Matt varnish (brush on)

[Freakiq]

Painted a battlesister yesterday and tried to do some advanced blending using inks. The result was far better than I had expected so today I based and varnished the model.

 

When brushing on the Matt Varnish to my horror the inks started to flow and mixed with the varnish making the white areas of the model slightly brownish. ;)

 

Now my model rests in a jar of brakefluid and the Matt Varnish lies leaking in a corner of my room... :D

 

 

Has any of you experienced this or know what I did wrong?

[High Lord Stormbringer]

Some varnishes curdle (turn into globs) and take the paint with them if used in the wrong combination of heat and humidity. I've had that happen a couple times and the key thing to do is just to avoid the conditions.

 

It's also possible that the varnish you're using, particularly if it wasn't water clean up, reacted with the paints. That's usually a spray varnish problem but it can happen.

 

Are you using non-GW paints? Because I've noted that some off-brand acrylics aren't particularly stable.

[schoon]

Some inks take a long time to dry, and even then some don't bond well. I have a few things you can try:

1. Let your figure dry for a week before sealing it
   
2. Try a different brand of sealer and/or inks
   
3. Seal your figure with a very light coat of spray sealer, let that dry for at least a day, and then try yours
   
4. Make sure to seal in several light coats instead of one heavy one
   

Hope that helps.

[Azazal]

As schoon said, I have found some inks that are not waterproof once dry. When they come into contact with fresh paint or varish, they soak up the water or solvent and start to flow again. Very annoying to say the least.

[Freakiq]

Some varnishes curdle (turn into globs) and take the paint with them if used in the wrong combination of heat and humidity. I've had that happen a couple times and the key thing to do is just to avoid the conditions.

 

It's also possible that the varnish you're using, particularly if it wasn't water clean up, reacted with the paints. That's usually a spray varnish problem but it can happen.

 

Are you using non-GW paints? Because I've noted that some off-brand acrylics aren't particularly stable.

It was a regular GW brush-on matt varnish.

 

The pot was even unused!

 

 

Some inks take a long time to dry

 

Regular GW inks should dry in 24+ hour one would think...

 

 

1. Let your figure dry for a week before sealing it

GW should have written that on the label... :devil:

 

Besides I'll need to use the mini this weekend so i'll have to paint and seal it today or tomorrow.

 

2. Try a different brand of sealer and/or inks

 

Ink is ink, there is almost no difference between brands.

 

3. Seal your figure with a very light coat of spray sealer, let that dry for at least a day, and then try yours

 

Don't trust spray sealers, besides i'm broke 'til next month and I'll need the models this weekend and without varnish the paint will get lots of damage during games.

 

4. Make sure to seal in several light coats instead of one heavy one

 

Did that...

 

Thanks for the help nonetheless! ^_^

[rabblerouser]

I always just use spray varnish

 

And usually lacquer based

[Arioc]

Regular GW inks should dry in 24+ hour one would think...

1. Let your figure dry for a week before sealing it

GW should have written that on the label... :devil:

 

Inks/paints/sealers, like many other art mediums (clay, sculpting putty, etc.), are going to be very climate dependant on temperature, humidity, etc. These are things we generally only learn to account for through practice. The more varied the climate you practice in, the more trial-and-error you may have to deal with until you achieve the results you want. The conditions you work under are going to impact the supplies you use. It's unavoidable.

 

Besides I'll need to use the mini this weekend so i'll have to paint and seal it today or tomorrow.

If you don't give paint, ink and sealer proper time to dry between each step and stage, you will have problems achieving a quality paint job. I know this from experience because I'm an impatient painter myself. ^_^

 

Ink is ink, there is almost no difference between brands.

 

This is simply not true. There are a wide variety of ink types and brands available and type/brand does matter. If you use the wrong type or a cheap (quality-wise, not necessarily price-wise) brand the ink could take longer to dry, may not dry at all if it doesn't interact with your paint properly, might fade in the light over time, etc., etc.

 

Games Workshop's ink line is generally very good, but it can sometimes take days to dry depending on your work environment.

 

Thanks for the help nonetheless!

 

Please take the time to try some of the advice you've been given. It really is good advice. You'll be pleased with the results if you give them a chance. I'm not posting this to bash you or flame you. I speak from experience. I stripped and repainted a lot of figures while I was learning not to let my impatience get the best of me. :)

[CRasterImage]

Testors Spray Matt Varnish FTW!

[Brother Djibril]

I would say that using brush on varnish was your first mistake. It's going to be nigh impossible to get the thin, crisp coats that you get with spray varnish. It's really worth the few extra dollars.

[Freakiq]

I would say that using brush on varnish was your first mistake. It's going to be nigh impossible to get the thin, crisp coats that you get with spray varnish. It's really worth the few extra dollars.

 

It worked great on my space marines, the coats are invisible and seem to make the colours slightly duller which fits my John Blanche-inspired painting style.

 

I Painted another sister, this time I painted on the Varnish on one part of the model at a time to prevent the inks from getting in the wrong places and it worked great. :unsure:

 

Thanks for the tips anyway, they'll surely be useful if I encounter further problems. <_<

[flyinghippo]

Testors Spray Matt Varnish FTW!

 

NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That is the most hideous acrnym FTL....

 

:ph34r:

[High Lord Stormbringer]

It was a regular GW brush-on matt varnish.

 

The pot was even unused!

 

I couldn't really say how good GW varnish is or isn't. But if it's like most citadel paints, it's probably good quality but not spectactular. If you're determined to go through with the GW stuff, I would definitely suggest you let your models dry longer, keep an eye on the temperature and humdity, and just do your best not the slather it on.

 

Have you used it before?

 

I would say that using brush on varnish was your first mistake. It's going to be nigh impossible to get the thin, crisp coats that you get with spray varnish. It's really worth the few extra dollars.

 

Hah! I buy the varnish I use at Lowes, standard spray varnish. I just get a regular size thing (regular for paints, not the tiny hobby store varnishes) of varnish for three bucks, that's less than a GW paint! And it's the same stuff as you get in the smaller hobby store bottles. In three 40K armies, a Mordhiem warband, and a Warmachine army I've used only three bottles of the stuff for a huge amount of minis.

[Brother Atheos]

Well.. has anyone realised that GW dont do brush on Matt Varnish? Only Gloss. And secondly, how the :unsure: did you get inspiration from John Blanche? ;) Unless ofcourse you are talking about his early works then i'll let you off, his recent stuff is just an excuse to be untidy.

 

Anyway it's still harsh that it all went down the pan like that. Take the pot back along with the mini and demand a replacement, it's what happened when the spray was changed to purity seal and everything went white when you sealed it.

[Freakiq]

how the censored.gif did you get inspiration from John Blanche?

 

Use lots of reds and browns, no surface should be entirely clean and make the models quite dark.

 

Also I greenstuff fur on the shoulders on my sisters and give them gasmasks also out of GS, makes them look a bit Vostroyan. ;)