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How do you seal paint?

After spending hours preparing and painting your models, it is quite understandable that you would want to protect your hard work by sealing the paint afterwards. The best way to seal your paint is with a model varnish, they are readily available from most manufacturers that provide model paint and can be applied with either a paintbrush or an airbrush, the finished effect can be one of gloss, satin or matt.
When applying varnish with a brush, you should use a thick brush, apply several thin layers ensuring each coat is dry before applying the next (this should take approximately 20 minutes). Generally speaking, thinner varnishes are best as they will self-level and avoid leaving brush marks.
Applying your varnish with an airbrush requires the same method of several thin coats. It is best to use a varnish that is specially formulated to avoid clogging the nozzle although most varnishes will be fine if thinned appropriately. A top tip is to also use your airbrush at low pressure (18-20 psi), this will avoid the premature drying of the varnish before it has had time to settle on the model's surface.
Before sealing your paint it is worth considering what kind of finish you would like your model to display, matt, satin or gloss. All three varnishes are available and can even be used to reverse an effect, for example, if you have used a glossy varnish to assist in the application of decals or to allow washes to smoothly run into panel lines, you can then achieve a flat finish by giving a final coat of matt varnish to the model.
So using varnish to seal your paint not only provides your model with well-deserved protection, it can also be used to create great effects too.
Posted in: Kit building, Painting

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