostración, felicidades, gran apoyo para muchos.

Just amazed... learned something and sparked an idea or two.

Excellent demonstration.

the best out there keep up the great work don

Great video Don. I have used yellow under red to really make the red pop also. Thanks Ron

Thanks for this! So if I wanna match the color on my car I better ask the manufacturer and see what primer they used?

Proof is in the puddin Old Man. Great video showing what you get with different base colors. Take care Donn

I use to watch scale modeler but since I found this guy I’ve tossed the geriatrics aside with that guy and stuck with this man here. In 4 videos I learned more than watching some modelers entire channels. Nobody else explains about the resin casts or paints and effects you can get if you mix paints that don’t like each other.

Great tutorial Sir Don ! thank you ! now i can prove some a holes wrong as well haha !

Great video. I have a question about using primer and not using primer. What's the difference between the two?

Thanks for video " ol man " very good snd easy to understand..

Anyone like myself who used to paint real cars knows this. I just did a Fiat with white primer because it makes the semi opaque red really pop compared to grey or black primer. Nice job in explaining it

Praying for you Donn...get well

Thanks Don, i wasnt sure to use the white primer that i have or get a lt gray for a car body that will be blue. I think ill use the white that i have and invest in other colors. Just starting back into modeling .

This was such a great video. Thank you.

I have painted model cars for over 50 years without using primer with my air brush. Resin kits need primer but not styrene. Primer builds up over the details and minimizes them. I've had sucess with all of them. I have over 400 cars from 1964 to 1976 issues. I have bought the newer kits and still not using primer. Dish detergent removes the mold release.

Hi mate thank you, your video shed me some light I need to fix my vauxhall insignia front bumper it's technical grey paint number z177 what colour primer would or should I use I've previously had a paint shop spray it before and it's slightly darker then the rest of my car and a bit of paint has flacked off and what I can see is white under the paint so I'm guessing they used a white primer am I right in saying go with a light grey primer ?

Great demo old man.

Hey Don, I have a question for you. I’m painting a metallic orange lacquer Tamia. Should I use a medium gray or a black primer?

Great video! So I have a dark navy blue pearl vehcile I’m getting ready to paint and re clear because it’s peeling and it looks like the gray or dark gray primer will be needed the original paint is about 20 years old

Thank you for a simple comparison helped me a lot i like my colers to jump at you so white primer for me on colers and black primer on my black paint.

You just answer my question thank you very much you used the same color of red on four different shades of primer they each came out different basically if I want a really dark red I use black primer if you want the color light do you use the white primer

When you primer your models cars do u water sand it afterwards or primer it and then paint it?

I'm painting my motorcycle bronze and black. Was thinking of using a white primer to make the bronze pop a bit, would it affect black?

I just need to know what color primer should I use for maroon thanks

would you recommend a clear primer?

Great video perfect visual thanks answered my questions does primer color mader YES

What should I use if I'm going to paint my car charcoal grey?

I put 2 coats of white under my paint . Usually makes them a lot lighter

Thank you very much sir for the valuable information 🙂

I didn’t see what the color should look like (from bottle). So which primer would offer a truer match?

Thank you .... the modeling community can always depend on you to get the facts right

Thank you so much! happy I found your video!

Different colors cover differently. Red especially is known to need more coats over dark primers. You did the most coats of any over the white, which was already going to cover the easiest. Keep coating the darker ones and will reach the same color. You can use the undercoat like this though for different tones by using less coats.

Yes primer makes a big difference in todays paint world because of the products we have to work with. Run into this myself just not long ago with a coke a cola red it was on a truck but it was a hole paint job so as to say had to do inside door and all two doors I used black primer and used a hole quart of paint so when I went back to the paint shop I ask what I should use and he said that it should have white under it well closest I had was a light gray and it made a big difference on the amount of paint that was used on the next two doors now this was the in side so no big deal, and it did make a difference in the color. So it you are not sure ask the place were you buy your paint what color primer you should use !

So what would you recommend as a base coat when you want to shoot an OD green? Your demonstration would suggest a light or dark grey. I have been agonizing over this for some time now and I am so glad I found your video that shows the differences.

Wow! Great video.

Thank You Sir n God Bless You and All Yours

Great video! Very cool!

... what does red primer with red on top look like?

Great test! Thanks! God Bless.

Perfect! Thanks for the video.

Much love to you God bless you old man !!!

Great stuff Donn. Especially, your comment to those who want to argue with seeing is believing, "good luck with that." Job 38:2 "Who is this who darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?" A fool disregards instruction.

What psi are you using?

Perfect explanation

thanks for the demonstration

Well i now know white primer will make the bright green pop on my car im about to paint lol. Thanks a million sir. Wisdom is age and experience beats youth and no experience every time.👍

Thank you for such a great video.

What color do use on a vehicle that is bright silver metallic for primer. Is white the best primer to use because I used light gray primer last but it just wanna know if white primer will work the best on bright silver metallic.

Thank you for sharing!

thanks mate that was super helpful

Would you happen to be related to Dennis Yost of the classics four?

thank you for the video Don

Hey Don, have you made a video on the best way to prevent bleed thru? Red over black, white over red etc. I have parts molded in Black that I want to paint red. I’ve heard to use silver first then grey primer then white primer then the red. Or just grey Primer than white primer, then the red. I’m trying to keep it to as few coats as possible to keep from muddling up details.

So if i use a red oxide primer for rust, do i go over that with white primer for a white top coat? Or just use lots morr top coat layers

What primer do you use for painting a dark midnight metallic color already to a daytona electric blue can I use a gray primer and that will be good.

Just saw this. I am painting a kit that is molded red with a light grey primer. I waited a day and when I painted the white over the grey it turned pink. Any ideas.

Great video!!!

wow. thank you so much for this sir

This helped and answered my question

You Are The Damn Man Keep It Up Winder Ga