I've been working on my painting skills, but it's winter and cold outside. All the spray on primers indicate they should be used in warm temperatures. After a few attempts at doing it indoors my wife has made it clear that indoors is not an option for me. What effects will the cold have on my painting jobs?

Also I just got news of a job offer in the Seattle area. That is a significantly more humid environment than I have lived in and I've read that humidity is not great for painting in. What do those of you who live in humid places do to ensure a good paint job?

Is an airbrush in the budget?

I pretty much gave up using spray cans years ago for the exact reasons you gave.

I use brushes and airbrush only and haven't missed spray cans one bit.

Vallejo airbrush primers can also be applied with a cheaper paint brush fairly quickly and quite easily.

Don't use it outside (or in a shack) in cold moist conditions. The spray will likely form tiny bubbles ruining your basecoat. If you must apply a basecoat in times of such weatherconditions just paint the basecoat (indoors).

I don’t have much experience in cold weather, but I can verify that using spray primers in high humidity is a bad idea. In the winter I spray in my garage with a fan and filter nearby, a mask, and a space heater. If you have no similar option I’d recommend as others have getting a pot of brush on primer.

3 hours ago, onebit73 said:

Is an airbrush in the budget?

Not presently but possibly with the new job. Why doesn't airbrushing have the same problems as cans?

3 hours ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Vallejo airbrush primers can also be applied with a cheaper paint brush fairly quickly and quite easily.

Thanks this might be what I end up doing.

11 minutes ago, NukeMaster said:

Not presently but possibly with the new job. Why doesn't airbrushing have the same problems as cans?

Airbrushes are easier to control and don't put out as much paint as rattle cans. As such, with some planning or special equipment, they can be used indoors.

Depending on the type, they also don’t use all the nasty chemical propellants and such that aerosol cans do.

Quick question what counts as “too humid to spray”?

12 minutes ago, Jabby said:

Quick question what counts as “too humid to spray”?

Depends on the spray paint. Should tell you on the can. Most don't like anything in the 85% relative range.

1 minute ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Depends on the spray paint. Should tell you on the can. Most don't like anything in the 85% relative range.

At the moment where I live humidity is at 95%. So i guess its brush on primer for me

2 minutes ago, Jabby said:

At the moment where I live humidity is at 95%. So i guess its brush on primer for me

I'll be honest, it may be a bit slower but you can ensure complete coverage and I have to be careful about the chemicals/odor of spray paint. It is also easier to avoid accidentally painting a building or vehicle!

Just now, Caimheul1313 said:

I'll be honest, it may be a bit slower but you can ensure complete coverage and I have to be careful about the chemicals/odor of spray paint. It is also easier to avoid accidentally painting a building or vehicle!

How would you suggest getting a similar effect to zenithal highlighting with brush on?

1 minute ago, Jabby said:

How would you suggest getting a similar effect to zenithal highlighting with brush on?

Hmmm... Very carefully? Or even more carefully?

You could try dry brushing, or just use washes after the fact.

One of the issues you can have with Zenithal is that some parts of the model have 3 different base layers of paint on them, which can lead to loss of detail and a weird bumpiness.

4 minutes ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Hmmm... Very carefully? Or even more carefully?

You could try dry brushing, or just use washes after the fact.

One of the issues you can have with Zenithal is that some parts of the model have 3 different base layers of paint on them, which can lead to loss of detail and a weird bumpiness.

So I’ve done some reading up on the subject and it seems that if I store the primer cans inside and then just pop outside to prime and then bring the mini back in the dry it should be fine. Does this sound right?

3 hours ago, NukeMaster said:

Not presently but possibly with the new job. Why doesn't airbrushing have the same problems as cans?

You can airbrush indoors. I made a "spray booth" by cutting one side out of a cardboard box. There's no chemical smell, but wear a mask for particulate.

This airbrush kit would get you started. Or Zeny TC-20T (rebranded TCP Global TC-20T, there's a couple of other clones, too) + Badger 105. I recommend the TC-20T vs the TC-20, because the "T" version has a tank and will annoy your wife less.

