Thanks for the review Vince. Ill add my vote to this product, I've used it on all my models for the past year, it's fantastic and will dull down anything no matter how glossy, I routinely use it over oil paints to regain some tooth for subsequent layers. I've used it for brush application but make sure you don't allow it to pool anywhere as it will become slightly opaque. I do thin it very slightly with water when airbrushing to avoid clogs but then I don't have a particularly great airbrush. One trick I learned with it is to spray some on with the airbrush and then just shoot air from the airbrush which distributes and drys it on the model giving you the thinnest and most even coat possible. Anyway sorry for the long post but I'm with Vince on this stuff - it's really a game changer!
Thanks SO much for this Vince, I have been very keen for an alternative to Dullcote. I like it overall, but I have had a couple of frosted minis with it. Plus being able to use this at my painting station without shooting in the garage with the door open in winter is a huge bonus. Product ordered!
Vince, on figures it works great but don’t try to mask it, it will lift right off. If you like the rattlecan of Dulcote, then you will definitely like it from a bottle mixed 50/50 with lacquer thinner and it will go 4 time longer than the can. I give the Ultra Matte a C+
Cool stuff. I’ve recently tried using Vallejo Mecha Color matte varnish, it’s much better than the standard Vallejo varnish in my experience. (Mecha color primer is great too for what it’s worth) You mentioned going back and smoothening out bad blends. Would love to see how you go about color matching or whatever you need to do for that process!
Basically, I just feel it out and make something close. I wish I could tell you that i had some great secret, but my wet palette is just generally a mess of all my colors. I mix them up and then make some thin glazes. As they are just hyper thin glazes, you don't need to worry if you don't get it exactly right, as they don't move the color much.
Thanks for the info. Since I started painting with oils a good matte varnish has been extremely important. The only good one I've been able to find so far has been the revell varnish from a can, but that one is really expenisve. Now that I have an airbrush I've tried out the mig ultra matte varnish but that one seems to need a few coats to really do what I need it to.
@@VinceVenturella I have been using the Matte version for months, with a brush, and it has been excellent. Looking forward to trying the Ultra Matte. Never had anything as good. I cannot get Testers here.
I ordered some Testors from the US which was not cheap, and it didn't sold me. I usually spray with GW Munitorum and then brush Vallejo Matte Varnish by brush. But the miniatures always look a bit too shiny.
Have you ever tried using a satin varnish? I used Testors Dull coat for over 15 years, but I found made my figures too flat, and blah. I am mostly do historical, and fantasy mass figure armies, and once you get 20-30 figure blocks and the lack of any lighting bounce from the game table, plus poor game room or LGS shop lighting causes the units to become darker blobs. I went full gloss for a few years before using Liquitex satin varnish. I kind of like the satin look of light reflecting, especially with metals. I was wondering what you think of satin varnishes.
Yes, I have used Satin Varnish. The issue is I paint very high contrast, so I tend to take colors up to very bright tints, that means, I want pure matte because the other highlights can conflict with the painted highlights. Also, I never varnish the metals because I use Vallejo Metal Color, which the silver has the highest reflection of any acrylic paint and any varnish will just dull it. Now all that being said, that is my personal hobbies based on how I paint. If you aren't pushing the contrast all the way up. Then I totally agree, the Satin Varnish I think is the best plan here, because it doesn't overwhelm like gloss would but provides a nice natural shine.
Thanks for this review! The varnish seems like it's just what I am looking for. However, I have read online people complaining that it's really fragile and while looking nice offers little protection. Quote from a Reddit thread: "AK ultra matte varnish offers a limited protection if not at all. The pumice, make the surface micro porous, diffracting light, and thus negatîg specular reflection ; that called matte. By nature, the micro-porous surface increase surface tension and Friction. Depending on cure time, and layers, it can peel the underneath layer if exposed to any rubbing/sideway contact."
Yep, standard for matte and even satin varnish... the less gloss, the less protective it is (in the majority of cases at least). You can use a gloss varnish and (once it fully cures) do a matte varnish over it. Yes, the matte varnish can wear off and that will be apparent, but it shouldn't impact the paint itself. For Gunpla, I always do a gloss coat, and then a couple matte coats (letting it cure between each coat). Of course, the smaller the model, the more detail subsequent coats will obscure.
