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Hello Dakka! I'm close to completing my first few painted figs, and I have 2 quick questions

1. After washing my models, they became very shiny whereas before they were more flat in color. Is this normal? Or did I apply too much / too little wash? I actually like how the colors came out, just wondering if all the bling is normal.

2. I don't like them blingy, so matte varnish is the answer right? Do I just spray it on when I'm done, and what would you recommend?

Thanks in advance all!

Yes, washes applied usually do have some shine to them, but they shouldnt be glossy. you may have added too much, i dilute mine. This will help for a more even coverage instead of the dripped Thick in one place and non existent in another look.

You will want a matt varnish regardless at the end. GW makes one but you could check your nearest hobbylobby or michaels type stores that stock many brands to see if they have a even flow or high consistency matt varnish or sealant.

If you are using the GW washes they shouldn't come out shiny at all. They actually have a very curious matting effect. Matte varnish is pretty simple to apply, put in a well ventilated area and/or where the over-spray won't hurt anything and simply spray and allow to dry. Make sure you evenly coat the whole model and you are doing it during a time when the humidity is very low. I generally don't have problems with a humidity under 60%. Temperature really has never appeared to be a factor for me. I have primed at extremely high and low heats with successful results. I recommend GW's Purity Seal matte Varnish. It is expensive but one thing you can count on is consistency. I've had bad experiences with off the shelf cans of spray you can get in the average department store and often you can't get the same brand year after year. Changing brands of spray can make your army look inconsistent(but I'm also very anal about those sorts of things.)

You should shake Citadel Washes before using to get rid of most of the shine. I got glossy and otherwise so-so results from Devlan mud at first, but then I heard this tip from my friend and now it works perfectly.