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varnish base coat.

1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  slorak 
#1 ·
hi everyone, i found a method of base coatting a model that is somewhat effective so, i think creates a nice effect. this works well if you are only basing a small number of models.
heres how i do it;
create a mix:
- 3/6 of the color you wish the model to be basecoated in(red, blue, white).
- 1/6 gloss varnish
- 2/6 water.
then just paint over the model with this. if the coat is too thick, just add more water to prevent the base coat from obscuring detais(however, so far i have not had this problem.)

the reasons why this is effective is:
- the varnish makes the paint stick onto the model more effectively, sort of like with primer. if you have ever just tried to base a model by hand normally, you will know that the plastic, metal will show through the paint and you will have to put many layers and a lot of painstacking work.
- also, it makes the paint very durable, and paint sticks well to it.
- it looks especially good on armor(such as power armor) as it makes a smoothe, consistant finish with a slight shine, but not overly glossy, in the case of basic troops, you can just use this as the color of thier armor, and just do some extreme highlights and it will look pretty good. on area's where you don't want any shine, you can just paint over it with normal paint.
i have only done this a few times(mostly for black power armor) but so far have liked the results.

if you are curious, i suggest you try this method on a sample bit, such as a spare armored torso or shoulder pad, to test if you like the effect.

hope this is useful to someone.
 
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#2 ·
I am not sure I am following you here... are you talking about using this method instead of priming? I would still prime. Now if you are against spray primers or traditional paint primers you could always use a product called Glass and Tile Medium. It goes on clear and dries very tight to the surface. It has a lot of "tooth" and paint sticks on very well to it.

My concern with mixing gloss into the paint would be that gloss varnish tends to be rather thick and detail obstruction could be easy. Once dry you could really mess up a figure... Not sure if I would be willing to take that risk.

Cheers,

-Mike
 
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