@@Telthar Thanks for the input. I tried Vince's method of 3:1 with satin varnish and the results look good so far. Also tried it over GW Munitorum Varnish. Being cautious with the amounts of coats, as you said it gradually obscures details.
Yes indeed, you can always paint over acrylic varnish, but yes, I frequently use this in the middle to matte everything out and find my errors, then just happily keep painting. :)
It works just as well with brush too. I thin it with a bit of water. Also ultra matte is too matte for my taste. I mix 50/50 ultra matte and matte varnish from AK. I love that I can get my own look just by making my own mix. Also probably it has a lot of drying retarder in it. So no tip dry or brush strokes. Best varnish ever!
I am a fan of ultra matte, so this is perfect, but I totally get what you are describing, sometimes having that slight sheen can be good, especially for things like skin. I really love this product for sure and it's good to know you can play with mixes like that, I will have to give that a try.
Just my normal process water I will sometimes use a little bit of 99% isopropyl alcohol as that can help. Make sure that it gets any kind of gunk or chunks out of there.
If I didn't know better I would swear you have ESP Vince. My old matte varnish ran out and it isn't a brand anybody carries anymore so I had to find a new one that I liked. Hit the web and before I can even search the first thing I see is this video, one and done. Thanks Vince!
Just bought some. It's great and doesn't have to be used outside. May need 2 coats over some of the shinier washes. Won't be using spirit-based again. Many thanks for the headsup Vince.
Think it is the exact same formula as the MiG - Ultra Matte Varnish as well, so if you can't get one where you are in the world, you may be able to get the other.
Interesting stuff, I found the dullcote can to be hard to get so I use the Testor's Model Master series Lusterless Flat Lacquer. It works so well, I've never looked back. Has to be used outside but it works great.
No, it's more of a finish, it's not really protection alone, I mix it 3:1 ultra to satin varnish if you want protection, two coats. Yes, you can brush it on. You don't need to thin it.
It’s just reactivating it because you’re putting a liquid over it. My advice is if you find that happening, give it longer to cure or apply the varnish with an airbrush or a rattle can.
Ok, had given it three days to cure so thought it would be fine, I don't use an airbrush by choice but I suppose I might reconsider for this. What would your rattlecan brand of choice be for both matte and gloss for someone in the UK? Last time I checked people recommended a USA brand that I could not find anywhere :(
Great Vince!, but I clearly do something wrong, applied it and make everything nice and shiny...trying to thin it more and apply very thin layers but same result occurred...do you know what I'm doing wrong? Have you had that before?
So it sounds like it wasn't mixed properly, I've never had it happen, this stuff is generally very matte. My feeling would be to maybe add a non-ferrous agitator and give it a good shake, if that doesn't work, it could be a bad bottle.
Thanks I have tried with a massive shake and had a bit of a better result! Also I have mixed water instead of acrylic thinner to thin it down and worked really well...do you thin you varnishes with thinner or do you use water?
I recently heard someone suggest mixing contrast medium with the AK ultra matte varnish for an "easy way to apply varnish." I would think that the medium would interact with the varnish while drying and not work great. Have you heard of this before? Thoughts?
@@VinceVenturella Possibly a quicker way to apply the varnish? I usually use a spray since I find brushing it on long and tedious (I paint board games in batches).
So, flow improver also is added to the varnish, when it goes through an airbrush. I was thinking that maybe water should be the desired medium, but if it’s the same as with primer - it should be easy enough 😊 Thank you!
@@VinceVenturella That would be amazing, it's hit or miss with finding videos on varnishing that goes over each type, matte, stain, and gloss. Also mixing them to show the middle ground between the 3 as well.
Thank you for this review! I have been a long time Dull Coat guy and I've run into it being erratic... sometimes its too shiny. Maybe its the weather or I'm over spraying? It's hard to control a rattle can. Got more into airbrushing my minis and just ordered this AK and looking forward to trying it. Do you think it will help miniatures that I previously Dull Coated to become more of the matte finish?
I have always simply used Vallejo Gloss Varnish, never had a problem with it. That being said, you can then put this over the top to matte it back out.
