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Matte medium/varnish

I am going to buy Vallejo 'matte medium' and 'matte varnish'. Have anyone used these?

I am not sure if I understand their function properly - from what I read at Vallejo site 'matte medium' can be used to thin acrylic paints and will increase their flatness. Also can be used to paint over already painted model with the same result (increased flatness). The difference between those two is that varnish is used primary for protection of the painted surface. I imagine that it dries to a harder layer. But also it improvess flatness of a paint that is covered.

Please confirm my understading of these or point out where I am mistaken before I ruin my model :)

Thanks in advance Maciek

Reply to
Maciek
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Ok I didnt ruin the model but the flatness increase is minimal. Pactra black is slightly more flat when covered with few coats of varnish or meduim. But still it's glossy for me. I have painted the wheel with Tamiya Olive Drab - it is perfectly flat. Imagine how bad it look when black rubber on that wheen is semi-gloss :( I have ordered flat black acrylics from Humbrol and Model Master. Hope it will be flatter that flat blck from Pactra.

Maciek

Reply to
Maciek

The flatness or gloss of paint is also dependent on how it is applied. The "wetter" the coat, the more gloss- the dryer the coat the flatter.

Gloss paint can be applied very dry for a semi-gloss, flat paint can be applied very wet for a semi-gloss.

For a good gloss one must use gloss paint applied very wet. Conversely, a really dead flat must use flat paint applied quite dry.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

Well, rubber (a tyre, I assume) usually is semi-gloss - look at any car tyre. You would certainly expect the painted wheel and ruber tyre to have different levels of lustre, one to be more matt than the other.

Reply to
Alan Dicey

True for a new or wet tyre :) But a year old tyre is pretty matt to me. You are right about different levels - side is probably less matt.

Maciek

Reply to
Maciek

New tires (NASCAR would say, sticker tires) are very much semi-matt. The longer a tire is used, the matter, and greyer, it gets. Incidently, Testors enamel now has a new "rubber" color. Exact color of real tires varies a little bit with brand, and may be either a warm or cool dark grey. The only time they are really black is when painted with >tire dressing".

Unfortunately, the vinyl tires in many kits cannot be painted. what I do for those, if on a weathered model, is dust them with a bit of flesh colored talcum powder.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

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