Varnish query

[Spartan]

I’m nearing the end of painting the base coat on my tank. Once this is done and dried do I brush a varnish over the top before weathering.
I use model air paints which are brush painted. Which varnish should I be using.

 

[Jakko]

Whether or not to use varnish before weathering is entirely up to you. Some people do, others (like me) don’t, and in the end the results don’t seem to make be much different. So I’d say: try both. Put varnish on this model, and don’t on your next, then see which you find better.

 

[Spartan]

Thanks Jakko for the advice.

 

[Dave Ward]

I put gloss varnish on the model before weathering - this is to allow me to make mistakes! It's easier to remove paint/pigment from a glossy finish than a matt one. After I've finished, I seal it all in with a matt varnish
Dave

 

[Spartan]

Thanks Dave for the advice mate.

 

[Steve Jones]

It also depends what sort of weathering you will be doing Kevin. If it involves thinners or turps for oil or pigment work then you run the risk of these substances eating into the acrylic work and pulling it off the model. Also varnishes improve paint flow when doing pin washes which can help. As Dave says you also have the opportunity to remove any mistakes leaving the original acrylic work intact so that you can try again. As Jakko says try it over a few builds and see what you experience based on your own painting stages. I heavily weather my builds so always apply varnish two or three times during a build.