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Hi - looking to protect my existing models and what to use on new models - I paint my models in pristine finish no weathering etc. and looking on advice as to which type of varnish to use to protect the models when gaming - GW Ardcoat is gloss and GW Stormshield is matt GW don't make a satin varnish - would prefer to paint on rather than spray - any advice on what would give a good overall finish TIA

If I wasn't doing any weathering that required varnish, I wouldn't bother varnishing at all.

If you do want to go down that road though, I'd go for something satin-ish, noting that most matte varnishes are slightly satin anyway. I've used Vallejo's satin varnish in a dropper bottle and it works fine. Make sure you mix it well before using it to get the matting agent distributed through the bottle evenly.

OK thanks thought satin would be a good compromise assuming Vallejo works ok with GW paint range - or try the Stormshield and see if it gives a satin didn't know that about them

Just keep in mind that any finish will erase detail from your paint job. The more gloss the worse the detail loss will be. Past that, there's no difference in protection if that's all you're doing it for. I use matte if I varnish at all which I usually don't because I like my detail xD

Thanks didn't realise would lose details never thought of that

Matte all the way. Gloss is too shiny and makes the models look like they've been laminated. Satin is usually also too shiny, although this can be useful if you must insist on varnishing for decals/oil washes. Matte preserves your painting paint job the best. Think about it, you've spent however long getting a nice transition from shadows to highlights on your models why take that all away with a big reflection when someone looks at it? Furthermore, a matte varnish gives the model a nice level finish. I usually give all my models a light coat of matte once they're done for this purpose.

Thanks what matt varnish do you use - i think i have a GW need to check or get different if it would give better results

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:
Matte all the way. Gloss is too shiny and makes the models look like they've been laminated. Satin is usually also too shiny, although this can be useful if you must insist on varnishing for decals/oil washes. Matte preserves your painting paint job the best. Think about it, you've spent however long getting a nice transition from shadows to highlights on your models why take that all away with a big reflection when someone looks at it? Furthermore, a matte varnish gives the model a nice level finish. I usually give all my models a light coat of matte once they're done for this purpose.

When we start talking from the artistic perspective, I think the answer becomes "it depends". It depends how you painted it. If you spent hours trying to get creamy blends, matte makes the most sense because you're trying to show off your creamy blends.

But maybe you used satin paint, and used a technique which looks good with the raw paint and so you don't want to mess that up. Or maybe you have areas of hard surfaces like armour that are dusty and areas of the same material that are clean so you want that represented in the finish (i.e. matte for the dusty parts, satin for the clean parts). You mention matte varnish gives a nice level finish, but maybe you spent a lot of time intentionally doing textured highlighting and you want to retain that look/feel.

Or maybe you're painting for the table top instead of the camera, so you didn't spend hours blending your shadows to your highlights so having natural ambient light do some work isn't a bad thing.

I've been watching way too many MarcoFrisoni videos of late and while he paints pieces of art vs my glorified gaming counters, I like his argument of using varnishes artistically rather than just hitting everything with a flat final coat.

But yeah, most matte paints I've used are some level of satin anyway. When I've used paints that are advertised as matte they tend to be more matte than the matte varnishes I've personally used.

I use matte spray on everything; it doesn't seem to affect detail, it doesn't really reflect the flash when I take photos, and it protects paintjobs from finger oils.

It depends. Usually just a rattlecan matte from the hardware section. I do have a bottle of Windsor Newton brush on matte too. That one is purely an aesthetic finish though, it offers no protective finish.

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*Slaps can*
This baby right here can Matte varnish your models so good.

But really if you want a matte flat finish no shine, this right here is the bees knees, I aware by this stuff, it will suck the shine right outta chrome