Gloss Coats and Weathering

Welcome to FSM Forums!

Your friend, Toshi

Howdy !

Knight Templar hit the nail on the head ! I do it the same way.

Welcome to FSM.

Hi Bill! Welcome to the Forums! Glad to have you aboard.

I'll second Knight Templars post above. The advice is great. Also, follow the second paragraph. Build for yourself and enjoy what you do. 

Jim  

Welcome to the Forums!

Welcome aboard, Bill!

Steve's advice regarding a gloss coat prior to decals is spot on. I tend to also reapply the gloss coat after decaling because it tends to blend the carrier film in for a seamless appearance. I've also found that a smooth gloss also helps washes to flow around details evenly, where I tend to get irregular splotches when I apply washes over a flat coat. Once the base paint, decals, and washing steps are done, I'll flatten out the finish with Dullcote or Tamiya's flat lacquer before moving on to weathering steps. It seems to me that powdered pigments and Flory give a much more "natural" appearance over the flattened paint, but that's really a matter of personal preference.

Speaking of preference, you're most likely building for your own pleasure. While the steps outlined for the procedures are touted as gospel in many corners of the internet, don't be afraid to experiment on your own to find the techniques that please your eye. Sometimes, those little "accidents" where you stray from someone else's process is where you find things that work out well for your own builds. Trust me - with enough "accidents", you'll develop your own processes, procedures, and techniques as you go along. Relax and just enjoy yourself!

Welcome to Finescale!

Have a looking in the Painting forum, too, you might find more info to your question there.

Welcome aboard.

Spray your gloss coat before applying the decals. This will help you move them if necessary and cut down on silvering. The last clear coat can be whatever you desire. I usually spray Tamyia flat Lacquer but that's my preference.

The rest looks good to me.

Steve