I just bought some to matt down decals on model tanks, so will be using brush. There's no instructions how to clean brushes with it (!). Do I use white spirit, soapy water? What is best please.
Bit of an inexperienced commenter here. Always tried to use a matte varnish on my minis as I like the look. I know a models finish is down to personal preference but I’m wondering what sort of varnish you’d personally use on space marines? I’m not used to painting that sort of mini - most of my armies up until now are flesh, cloth and leather. Thanks for the video - really enjoyed the review.
So some people like their space marines with a little bit of a satin shine to create some highlights, especially for tabletop. For me, it's pure matte all the way, but you can have a slight satin sheen and that can do a lot of work. :)
Vince Venturella hey thanks for getting back to me, and thanks for the advice. Going to pick up the AK ultra matte and give it a go! Can’t wait to see all my painting imperfections even clearer haha!
Acrylic based, the airbrush cleaned out with just normal cleaner, nothing special and no real extra effort over say primer or anything else that has more sticky mass than thinned paint.
I think Vallejo uses the same tip on some of their bottles. I use Winsor & Newton Matt Varnish and have been for years and I love it. I believe it's probably the same stuff. It also is a lot cheaper. Great video as usual Vince...thanks for sharing...
@mike brazeale which of the Winsor & Newton varnishes do you use ? even for the matte varnishes they sell there are a couple of variations / product types on their website.
Thanks for the great review! Have you tried Green Stuff World's Maxx Matt varnish? It seems to work even better than AK when brushed on, removing any shine with one coat whereas AK sometimes needs a few applications.
Have a look at... POLYVINES "DEAD FLAT VARNISH". Less than you paid and you get 1/2 litre of it. Water based and goes through the Airbrush like a dream. I use it on bare wood and after 4 coat's it looks like it's got no clear coat on it at all, also has a UV protector in it!
My bottle of ultra matte varnish went from white to a cream yellowish color after having it for less than a year. Has this happened to you? Is it still okay to use? Will the minis I vanished previously when it was still white eventually yellow?
Hey vince just wanted to get back to you about something I said a month ago, I made a mistake when I said my varnish melted liquitex ink, it wasn't ak interactive as far as I remember it was winsor and newton uv one that melted it. Thankfully I also know why now, W&N Technical Department say it's because the liquitex ink is alkali soluble. Just thought I'd mention it here because it's a good thing for anyone to know, whether to avoid the issue or if they are having the issue.
You're killing me Vince, why did you cut out the brush on part? I'm having problems with every single matte varnish I've ever tried brushing on, not just this one. They all end up satin, almost halfway between satin and gloss, even! Should I be drowning the mini with the varnish or do a thin coat? Should I be putting down multiple layers? Should I be watering it down? I've tried everything and the only thing that seems to work out fine with a brush for me is Citadel's Lahmian Medium. Meanwhile, all these matte varnishes I've tried work just fine out of an airbrush. Going crazy here.
It works fine and amazingly with a brush. With the rest, you generally want to think in terms of a layer (and same here), but they will have varying effects. This is a magic varnish though, with a simple application straight from the bottle applied thinly, it goes completely matte.
Hey @@VinceVenturella thanks for answering. Turns out what I had to do with this one is just give it a rigorous shake before using. It's even in the instructions on the bottle. It really is a magic varnish, so much so that I feel bad having raised a concern against it. By the way in case anyone's reading, tried thin coat and tried dabbing it on, they both work just the same, no difference. Retried my other matt varnishes after giving them a shake, not nearly as good as this one. That A+ you gave it was well deserved.
I'm in Spain and we do cool paints Vallejo and AK Interactive but this is interesting I may not use AK Interactive ONLY for their weathering effects paints.. The real question is .. ok we use gloss matte varnish for pin washes and then dull it down again with matte varnish afterwards BUT when would one use a satin varnish which is the middle guy of gloss and matte and by that I mean what type of miniature ...for what kind of effect ?
Hey Vince, I've been using AK's Ultra Matte Varnish for a while following your recommendation. As usual, really useful video, thanks! Recently I noticed that black looked lighter after applying the ultra matte varnish and the contrast with the shadows of the figure was reduced. I could clearly see the difference in pictures from before and after the varnishing step! Do you know why this might be or have some advice on how to mitigate this effect?
