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Basically, is this stuff effective at 'dulling' shiny models? I recently dipped some space marines, and they look great, just came out a little shiny. With the matte varnish spray fix this?

In addition, is there a non GW matte spray product that is equivalent? $15 for a can is highway robbery!

It should work.

As for alternate companies? Try army painter, they might do one. Also Vallejo.

If you want a real good matte finish, Testors Dullcote is the best I've ever used. I use Rust-oleum ultra from home depot, like 5 bucks for a big can. That gives me the durability I need, but even though it says matte coat it has a slight shine to it. I then cover them with a light spray of dullcote to bring them down. Works really well!

I'm liking the sound of the dullcote. I guess I should have specified by alternate company I meant home Depot lol I'll have to see what they carry. I figured Rust o leum would have something, I'll check it out. Any other home depot-like products that work?

Does adding a matte finish reduce detail in the model dramatically?

I've been using Vallejo Satin Varnish, with an airbrush. Gives a very nice semigloss look to the model, that doesn't reduce any detail.

I think testors dullcoat is meant to be the best matt spray varnish you can get, its highly sought after in the uk, and quite expensive here.

Matt varnish goes on very lightly so unless you spray too much on it wont cover any details.

Not sure if Home-Depot carries it (hell, everywhere else does, they should).

I'm a Krylon guy myself, for all my painting needs (primer, base-coat if available, matte spray, occasional brush-on enamel).

I love Testors Dullcote. I've tried a handful of other products and I haven't found anything else that compares. It's not the cheapest product available, but my minis are well worth it. I've found gloss sprays to be less finicky, so I'm less picky in that department, but the Krylon/Rust-Oleum products I've tried have been relegated to terrain use, where I can simply drown the pieces until the finish issues sort themselves out.

Testors Dullcote is great, but it's the most toxic smelling stuff on the planet. Keep your mouth and nose covered. After 1-2 light coats of it, your shine will be sufficiently dulled but there will still be a little bit of light shining off it, which is good. If it fogs up due to humidity or overspraying, gloss varnish (also Testor's) will eat it away and let you start over.

Just saying, airbrush satin varnish

has no problems, is sooper good.

I use Testor's almost exclusively. The Army Painter stuff works well too.

I'll add another vote for Testor's Dullcote, but I'm a fan of the brush-on kind. Be careful when brushing and use deliberate strokes that don't dwindle too much or you risk "reactivating" the paint and shoving it around.

This is one of my favorite links for a comparison:
http://incunabulum.co.uk/blog/2009/10/25/animated-difference-between-gloss-and-matt-varnish/

Try Vallejo Polyurethane Matte Varnish.

Takes your minis from this:



to this:



Cheers,


IK-Painter

If you're OK with a brush-on product instead of a spray, Liquitex brush-on matte varnish (get it from an art supply store) is really decent--big bottle for $7-8.