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I'm working on a Riptide conversion and I'm going for that shiny sci-fi look on the bulky armor parts of the model while I want the matte gritty look on the mechanical and weapon parts. The majority of the model will be glossy so I would prefer to use a gloss varnish spray with a paint-on matte varnish on top on the parts of the model I don't want to be shiny; what, if anything, should I use for this?

For the gloss varnish I have some automotive gloss varnish as well as GW's purity seal but I have never used either of them on models; if those are unacceptable I could always go out and get testor's 1261 gloss coat.

What is there in terms of serviceable paint-on matte varnish though? I looked through my FLGS selection of Vallejo and GW paints and they only had gloss varnish (GW's Ardcoat) and then a matte mixing agent (GW's Lahmian Medium) used for creating paints, no dedicated matte varnish. What and where can I get a good paint-on matte varnish? Whatever that may be, will it work fine applied over GW's purity seal or an automotive gloss varnish spray?

I've never used it, but this stuff is in my Amazon cart waiting to be purchased: http://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-Professional-Matte-Varnish-8-oz/dp/B000KNPLTM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=37IQD6LU48ETN&coliid=IF3N94BPD7RGT

I have used the vallejo varnishes and they work nicely - i've never tried spray varnish before though.

 Praxiss wrote:
I have used the vallejo varnishes and they work nicely - i've never tried spray varnish before though.

My FLGS did not have a matte varnish from Vallejo though, only the gloss and the mixing agent. Do Vallejo make a matte varnish?

Vallejo makes Matte, Satin, and Gloss varnishes in a variety of bottle sizes. They work fine as brush-on or through an airbrush.

You can get them from the warstore and a few other places.

 Praxiss wrote:
I have used the vallejo varnishes and they work nicely - i've never tried spray varnish before though.

I'm glad you said that. I have the opposite problem - I'm spraying my miniatures with Testors Dullcote, but the metallic parts lose their shine. I was going to pick up some of the Vallejo gloss varnish and brush it on the metallic parts to see if I can get them to actually look metallic again.

fenshysa wrote:

 Praxiss wrote:
I have used the vallejo varnishes and they work nicely - i've never tried spray varnish before though.

I'm glad you said that. I have the opposite problem - I'm spraying my miniatures with Testors Dullcote, but the metallic parts lose their shine. I was going to pick up some of the Vallejo gloss varnish and brush it on the metallic parts to see if I can get them to actually look metallic again.

I have same problems with testors dullcote. All kinds of different problems now. Highlights wash away and metals get flat looking. The final result I get w/ dullcote is the same as if I buy a .99 cent brush on matte varnish from Michael's.

I either got an old can or testors changed their mixture. Been having problems since I got my latest can.

Not a huge fan of Liquitex Matte Varnish, personally. It's more satin than matte, and significantly thicker than the Vallejo gloss I use (I'm in the "spray (Dullcote) matte, re-brush gloss camp"). I've had frosting issues with it, as well. The main draw of Liquitex is that it's widely available, with any and every art and/or craft store carrying it (Michaels, A.C. Moore, etc.).

If you're doing a Riptide, the model is large enough that masking off and spraying the two finishes might be an option. For more general use, though, it's worth finding yourself a brush-on that you like.

 oadie wrote:
If you're doing a Riptide, the model is large enough that masking off and spraying the two finishes might be an option. For more general use, though, it's worth finding yourself a brush-on that you like.

I'm converting a model to be a Riptide (the GW model is ugly as sin IMO) so masking is less of a realistic option as the kit I'm using is filled with detailed fiddly little bits that may need to be matte as opposed to gloss. Are there any worthwhile alternatives to Liquitex that are widely available via Michaels or another such store? I'm in San Diego and have easy access to stores like Michael's, Joann's, and Blick. My FLGS has GW paints but their only paint-on varnish is the gloss ardcoat and the Vallejo selection they have only has the gloss varnish and then the matte mixing agent.

Ah. Unfortunately, I don't have that much experience with other brands. Based on the quality of their paint lines, I'd trust Golden (another of the more widely available brands) over Liquitex, but my local Michaels doesn't carry their varnishes or airbrush medium (of course, the two things I actually want :().

Granted, while I don't like Liquitex Matte, plenty of other people are quite happy with it. Phydox hates Dullcote, but I swear by it (yes, even over metals - it's "atmospheric perspective in a can") - everyone has their preferences. If Liquitex is the easiest thing to get, you may just want to sink a few bucks/hours into experimentation before you're forced to go the online shopping route.

Are there any matte varnishes that you can spray through an airbrush?

Be carefull if you do end up brushing on as it can disolve some washes.

 Tangent wrote:
Are there any matte varnishes that you can spray through an airbrush?

I've used the vallejo matt varnish through my airbrush and it worked just fine. I just cleaned and cleaned and cleaned it afterwords but that's just cuz I'm paranoid about breaking my shiny airbrush (after begging the wife to get one for 5 years).

I've been using Liquitex's brand of varnishes for awhile now.

I got fed up with varnish in a can for two reasons:

1- Waste. So much of what you spray actually ends up wasted and cans are definitely not cheap.
2- Frosting. I am in Montreal. Winter or Summer are both very humid and the temperature is rarely perfect for varnishing outside. I've had so many cases of frosting and ruined paint jobs that I am not using that anymore. I would varnish inside, but wife does not like the smell at all.


I have applied the matte varnish from liquitex with an airbrush and it has no smell and works very well. I've also painted it on the miniatures directly many times when I wanted to ensure a specific spot received a thicker coat. I've never had it dry anything but clear and there's no sheen to it.
I've used the Satin and Gloss varnish as well and they do what they are intended for.

The price of a bottle is also easily half of a varnish spray can and if you are painting on, there is no wasted product.

And for folks in the states, Liquitex is available at all of the chain stores (Michaels, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby). Weekly coupons = unlimited supply of Liquitex products (Glaze Medium, Matte Medium, Varnish) at 40% to 50% off retail.

Voldrak wrote:
I've been using Liquitex's brand of varnishes for awhile now.

I got fed up with varnish in a can for two reasons:

1- Waste. So much of what you spray actually ends up wasted and cans are definitely not cheap.
2- Frosting. I am in Montreal. Winter or Summer are both very humid and the temperature is rarely perfect for varnishing outside. I've had so many cases of frosting and ruined paint jobs that I am not using that anymore. I would varnish inside, but wife does not like the smell at all.


I have applied the matte varnish from liquitex with an airbrush and it has no smell and works very well. I've also painted it on the miniatures directly many times when I wanted to ensure a specific spot received a thicker coat. I've never had it dry anything but clear and there's no sheen to it.
I've used the Satin and Gloss varnish as well and they do what they are intended for.

The price of a bottle is also easily half of a varnish spray can and if you are painting on, there is no wasted product.

 Tangent wrote:
Are there any matte varnishes that you can spray through an airbrush?

I use my vallejo matte varnish through my airbrush all the time...i don't recommend using a high quality airbrush for this purpose, but it works fine with cheapos

Instead of a varnish, you could try one of several variety of clear gloss paints put out by companies like Tamiya. Depending on the color of your cow-piloted mecha, you should find a good glossy alternative to a GW color without the risk of clouding.