Painting, gloss, applying decals, varnish?

[probedb]

Hey folks,

I have a question about applying decals. I know to gloss varnish the model before applying as the decals apply much better. But what do people do about varnishing back to the original finish?

When paints can be matt, satin and gloss, respraying the whole thing matt just seems wrong to me? Do people mask off areas and varnish the relevant areas to the relevant finish?

Otherwise, what's the point in paints being supplied with different finishes if that's not how they were meant to look?

Cheers
Paul.

[dr_gn]

probedb said:

Hey folks,

I have a question about applying decals. I know to gloss varnish the model before applying as the decals apply much better. But what do people do about varnishing back to the original finish?

When paints can be matt, satin and gloss, respraying the whole thing matt just seems wrong to me? Do people mask off areas and varnish the relevant areas to the relevant finish?

Otherwise, what's the point in paints being supplied with different finishes if that's not how they were meant to look?

Cheers
Paul.

Good question...I guess it's tradition more than anything. Matt colours tend to dry faster and often respond to masking better than gloss, that's why I tend to use them.

Not everyone uses the matt-gloss-varnish approach: Xtracolour paints are available in a wide range of authentic military colours, but are a gloss finish ready for applying decals, you then overcoat with a suitable varnish. Many other manufacturers e,g, Tamiya & Vallejo (acrylic paints), stick mainly with matt colours for military applications, which as you say often benefit from a coat of gloss to aid decal placement. However, I hardly ever aim for an overall high-gloss finish for decals since it's simply not necessary; a satin finish is fine with a bit of gloss added locally to eliminate silvering.

Obviously, transparent areas need masking before applying matt varnish, and I usually apply thinned gloss to tyres and metallic parts to give some variety of finish.

[Eric Mc]

I find with acrylics matt or gloss paints dry at similar rates.

I'm not fussed what type of finish I have at the initial painting stage. Once the paint has dried, I will coat the whole model with a gloss varnish (usually Johnsons Klear), apply the decals and then apply another coat of Johnsons to bed in the decals. Once that has all dried, I may apply some weathering (depending on the look I want). After all that, a final coat of gloss, matt or satin will be applied to seal everything in and (hopefully) end up with the right tone to the completed model.

[thebigmacmoomin]

When I do my decals (WRC cars mainly), I paint strip back to bare metal, primer, spray paint the car the relevant colour, clear lacquer, apply decals, clear lacquer again to protect the decals, then detail it such as window rubbers / grills etc then re-assemble.

[probedb]

Thanks all, I'll give the suggestions ago. For my first attempt, I just gloss varnished the areas where the decals were and was attempting to put matt varnish over afterwards.

Problem is the matt varnish must be contaminated as it's grey, not clear like the gloss. I think I need to get another tin.

[Eric Mc]

Are you using acrylic or gloss?

Are you brush painting or airbrushing?

[dr_gn]

probedb said:

Thanks all, I'll give the suggestions ago. For my first attempt, I just gloss varnished the areas where the decals were and was attempting to put matt varnish over afterwards.

Problem is the matt varnish must be contaminated as it's grey, not clear like the gloss. I think I need to get another tin.

I've been through this - the model looks like it has a coat of dust after applying matt varnish? Not rough, but almost like you're looking at it through a grey filter?

If you now overspray the model with Klear, it might restore the original finish to a degree, although it's always best to try on some scrap first to confirm there are no nasty reactions.

I tried pretty much every matt coat out there, and got inconsistent results, the worst being the 'dust' effect. I finally settled on Humbrol Acrylic Spray Can #49. Apply it in a warm room, from a warm can, in a couple of *very* light coats and you shouldn't have a problem.

I spray my models with Klear to get a satin coat, apply the decals, and then lift a corner with a scalpel blade, "wick" some Klear underneath using a small paintbrush. This eliminates silvering. Then apply Microsol over the top and leave until dry (overnight). then overspray with Klear to give a unifrom finish, then whan that's dry apply the #49 spray matt coat.

[jamieduff1981]

Is that Humbrol acrylic varnish aerosol ok on acrylic paints?

I've found it reacts badly with several brands of enamel paints so I've given up on trying to use it (since I almost exclusively use enamel for colour painting). Shame because it looked like a fast and easy answer!

[dr_gn]

jamieduff1981 said:

Is that Humbrol acrylic varnish aerosol ok on acrylic paints?

I've found it reacts badly with several brands of enamel paints so I've given up on trying to use it (since I almost exclusively use enamel for colour painting). Shame because it looked like a fast and easy answer!

I use it mainly on Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics. I can't remember the last time I used enamels on large areas of a model, so I can't comment on how it might react.

You can get an enamel version, but that takes longer to dry, and doesn't seem quite as matt.

As suggested to the o/p - try it on scrap first.

[probedb]

I've been using Humbrol enamels for paint then enamel gloss varnish (35), applied the decals and then used enamel matt varnish (49).

Yep, it went matt but it looks like I've painted it grey, you can even see they grey in the tin, whereas the gloss varnish is perfectly clear.

[dr_gn]

Try spraying the matt over pure white and see what happens (assuming your model isn't white!).

If it somehow genuinely got contaminated with grey then there ends the mystery.

[probedb]

Good idea, it's a tin but I'll paint something white and then try it