36 minutes ago, onebit73 said:

You can airbrush indoors. I made a "spray booth" by cutting one side out of a cardboard box. There's no chemical smell, but wear a mask for particulate.

This airbrush kit would get you started. Or Zeny TC-20T (rebranded TCP Global TC-20T, there's a couple of other clones, too) + Badger 105. I recommend the TC-20T vs the TC-20, because the "T" version has a tank and will annoy your wife less.

I would get an airbrush if it didn’t cost more that the game

edit: this ones cheaper does it seem good?

Is it just me or does it look like the Profundity?

edit 2: i just realised i didnt link the airbrush so here it is

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067BAYNO/ref=s9_acsd_simh_hd_bw_bs7Cv_c_x_3_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=CFQ2HDB98BEG731GP3FA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=20564675-a743-5b79-bcc0-c9fce6b22195&pf_rd_i=12897421

1 hour ago, Jabby said:

I would get an airbrush if it didn’t cost more that the game

That's understandable. I view it as long term investment. I guess I'm more into the painting than the gaming.

There's tankless kits for around $60-$70 if you don't mind the compressor running all the time. I wouldn't recommend the cheap $30 box compressors, those are for cakes and makeup.

@Jabby I've never used the G22/G233, but according to YouTube reviews they work. Some Amazon reviews say the tolerances are kind of bad (doubt there's much QA on these airbrushes), so there's probably some slop on the trigger, a chance one of the needles or nozzles might be misshaped, or it could have threading issues. If you buy it from a reputable vendor they'd probably take it back, though. I'd still recommend it to someone on a tight budget.... but at some point it might break. Badger on the other hand has lifetime warranty on labor and seals.

9 hours ago, Jabby said:

So I’ve done some reading up on the subject and it seems that if I store the primer cans inside and then just pop outside to prime and then bring the mini back in the dry it should be fine. Does this sound right?

As long as you’re not too far from the recommended temp/humidity it should be fine. Do a test spray first to check. The listed conditions are ideal, but in reality you can spray outside of them to a certain degree. Cold or hot temps (especially out of direct sunlight) are not usually a problem unless it’s below 40 degrees or over around 90in my experience. The thing to really watch out for is humidity. Too cold and the primer will clump, too humid and it will leave a milky/frosting effect on the material.

10 hours ago, Jabby said:

So I’ve done some reading up on the subject and it seems that if I store the primer cans inside and then just pop outside to prime and then bring the mini back in the dry it should be fine. Does this sound right?

Yeah, and you can always try it and strip the models if it doesn't work. My main issue with that solution was the odor following the models back inside, but that might not be a problem for you.

1 minute ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Yeah, and you can always try it and strip the models if it doesn't work. My main issue with that solution was the odor following the models back inside, but that might not be a problem for you.

With a house the size of mine and with all the windows and ACs it has, smell should be a problem. Also, the doors in this country are basically blast doors. They’re about 3 inches of solid wood. Smell aint getting through those

edit: just realised that theres also a small separate room outside with an AC. I could use it to let the minis dry there.

3 minutes ago, Jabby said:

With a house the size of mine and with all the windows and ACs it has, smell should be a problem. Also, the doors in this country are basically blast doors. They’re about 3 inches of solid wood. Smell aint getting through those

edit: just realised that theres also a small separate room outside with an AC. I could use it to let the minis dry there.

Small separate room outside sounds like an impromptu indoor spraying area... Could always get a spray booth just to prevent overspray, and wear at least a paper mask.

3 minutes ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Small separate room outside sounds like an impromptu indoor spraying area... Could always get a spray booth just to prevent overspray, and wear at least a paper mask.

Spray booth? How?

Yh I’ll need to get a mask of some kind

12 minutes ago, Jabby said:

Spray booth? How?

Yh I’ll need to get a mask of some kind

You can build your own, or purchase one on Amazon. They're necessary for airbrushing just to keep the paint particles from getting everywhere. The main issue with spray paint indoors is the fumes from the propellant are not healthy, but if you have a place you can just LEAVE the fumes while they vent, it's a possibility.