Decals on a matt paint surface

Hey Raven - The answer to question #2 is... answered in question #1. You need a super-smooth surface . Decal film "showing" is (to over-simplify things here) air pockets that are produced by matt paint. So... to avoid this, you really do need a gloss coat of some sort. I prefer Future myself as it doesn't stink up the house, and it's cheap! I wouldn't recommend spot-applying the Future though, as I find it often darkens the matt paint that is underneath. So you'd avoid the decal-silvering, but you'd have a dark patch around it. Also, I almost always apply my Future with a good paintbrush rather than airbrush - the stuff self-levels, right!

I have never noticed future darkening my flat paints, so I brush it on spots that will have decals.  The only finish I have noticed an adverse effect on is Alclad, and that effect is so slight I don't worry about it.

Don Stauffer

I have never noticed future darkening my flat paints, so I brush it on spots that will have decals.  The only finish I have noticed an adverse effect on is Alclad, and that effect is so slight I don't worry about it.

"your results may vary!"

Hmm so it's a case of "suck it an see" I guess.

I'm not too keen on painting the entire model by brush due to the possibility of putting on too thick a coat (one of the reasons I used a spray paint to put the base coat on), but looking at the cost of a spray can of gloss varnish (£5+) and considering I have a bottle of Future (albeit from 1997) perhaps brushing it on the whole model might be the best route.

Just need a larger brush, I've ordered an Italeri size 6 brush from an ebay seller today as I currently only have a couple of Game Workshop detail brushes, hopefully a size 6 will be large enough.

If I do only apply it to a specific area only and it does darken that area I can always just paint the rest of the model with Future - right?

Is it a problem to get a can of gloss varnish and some flat clear,that would solve this and future problems ?

Raven Morpheus

Hmm so it's a case of "suck it an see" I guess.

lol, pretty much. I've seen the darkening happen a lot on my Tamiya Acrylics, maybe they're more sensitive than other paint?

Raven Morpheus

I'm not too keen on painting the entire model by brush due to the possibility of putting on too thick a coat (one of the reasons I used a spray paint to put the base coat on), but looking at the cost of a spray can of gloss varnish (£5+) and considering I have a bottle of Future (albeit from 1997) perhaps brushing it on the whole model might be the best route.

Just need a larger brush, I've ordered an Italeri size 6 brush from an ebay seller today as I currently only have a couple of Game Workshop detail brushes, hopefully a size 6 will be large enough.

The bottle of Future that I'm using is, well, "of a similar vintage", probably 98 or 99. I've got a good angled brush that is probably no more that 1/2 inch across. I just work in small sections, every stroke in the same direction as long as possible, no going back over the brush stroke (unless I've loaded too much on the brush & see a "run") I often have to make a second application because I do use thin coats to avoid the chance of having too thick a layer that could run.

Raven Morpheus

If I do only apply it to a specific area only and it does darken that area I can always just paint the rest of the model with Future - right?

Exactly.

Yes it is a problem.  I have a very limited budget.  I will buy the matt varnish (flat clear or whatever you wish to call it) anyway, but if I can save £5 by using something I already have to hand then that's £5 I can spend on other tools/materials that I don't have and might require.

@VanceCrozier - thanks.

Well - a word of warning here. If you apply a spot of future and it darkens the paint, you probably won't be able to remove the darker spot by recoating. At least this worked this way for me, when I applied our local Future equivalent over airbrushed matt Humbrol. To avoid it, I'd spray the whole model with water, to make it slightly wet, and then apply Future with a brush, or airbrush Future on the model. Adding just a tiny little bit of soap or dishwashing liquid helps to do it, too. Hope it helps, have a nice day

Paweł

Thanks Pawel.

Just out of interest when airbrushing Future do you have to thin it at all, if so what do you use?

I've just been looking around for a very basic inexpensive airbrush/spray gun and come across this that I might buy for doing gloss layer ready for decal application -

www.ebay.co.uk/.../390508072566

I've spot applied Future and other gloss acrylics with a brush and sometimes had the "darken effect".  A coat of flat took care of that for me.

Paul

Hello!

I thin it just a little with water, and I add a really small amount of dishwashing liquid to it, to improve the flow. I tried many things to remove my "darken effect" but it seems to be very stubborn, so watch out not to let it happen. Good luck with your projects and have a nice day

Paweł

New decals:

www.youtube.com/watch