Vallejo Model Color 500 ml Matt Acrylic Varnish

Product Information

The other very popular option is rattle can based, Testors Dullcote. Goes on extremely matte, and dries very tough, being a lacquer. Also stinks like the devil! There are several guides on the internet about what to use and how to do it already. Problem is that they all reference a product that is no longer available and were written a million years ago by old school modellers. Hello guys, I am new to the forum, nice to meet this active community. My apologies for any possible mistake, my english are bad :/ I'm new to airbrushing, and new to varnishing. I did models as a kid, just painting from the pot. That was about 30 years ago.

Like I said, if it works for them, more power to them, but I wouldn't touch that technique with a barge pole.This provides a smoother layer, which is what you want for the decals to fit on to on curved surfaces; it's less necessary for flat ones. Simply put, matt varnish of the same type as gloss has extra 'stuff' in it (a matting agent) which makes the surface slightly bumpy, which is also what makes it scatter light and thus look matt. Gloss varnish dries smooth, and thus, shiny. Now I have used the products mentioned above with my airbrush and they achieve very good results. My current varnish to thinner ratio is 5:1. I’m working at ~22 PSI and coating the figure so that the varnish goes on wet, so a little closer than the distance I would normally spray at. Vallejo only sell acrylic and PU varnishes. I generally advise to avoid acrylic varnish. It can yellow over time due to sunlight. It's less protection. It's only real advantage is it's a bit cheaper, which only really matters when you're buying a *lot* of it. You'll note that the first 'matt varnish' you link is acrylic, so we can scratch that one. The matte finish on both is a bit superior to the standard PU varnish, as in it's slightly more matte, but also slightly more expensive than the standard PU varnish. Both are suitable for airbrush or brush use, and all vallejo varnishes I've used have been the same 'paint like' consistency. If your spray from too far away the varnish can dry in the air before it hits the model and this can produce some unwanted results. As with all things I suggest you try this on a test mini first!

New formula acrylic colors with a satin finish, extra resistant and impact proof especially designed for airbrushing surfaces exposed to aggressive manipulation. The advanced formulation contains a revolutionary component which guarantees exceptional adherence on even the most difficult surfaces, and offers great resistance to rough handling, impact, friction, scratches, etc. Once dry, the Mecha surface looks the same as the original plastic of the model, while yet the smallest details of the original remain clearly visible. The color range includes primers as well as special varnishes – also with an exclusive formulation- and a series of colors for aging and weathering effects. It is recommended to apply the Mecha colors in several layers on the previously primed surface; a few hours after application the colors will have dried to form a homogenous coating of extraordinary strength and resistance. Mecha Color can be airbrushed directly or diluted with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner or Flow Improver, and the colors can also be applied by brush. The compressor adjustment recommended is 15 – 20 PSI o 0.5 to 1 kg. For best airbrush maintenance we recommend using the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner.

Colors for hobby and fine arts

I use the Vallejo products with no real issues. I do however use the correct thinners. Note that the gloss does have a blue/violet hue when you put it down, this is to aid seeing where you have been. It should clear as it dries. I usually do 2 coats of varnish to seal the paintjob, and noticed that I can’t really get this stuff to come out of my AB properly with lower psi settings (15-20psi), it just won’t. Also, when it clogs, it seems to dry at the needles tip and suddenly spews varnish chunks when trying to clean it. Vallejo Matte Varnish dries very smooth and has no grit. It also has a long curing time. It will dry in a few hours, 24 hours is a safer bet, but the inner urethane can take over a week to fully cure. It can be thinned like any other paint, with water, alcohol, medium, or thinner, but I think Vallejo suggests best effects when thinning with their Thinning Medium, as it contains similar properties to their primers and varnishes. You can tell by the sweet, slightly banana-ish smell it contains. If you are spending many hours painting miniatures then protecting your paint work is part of the painting process. Plastic miniatures hold up well to repeat handling but metal and resin miniatures can often scratch or chip. To counter this unwanted damage many of us coat our figures in a protective layer of varnish.