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I am looking for a cheaper lahmian medium equivalent to use with my airbrush.
I know that I can basicly just buy any medium or airbrush medium to thin paints.
But I am also finishing my models with a thin coat of 100% lahmian medium for the awesome finish it gives to the model.
Can you recommend any medium that you use for the same purpose and looks similar?
Yeah for thinning definitely Liquitex airbrush medium is bigger and cheaper and better.
For a gorgeous homogenized flat look with the airbrush, I LOVE Vallejo Air Matt varnish.
Vallejo also makes a Matt Medium for both the Model and Game lines that are pretty good for brush painting though I still prefer Lahmian medium for that.
The problem being that it would need thinning for spraying and that airbrush thinners are generally on the glossy side. I would try it out mixed with water first. Also, spraying is different than brushing. I was irritated to see that varnish coats sprayed onto my terrain would sometimes leave frosted droplets on the tips of my static grass.
Someone mentioned Vallejo Matt medium. I tried it for exactly the same reason others have mentioned; it's awful.
It's opaque and white, rather than clear like Lahman Medium, and therefore when mixed with other colours makes them milky. I can't imagine what use it's designed for, I found it worse than useless, it nearly ruined the models I used it on.
Hivefleet Oblivion wrote: Someone mentioned Vallejo Matt medium. I tried it for exactly the same reason others have mentioned; it's awful.
It's opaque and white, rather than clear like Lahman Medium, and therefore when mixed with other colours makes them milky. I can't imagine what use it's designed for, I found it worse than useless, it nearly ruined the models I used it on.
Well Vallejo Matte Medium and Liquitex Matte medium (most matte mediums), do appear opaque but they dry clear and effectively work the same way as Lahmian medium. I don't know how you could ruin a model with it. That said, Lahmian medium is just better.
Well Vallejo Matte Medium and Liquitex Matte medium (most matte mediums), do appear opaque but they dry clear and effectively work the same way as Lahmian medium. I don't know how you could ruin a model with it. That said, Lahmian medium is just better.
Gunzhard is correct. the Milkiness in acrylic medium is the water content. Once it evaporates out the polymer dries clear with perhaps a bit of light surface from the matting agent it it is matte medium. This also explains why there is a slight color change of acrylic colors to darker once they dry.
It not only gives a matt finish, but also dulls down the colors a bit, blending everything together. The whole paintjob looks a lot smoother and specially color gradients look better.
I usually use it after a vallejo satin varnish coat.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/01/19 08:15:42
PourSpelur wrote:What kind of finish are you getting from using Llama-Man medium?
Matte, semi or flat? Somewhere in-between? Or do you like the "depth" it's adding?
It not only gives a matt finish, but also dulls down the colors a bit, blending everything together. The whole paintjob looks a lot smoother and specially color gradients look better.
I usually use it after a vallejo satin varnish coat.
It's also incredible for thinning those tricky colors that water just doesn't quite cut it to smooth out. Particularly love it for thinning out metallics and getting a super smooth finish with them. Also if not using a wet palette, it extends the dry time for their paints a bit so it makes for great wet blending material but really just provides a nice smooth finish from colors you thin with it. From what I've heard it's great for matte finish over things like water transfers though I have yet to experience this effect of it. From what I hear it's what they make their shades out of, basically a pigmentless shade.
Blistered Be.
40k: : 6500
2000(GK allies -Sons of Opet)
3000 Sons of Malice( played as primaris Salamanders)
Gunzhard is correct. the Milkiness in acrylic medium is the water content. Once it evaporates out the polymer dries clear with perhaps a bit of light surface from the matting agent it it is matte medium. This also explains why there is a slight color change of acrylic colors to darker once they dry.
It's good to get another experience. However, it definitely gave a significantly different look for me vs Lahman. I used it for the initial stage of a three-part rust wash, a very dilute wash of a Scorched Brown over a basecoat of AP gunmetal. The result, once dried, was markedly different from a wash using Lahman; it was less burnt brown, more pink. Could well be that it works better with different colours and in a different context, but this result was poor enough for me to grit my teeth and pay out for Lahman Medium thereafter.
And if anyone wants an unused bottle of the Vallejo medium for the price of a second class stamp, PM me!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/01/21 11:36:20
Gunzhard is correct. the Milkiness in acrylic medium is the water content. Once it evaporates out the polymer dries clear with perhaps a bit of light surface from the matting agent it it is matte medium. This also explains why there is a slight color change of acrylic colors to darker once they dry.
It's good to get another experience. However, it definitely gave a significantly different look for me vs Lahman. I used it for the initial stage of a three-part rust wash, a very dilute wash of a Scorched Brown over a basecoat of AP gunmetal. The result, once dried, was markedly different from a wash using Lahman; it was less burnt brown, more pink. Could well be that it works better with different colours and in a different context, but this result was poor enough for me to grit my teeth and pay out for Lahman Medium thereafter.
And if anyone wants an unused bottle of the Vallejo medium for the price of a second class stamp, PM me!
I wonder if this has something to do with GW paints? ...because I've literally done almost the exact same thing with P3 Umbral Umber, very similar to Scorched Brown, and it works fine. I used the Vallejo mediums for years with no issue. Once I finally cracked a bottle of Lahmian medium I decided I liked it better though, but the Vallejo stuff is still good. I use the paint on varnishes all the time still.
: 6500
2000(GK allies -Sons of Opet)
5500 