Yes, matte surfaces look lighter than satin or glossy surfaces. I talked about this in a recent video, but it has to do with how the surface scatters light. A little satin on the black can darken it.
Hi Vince, thanks for a great overview, after watching this video i immediately bought this varnish. How ever i have a problem with it. After applying it on a model with brush and letting it to dry even for more then 12 hours, if i gently rub the model i can see varnish coming off and peeling. Even after touching model for couple of times at same place damages the varnish coat. Do you have any tips what im doing wrong? So far i have an impression that this varnish is not to good for protection and maybe its more for display models then for tabletop games miniatures which main main focus is on. If this varnish is not good for mini protection which mat varnish you would recommend to use for protection?
@@VinceVenturella thank you good to know. Would you recommend vallejo mech satin varnish for this, or better to mix it with AK satin varnish? Just to be clear 2 drops of ultra matt varnish and 1 drop of satin varnish right?
Hi Vince , man you have put out a lot of content . It's a pleasure listening and learning from you ,I've learnt so much as a newbie, thank you. I have a question, if you use this to matte out a figure , can you then go in and say hand paint any Satin or Glossy parts you might want i.e. leather belts and such like ? Will it affect or dull the subsequent Satin or gloss layer ? Or is it what ever type of Varnish you use last is the effect you get ?
You can certainly change the finish afterward, won't hurt anything :) - I generally want a completely matte finish outside of metals, but you can varnish other finishes over the top.
Awesome product, haven't touched my spray cans or Vallejo ever since the hobby store started carrying it. $15 tho is kinda nuts tho considering the MSRP is 5 euro (60 ml btw) , even in Israel, after taxes and the regular markup we have around here it's 8 bucks or so. Oh and it works like a charm as a flattening agent for glossier paints like Minitaire, mix in a drop or two in the airbrush cup to knock that shine right off.
That was just the price from Amazon right before I uploaded the video. It varies and I am sure I could get it cheaper from hobby stores, but that requires leaving the house. I think when I bought mine, it was actually like $10 with shipping.
@@VinceVenturella weird I'm in Spain and AK Interactive state that its only 4.90 Euros for a 60ml bottle that should be only $5.55 not $15 ! I get free shipping if I buy more than 30 Euros worth of product and you guys in the U.S.A etc get free shipping if you buy more than 180 euros worth of product (ouch).
@Aviad Madar price is currently $30 per bottle(!) on Amazon U.S. any other amazon has it for 5-6 bucks (converted). Megahobby and scalehobbyist both want $11. CompMini is the cheapeast with $7. No idea how they manage that, but alot closer to the MSRP
How does it affect the color of your miniatures? I noticed it mattes cloth really well and looks great, but not the leather. Leather is more tricky since I still like to have some sheen. Would you re-highlight the leather?
I haven't noticed any real color difference. What I would say is if you want some areas to be satin, you could either reapply some satin varnish, you could re-apply some more satin paints, or you could apply the initial layer with a brush and skip those areas, all possibilities.
@@VinceVenturella Okay, I am getting used to my airbrush and I must have got in on too thick. With clear liquid it is hard to tell if it is working. With airbrushing varnish, a light coat will do? How many coats do you do? Thanks for all your help.
@@KerfluffinMcWooly One light coat, don't look for it to build up, it's a common mistake people make when new to airbrushing varish. Just give it a light single coat, let it dry, see the results.
I often do yes to do additional layers of acrylic over top. And I would either use this (if I wanted to completely kill the faint satin shine of oil washes) or just a standard vallejo matte varnish if I wanted to save the shine. But likely this.
Hi Vince, great review. Have you tried Windsor and Newton Galleria acrylic Matt varnish?. It’s maybe too gloopy for airbrush but it comes out VERY Matt. It’s what I use and very happy with.
With repeated use, I find that the bottle ends up getting little chunks of congealed varnish in it, that then goes into my airbrush. Have you found the same thing or do I have a bad bottle/not closing it tight?
