Yet another butterfly wandering through the ECW

[Sparrow]

Last year someone suggested I use Pebeo Acrylic Matt Varnish… it’s now my “best friend”. Give it a Ho yourself and see what you think?

[bigredbat]

Stirring the matt varnishes is really important- I use small ball bearings or, in the case of the thicker ones, I put a couple of heavy metal shields in the jar- they really get it moving!

[SJWi]

Valley boy, I’d stick with Matt varnishing. I use the Warlord product which used to be fine but I’ve had a few recent “shiny” issues. A mate of mine now swears by the Winsor and Newton product. What I always ensure is that the varnish is warm and shaken well, and if possible the figures are left to dry in a warm, dry place. The top of my Aga is perfect….for metal or resin products!

[Captain Blood]

Contrary to M'learned friend, Bigredbat, I never stir it

I use the old trick of storing it upside down so the thick matt stuff gathers in the lid, and that's what I use for varnishing.

I've been using W&N Galeria Matt for a number of years, and it's usually pretty reliable - although it does go off a bit after a few years. Sometimes it unaccountably dries slightly shiny, but an overcoat of the thick stuff from the lid usually cures it.
It is however, also susceptible to variations in temperature, humidity, moisture etc. And this can affect how it dries.
I've found the surest way with it is to paint the Galeria varnish on fairly generously, then stick your newly varnished figures / models straight into a warm airing cupboard to dry quickly.

Once it gets old, this varnish is also prone to the occasional outbreak of white spot, where a granule of pure matting medium dries as a tiny white fleck or pimple on your otherwise pristine paintwork. You then have to pick this off and touch up.
What I've never known it to do is dry seriously shiny, nor to produce the ruinous white bloom disaster, which we've probably all experienced with spirit-based varnishes.
It's also true, BTW, that the varnish will react slightly differently to different paints on which it is overlaid. I often see this with reds and blacks, which will dry to a slightly satin finish even when the rest of the figure appears dead flat matt.
This is why some people give their figures a gloss coat first, although I've personally never bothered. It's not so much about making the figure 'tougher' and more durable. It's about providing a consistent base for the matt varnish to key onto...

Anyway... Wargamers and varnishes... The topic that will keep on giving for eternity... 

[2010sunburst]

I’ve seen this Matt varnish issue raised many times on various sites, but haven’t  experienced it since I ditched enamels.  My current regime is  Daler Rowney soluble Matt varnish over a gloss acrylic varnish.  This gives very good results.  I’ve never had fogging or white specs using this combination.  If you want to airbrush varnish on, Tamiya Matt varnish thinned with Mr Color self levelling thinners is also very reliable.  Again, this is put on over a gloss varnish.  The enemy of Matt varnish is moisture so make sure the preceding coats have had 24 hours or more to gas off before varnishing over them. 

[Radar]

Very nice figures, thank you for sharing.

As for the varnish issue - Army Painter user here. On the few occasions where I have had the dreaded white frosting it has been because I have been too heavy handed with the spraying.

[Friends of General Haig]

...  Anyway... Wargamers and varnishes... The topic that will keep on giving for eternity... 

So true!  I had been using Daley Rowney but was fed up with needing white spirit to clean brushes.  I bought a few acrylic matts to try and have been quite happy with this stuff from AK Interactive. Very matt and very easy to use.

[SJWi]

I Matt varnish all my figures. My long-standing preferred varnish was by Warlord Games but recently I have suffered from some figures staying shiny. I have a mate who swears by the Winsor and Newton product despite its much higher price. My tips for varnishing are

 Make sure the varnish is warm and well shaken
Try to ensure where you spray is warm and dry.
Don’t spray two thickly. Two light coats are better than a single thick coat.
If possible let let the figures dry in a warm/hot place. I use the warming plate of my AGA cooker much to my wife’s annoyance.
If I have spots of “shine” I touch up with Vallejo brush-on Matt varnish which seems to work really well.

[valleyboy]

Thanks for all the ideas guys

[pikeman]

Your work is very skillful! Truly beautiful. Those irregular bases are great too. They are definitely the way to go in 28mm.
Pete

[valleyboy]

Thank you, just hankering to buy more now!

[valleyboy]

As I've said on the blog,  https://valleyboyinnz.wordpress.com/2021/09/06/royalist-ecw-army-off-the-wokbench/ the only positive thing I say about level 4 and 3 lockdown here in NZ is that apart from keeping us safe from the Great Pestilence  it has meant more painting time
Lord Hopton's regiment of Foot is a result!


















This is another unit from First Corps though looking at it now I wish I'd added a few more musketeers to the bases using 10-to 12 instead of just 8 per base

So the army is growing, that's 3 Regiments of Foot from Empress, 3 from First Corps with another part painted, 1 each from Bicorne Miniatures and Warlord Games
so I've just ordered some dragoons from Bicorne

[levied troop]

Looking gorgeous VB.

[Yankeepedlar01]

Things are moving along splendidly with this project! (On the varnish issue I find drying figures sprayed with Humbrol acrylic matt varnish, over same gloss, in front of a hot air fan heater does the trick.)

[Friends of General Haig]

A superb looking regiment. Love the colour party with those red flags  .