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Hi all,

I painted up some 40k Harlequin vehicles and got a frost effect with the Purity Seal. I did some research and it looks like if I go over it in a satin finish it will correct the frosting and also give it a semi shine that I think is overall preferable.

The problem is I bought some Humbrol Satin Cote not realizing it was enamel. This is to be thinned and applies via airbrush.

Am I safe using enamel sealer on acrylic paint?

Yeah it's fine, wait for the acrylics to cure good and proper (I'd wait a day, 2 if I want to be safe).

Sometimes I've been lazy and sprayed enamel straight over uncured acrylic, like, within 5 minutes of spraying an acrylic sprayed over it with enamel. It's worked the times I've done it, but I won't guarantee that'll always work, you don't want to cause crazing or anything.

Remember the enamel needs to be thinned with an enamel thinner in your airbrush.

Lacquer varnishes tend to be a bit rougher on the underlying paint, for those you really need to wait a couple of days for the acrylic to cure and apply it in several thin coats to avoid it dissolving the underlying acrylic.

Acrylics play very well with enamels & lacquers, and layering one over the other is a tried-and-true technique of scale modelers. I've never used Purity Seal, so I can't say if applying Satin Cote will correct your problem. It would be wise to experiment with a test model first.

Skink's assessment is correct. The only thing I'll add for future reference is that varnishes in general can react differently depending upon the underlying paint. Metallics are notorious for causing frosting effects and candies/ghost tints can bleed through. To prevent problems, I always seal the model with a coat of matte medium first. This provides a uniform surface for the varnish to adhere to. Dilute the matte medium to the same consistency as thinned paint and apply it in very thin, light passes with the airbrush. Allow it to cure at least overnight before applying whatever varnish you prefer.

Thank you both very much. The acrylic has been dry for a couple weeks so I am going to experiment with a much older model of mine with some serious ghosting/ frosting.

Thanks again.