What finish for your minis?

[gloriousbattle]

"Matte is better, it's, SOOOOOO much more realistic!"

That is an aesthetic judgment call, and is a matter of personal preference.  Tastes change.  Is DaVinci or Van Gough a better painter?  Depends on who you are.

I like a satin finish.  It has a nice "toy soldiery" look to me.  Gloss is too flashy, but matte is just... blah.

Anyway, it's all good.  I am sure that matte will have overwhelming support, but I am also sure that there are a few glossaholics out there.

[Daeothar]

I'll stick out for the unwashed masses here and root for the matte finish.

I find that when putting every bit of effort into highlighting a miniature to emulate the fall and reflection of light on a mini, a gloss finish negates all that effort. A glossy miniature has the same reflection all over its surface, regardless of the effect that was attempted for different surfaces, i.e. cloth vs. metal; when glossy, they all will look the same, especially under harsh lighting conditions. Matte just allows the painted effects to be visible. And then I'm not even mentioning the adverse effects of a gloss finish on NMM and SENMM effects...

That said, I do tend to first varnish my minis in a gloss varnish, and only when that dries, do I go over it with an ultra matte finish. This is because the gloss varnishes are way more durable than the matte ones. So; if a mini of mine is starting to get shiny after extended gaming use, it's either a case of cleaning off the greasy crisps fingerprints, or a redo of the matte coat. This means that nothing of the precious paintjob underneath will be rubbed off by said fingers before a respray.

And isn't a gloss finish merely a remnant of the (very) old days of 2 dimensional, homecast, lead historical miniatures? Back then there was no matte finish and all painting was done oilbased. I'm talking up to the fifties or sixties here. Just asking; it seems logical really...

[Svennn]

Matt everytime. Occasionally add spot gloss to orbs, glass bottles etc.

[Orctrader]

Satin finish is, I feel,  neither here nor there.  Though there are some I notice who talk about their matt figures yet I can see the sheen.   

I like to see glossy figures and always enjoy looking at my own when they are at that stage for a day or so.  Like jewels.  But I am always happiest after the matt coats have been applied and my painting efforts are finally revealed.
If I were to leave my figures "glossy" I wouldn't paint highlights as the effort would be wasted.
As for the finish though, it should always be what the individual painter wants.  Paint for yourself.  I do.   

[Malebolgia]

Always matte. satin or gloss varnish takes away a lot of the work I've put in a miniature. If I have layered dozens of layers into a highlight I am happy with, I want to see it. This only works with a matte finish. That said, sometimes it works well to overexagerate a highlight when matte varnishing a miniature as it can dull the effect somewhat.
One other advantage of using a varnish is you get the same finish all over the miniature. Some paints behave slightly different than others. Some P3 colors can dry to a satin gloss, while VMC dries very matte. It can be odd to have these effects next to each other. Varnishing them all brings everything together again.
But for me nothing beats the Dullcote brushon. For gaming miniatures I first apply a gloss coat of gloss car spray for durability and then Dullcote. For display miniatures I only apply the Dullcote.

[Hammers]

Matte, because that's how God wants us to finish our models.

[Doomsdave]

Matte.  Gloss for little shiny bits like gems. Always Matte though.

[gloriousbattle]

I do tend to first varnish my minis in a gloss varnish, and only when that dries, do I go over it with an ultra matte finish. This is because the gloss varnishes are way more durable than the matte ones.

I know several people who do that.  I always wondered if having too much finish put a yellowing effect on the mini?

[Daeothar]

I think that might have to do with aging, but so far, I have never encountered that particular problem before.

In regards to aging though, I recently started pondering on some interesting issue. We all paint and varnish our minis and that is healthy when it comes to aging. I assume we all have heard of/encountered lead rot before. With pewter being all the thing lately, this issue is less apparent, but I feel it will just be a matter of time before there will be found oxidation issues with pewter as well. So, then I heard about the aging effect of polystyrene! Apparently, polystyrene and ABS, after a certain time (decades) will start 'sweating' and losing their flexibility, becoming brittle, starting to discolor and eventually crumble. So plastic minis will also fall victim to aging, all due to exposure to air.

And here's my question; how many of you do seal their minis under the base as well? I am contemplating to seal the exposed parts of my entire collection of minis because of this issue.

Which really is only one if you want to build/paint for eternity. See; I've  always seen my minis sa part of my legacy so to speak. Once I'm long gone, my grandchildren can show their kids the marvelous work their ancestor produced, as a kind of heirloom or something. Maybe it's my education (I studied archeology back in uni), but I would feel comfortable in the knowledge that what I do now, will be there until who knows how long, instead of me sitting in some luxurious retirement home, having a buxom young nurse unpack that one yellowing box for me (on the top shelf of course ), you know, for old times sake. Only to find a huge pile of oxidated metal and organic sludge at the bottom instead of colourful, artfully crafted and painted miniatures, which would  totally impress the naive lass. Well, you know...

And yes; this does smell like a hefty case of thread hijacking; sorry...

[gloriousbattle]

And yes; this does smell like a hefty case of thread hijacking; sorry...

No prob.  Unfortunately, we live in a universe that is in continuous flux, but you knew that.

I kinda think that minis have a shelf life, and as long as it is longer than I will live, I don't care.  However, I have seen lead soldiers that were not particularly well cared for that were around for over a century, so i think lead rot is not always an issue.

In addition, those figures were pretty close to PURE lead, so I wonder if it is not the mix of other metals (antimony perhaps?) that really causes what we think of as lead rot.

[Hammers]

... so I wonder if it is not the mix of other metals (antimony perhaps?) that really causes what we think of as lead rot.

No it isn't. We've turned this topic inside out a few times and evidence points to high lead content and acidic environmental factors. Make a search for 'lead rot' and you'll get an extensive list of threads.

[Thunderchicken]

Occasionally add spot gloss to orbs

I say!