Budget "wash" @ £1

[Dickie255]

I was at my local pound shop and spied Astonish non slip floor polish at £1 for 500ml. I noticed on another site someone else was using it and I tried it out last night on some of my 10mm figures with a black ink/paint mix. It seems to do the job and the polish leaves a glossy look to the figures. I haven't put a matt varnish on them yet and hopefully this will tone done the gloss

[nikharwood]

Should be fine - this is the same kind of product as Klear which is the basis of many a 'magic' wash 

You might want to try a test matt figure though...just in case!

[goat major]

I could do with a cheap wash since my annual bath is due soon

[Inkerman]

I'll look for the low cost floor polish.  I have been using Klear with a tiny bit of sepia ink in it as my magic wash.

But am I right to think you fellows are using such a magic wash and then on top of it spraying something like Dull Coat to make the whole thing less glossy?

Is that right?  I can see that my figures are looking pretty shiny and glossy.  A flattening would be nice.

Is there a particular product that's good for this?

Thanks,
David

[nikharwood]

That's right David - I use spray Matt varnish: either Testor's Dullcote (which would knock the gleam off of polished chrome) or The Army Painter matt...

[Inkerman]

Super!  Thanks for that.  Do you spray over flags, static grass, and all?

David

[nikharwood]

Yep 

The most important advice with spray varnish though is this lot:

- avoid humid / damp days
- shake the can. And then shake it more. And again. Until your arm hurts 
- make sure your figures & spray are at the same temperature [ie keep them together for a while]
- if [& hopefully you don't] you get some white misting: DON'T PANIC!!! This can happen as the spray will capture moisture in the air...let it dry [24 hrs] and then try to respray...if that fails - then paint on undiluted Klear [or Astonish] & it'll bring your figures back...and they won't be as glossy as they were. At this point, it'll be up to you [& a test of your resilience & sanity] whether you spray them matt again 

[Dickie255]

Thanks for the info on spraying the varnish - it seems good advice especially as tomorrow I'll be putting on the varnish. However, I've bought Humbrol matt varnish spray - I don't know if it cuts the mustard as I see that Testor get the thumbs up?

I was also wondering if there's a favourite method of varnishing? I was going to put my figures in rows within a box then spray away? Also how much does each figure need? I'm guessing a thin mist over each?

Gosh - I'm such a newbie

[Inkerman]

Thanks for the clarification, Nik.

Because of the generosity of you and some others here, my technique is improving.

The down side is that I would like to re-do so many of the paint and basing jobs from a couple of years ago.  The old figures look pretty shabby next to the newer one.

But I can live with it!

[nikharwood]

I was also wondering if there's a favourite method of varnishing? I was going to put my figures in rows within a box then spray away? Also how much does each figure need? I'm guessing a thin mist over each?

Gosh - I'm such a newbie

I've got a load of cardboard box-tops from photocopier paper - those boxes which come to the office with 5 reams of A4 in = the lid. Those are used for the majority of my spraying [undercoating & varnishing] - but I turn them over & put figures on the top [bottom] - ie not in the box, on the box...

...that way I can get better coverage & a good grip on the box by holding the inverted edge.

If I'm doing a boatload of figures all at once, I've got a nice 3ft x 3ft offcut of 4mm MDF which I use [again for undercoating & varnishing] - figures onto it & then it gets placed on top of a stand [bin] & I move around it to get the coverage...

If you have a look at the early stages of my SYW Painting Diary here: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=709.0 you can see the boxes & my board...

Hope that makes sense...

[nikharwood]

Thanks for the clarification, Nik.

Because of the generosity of you and some others here, my technique is improving.

The down side is that I would like to re-do so many of the paint and basing jobs from a couple of years ago.  The old figures look pretty shabby next to the newer one.

But I can live with it!

I know what you mean - I look at my Napoleonics now & go, "hmm...I could paint those so much better now...I wonder..."

But then I bung them on the table - and en masse, at arm's length, they look great 

[Dickie255]

Cheers mate for the quick guide and I'll let you know how I go on. I really like the painting on you ACW figures and I'm trying to recreate that look of realism.

Have a good weekend