Improving matt finishes.

[wonwinglo]

The problem with Humbrol & Revell matt paints are they are really just too matt,study any full sized camouflaged aircraft either at an airshow or a museum and you will see what I mean,although the paint is matt it is just too flat to be totally authentic,however there is a very simple way to improve the finish and anyone can achieve it,firstly allow the paint to dry out properly otherwise you will do more damage to the finish than good,simply take a lint free cloth and wrap this around a finger,gently rub the paint finish and you will quickly achieve a nice flat sheen that looks realistic,it just takes that harsh effect away that real aircraft do not have.

A simple tip but one well worth remembering.

 

[john]

useful info, I've always thought they were far too dull, will give that a go

 

[wonwinglo]

Whilst on the subject of matt camouflage finishes,it is important to research your model subject,later camo has 'hard edged' demarcation usually rolled on paint on modern aircraft,wartime camo normally had soft edges some of which can only be achieved with an airbrush on our models,but there is another way which we will deal with as a tutorial in the future,the subject of aircraft camouflage is a fascinating one and once again something worthy of going into detail with in the future.

 

[radish1us]

The problem with Humbrol & Revell matt paints are they are really just too matt,study any full sized camouflaged aircraft either at an airshow or a museum and you will see what I mean,although the paint is matt it is just too flat to be totally authentic,however there is a very simple way to improve the finish and anyone can achieve it,firstly allow the paint to dry out properly otherwise you will do more damage to the finish than good,simply take a lint free cloth and wrap this around a finger,gently rub the paint finish and you will quickly achieve a nice flat sheen that looks realistic,it just takes that harsh effect away that real aircraft do not have.A simple tip but one well worth remembering.

I thought that ALL matt paints were ONLY ever meant to be used as an undercoat ????????????????????????????????.

:smile5:

 

[wonwinglo]

I thought that ALL matt paints were ONLY ever meant to be used as an undercoat ????????????????????????????????. :smile5:

*** You are thinking in terms of domestic finishes,ie matt white undercoat for gloss white top coat,matt yellow undercoat for red gloss coat etc the model finishes made by companies like Humbrol & Revell represent the non specular paints used on full sized military aircraft mostly pre 1945,with the advent of jet aircraft they then changed to gloss dopes which reverted to a semi gloss finish in the sixties.

Our new series on aircraft markings which has just started will cover all of these changes in detail for model builders.

The reason why model paints are just that little bit too matt is due to the way they are made with very fine pigments which gives too flat a finish.

You can also use matt paint as a model base colour,as a rough guide these are the combinations for enamel based products-

For gloss red use matt yellow.

For gloss blue use matt medium grey.

For gloss white use matt white.

For gloss yellow use matt white.

For dayglo or flourescent colours use matt white.

For any silver use matt white.

To get excellent coverage if you want a gloss finish use matt paints initially then give a coat of Johnsons Klear,you cannot beat it.

 

[chrisM1967]

Im airbrushing the interior of a 1/32 hellcat and a 1/32 Wildcat at the moment Im using White Ensign green interior mixed with revell thinners to spray on to the surface, however, its coming up gloss. Should I add some Vallejo air model varnish to the mix to acheive the slightly satin finish I require?

Any thoughts people

ChrisM1967

 

[Bunkerbarge]

My first thought would be that the paint has not been mixed enough, matt paint takes a lot of mixing, but not knowing the finish of the White Ensign paint I'm not sure what would be considered normal for the paint. I also know the Revel paint can be a bit of a challenge as regards compatability so using thier thinners with a differrent paint may not work too well.

Assuming it is perfectly dry I would simply apply whatever washes and dry brushing you want to weather it with and then go over it with a top coat of clear matt finish.

If it is not perfectly dry then I suspect it has not been mixed enough or you have added too much thinners or the paint and the thineers are not compatible.

I know that the Revel system is enamel but I can't say for certain what the White Ensign paint is. If it hasn't dried properly then you may be left with no alternative than to wash it off with a paint thinners but I suspect you will get away with a matt clear final coat.

 

[chrisM1967]

Thanks for that, it was mixed ok but I was spraying in the garage and leaving the parts to dry in the utility room which is bloody baltic at the moment so it might be I need to put the painted parts in a warmer room.

 

[Nuvolari]

Weathering matt

Now I need some help and I suspect you are the one who can give it to me.

I'm building a 1/8th DR1 by Hasegawa. Decided to paint the wheels matt red. I used Tamiya acrillic and the red is beautiful. Now I want to apply a wash and a little weathering but am worried that a wash will get into the red matt paint. I'm thinking I need to put a gloss finish on first, weather it and then a matt varnish?

Either way, I've never done this before so any help gratefully recieved. I use a IWATA airbrush by the way

 

[Fredob]

Hello I'm new too !!!

Why don't you experiment on "scrap" - maybe you may discover something new.

This could even be exciting.

Regards

 

[Caledonia]

Im airbrushing the interior of a 1/32 hellcat and a 1/32 Wildcat at the moment Im using White Ensign green interior mixed with revell thinners to spray on to the surface, however, its coming up gloss. Should I add some Vallejo air model varnish to the mix to acheive the slightly satin finish I require?Any thoughts people

Chris, White Ensign has a satin finish (Decal friendly). I used their paint a lot on my Trumpeter 1/32 SU-27B Flanker. The attachment shows the cockpit which was hand painted with their Turquoise. It had a satin finish. I also Airbrushed areas with other colours, and it retains its sheen if diluted with Winsor & Newton 'Sansodor' (Low Odour Solvent) it has very little smell, far less than when airbrushing Tamiya Acrylic. Derek

View attachment 20365

 

[Edd880]

thanks for the tip.

Whilst on the subject of matt camouflage finishes,it is important to research your model subject,later camo has 'hard edged' demarcation usually rolled on paint on modern aircraft,wartime camo normally had soft edges some of which can only be achieved with an airbrush on our models,but there is another way which we will deal with as a tutorial in the future,the subject of aircraft camouflage is a fascinating one and once again something worthy of going into detail with in the future.

yeah, im new but not new to models, thanks for the tip.

 

[xlpainter]

hi all what i do is mix satin with matt just to take the edge off the matt finish and all i use is revell colourmix with xtracolour and never had a problem if i want the paint to dry quicker i use cellulose thinners in xtracolour dry i half the time