Zenithal priming

Zenithal priming is a two-stage priming technique where a miniature is first fully primed in a dark color, usually black or dark grey, and then sprayed again from a steep overhead angle with a lighter color, white, grey or a light tone. Because the second spray only reaches surfaces that face upward, it leaves the underside of arms, folds and recesses in the original dark primer while the tops of shoulders, heads and raised details pick up the lighter coat.

This matters because it recreates how sunlight actually falls on an object before a single drop of paint is applied, giving the model built-in highlights and shadows to paint over rather than starting from a flat single tone. It is especially valuable for painters using contrast or speed paints, since those paints rely on exactly this kind of light-to-dark gradient already being present on the primer.

An airbrush gives the most control over the angle and softness of the transition, though careful use of a rattle can from a steady height also works. A common mistake is spraying the lighter coat too heavily or from too low an angle, which erases the contrast between light and shadow instead of preserving it.