Matting agent for space marine models

[dread05]

I finished my 1st squad of marines, 10 tacticals (blood angels, so red colours) almost one year ago. In the end I did 3 coats of red glaze to smooth the colour transitions and I left it there. the models ended kinda glossy and shinny. Yesterday I was looking at them again and I was thinking if there was a way to matte them a bit. Space marine armor shouldnt be that shinny. I have a pot of lahmian medium. Will it help, even tho the models were glazed almost one year ago? Do I apply it from the pot? I'm afraid to use it, I dont want to mess my most completed work so to speak.

 

Photobucket messed my photo collection, I'll try to upload somewhere else and post a couple of pitcures, just to show you how much glossy it is.

Edited February 5, 2018 by dread05

[sockwithaticket]

With the situation you describe, the glazing having long been done, you want to use matte varnish. Brush on or spray, is up to you. Testor's dullcote gives the mattest finish around.

I gather Lahmian has a matting effect, but it seems like something you'd use while you paint rather than after the fact like any number of other paint additives.

While painting I generally use Reaper Master Series Anti-shine. You only need to add a very small amount to your paint/wash/glaze and you'll get a very matte finish (too much and it goes chalky and paints become very brightly coloured, like you've added white).  Also use Vallejo Matte Additive with my washes.

Alternatively, use matte paints to start with. Scale 75, Reaper Master Series and Vallejo Model Colour paints all come out of the bottle with a matte finish (after a good shake).

[Major_Gilbear]

Regardless of how long ago you painted something, you can always:

 

• Seal/varnish
• Do more painting
• Any combination of the above, in any order.

 

On that basis, you can thin down some Lahmian Medium with a little clean water and brush on a thin layer (letting it dry for a good few hours, as it can dry a little milky-looking initially and takes some time to go fully clear).

 

If this is a fully-finished model, then a matte varnish is probably better - and Dullcote is a great product.

 

Should you want to go back and paint some more, you can do this over either the Lahmian Medium and/or the Dullcote once they're fully dry. Only thing I would be wary of is building up too many coats of anything, as: more coats -> thicker overall layer -> more obscured detail.

 

:)

[dread05]

I went over some painted cloth with lahmian medium, but I didnt think to thin it down. But I do think that it helped, the cloth no longer shines. What will happen if I use it from the pot? Will it do that frosting thing I read about?

Edited February 5, 2018 by dread05

[Major_Gilbear]

Well Matte Medium is not completely clear, so thinning it down makes it more invisible when dry.

 

That said, if you applied a nice thin coat straight from the pot, I don't think there's anything to worry about. :)

[dread05]

Well I only did that to test it. I wanna be sure of what I'm doing before I start applying it on armor pieces.

[sockwithaticket]

It's spray varnish where you have to worry about frosting. I've found brush applied varnish can leave visible smears with a bit of a white tinge if not thinned enough, but it certainly doesn't frost.