Finally I'm looking for the review and what the use of this varnish... i bought this bottle 5 years ago AK 190 matte varnish and I don't know what is it, I do ask the shop owner he too don't know, he said maybe for wood you uh varnishing the wood. 😅😅😅... Anyways thank you.
How do you know if you have sprayed it own too lightly/too thick? I can see the sheen shift, very subtle, but unless the model looks a little wet, I cannot tell if I actually got the model or not? Any tips you could provide would be awesome.
I just give it two solid sprays and trust its on there. A good light near your spraying area will reflect the slight sheen and let you know you are good to go.
@@VinceVenturella Cool. Thanks. My Iwata gravity fed Neo likes it when I dilute the AK Ultra Matte. with AB thinner. Is there a trick to mix it well without having to get fancy battery powered stirring device?
Have you tried AK190 matt varnish ? and could it be over-sprayed? I've tried GSI new acrylic matt spray can. It can be over-sprayed which is good but, spray can is not good for dealing with some particular or small area. So, here I ask for your advice?
I haven't tried it yet. What I will say is the AK Ultra Matte is nice because it can go airbrush or brush so easily and without any need to go outside or anything. I will have to look that one up though and give it a shot.
It also protects, same as any varnish. Now it's not as thick and protective as say a layer of gloss varnish, but it pulls double duty. That being said, it's strong enough if you wanted to do a quick later of gloss, then put this over top, it would matte that right out.
It's defintly not protective enough for tabletop duties. I experienced some paint chipping off. Therefore I always seal with gloss varnish before applying the ultra matt varnish (loving it, though!).
I don't, generally, I will paint all matte parts, give a good varnish, then do the metals. Metal paint tends to be a little tougher, but I also move everything on magracks so I am never rubbing it against foam or anything.
Hello! I know it took a while you posted this review. I’ve been using top Coat Matt, it’s very very good. I paint figures that use too much decals, and top coat took out any Decals marks, like magic. Do you know if this AK ultra matte do the same job? Thanks
It's great for matting out the shine of decals, I use it 50/50 with satin varnish so there is no shine but there is still enough body to smooth out the edges after the micro-sol.
It's decent, but it's not it's strong suit with a single coat. The advantage is, if you really need to have a solid layer, you could always do a layer of gloss varnish and then use this over the top and it would completely kill the shine.
Do you use a gloss before you use matte? Or could I get away with using only matte?ive been using Vallejo matte varnish 1:4 with water because it's too shiney. Could I use that for my gloss coat and cover it with this AK matte varnish?
I am sure you could, you certainly don't have to. Some folks like to do a coat of gloss on their gaming miniatures for extra protection (since it is thicker and more durable), this would kill that shine, but it's far from required. You can just use this and you should be fine.
Thanks for posting this. I picked some up 3 weeks ago after getting a recommendation from another painter. If I wanted to do a flame effect on a sword, when would apply the varnish? Would you treat the flaming sword as you would metal?
Hey vince, I know this video is very old but I've just sprayed some of this through my "admittedly below average" airbrush and I wanted to ask if you get any greyish/cloudy patches around the base rims or flat areas or if I'm doing something wrong, cheers!
So it's unusual to have this happen. But it generally comes from it going on too thick and in the time it takes to dry, it gets humidity caught as it's drying. My best advice is apply through some thinner layers. Hope that helps.
A few coats are generally pretty protective, it doesn't have the thickness of gloss or satin varnish or anything, but it's more about finish smoothing than true protection.
What do you use to clean it out of your airbrush? I really gooped up my patriot using vallejo matt varnish several years back and switched to testers to avoid dealing with the cleaning. Does it clean out with normal airbrush cleaner and water fine?
Just normal old airbrush cleaner (I use medea) I didn't do anything special, it's an acrylic product, so no different than your paints in the end as long as you clean relatively quickly.
What of AK Interactives other varnishes Matte Varnish, Satin Varnish and Glossy Varnish? Have you tried those and how do they stack against Vallejo, Army painter, Citadel etc etc??
I have tried them. they are all solid and good values, I didn't find them any more or less valuable than Vallejo, they tend to have some shine left. The value to this for me is it's ability to completely kill all shine and make it perfectly matte.
Dead cheap nowadays, just found it for 5€. Same bottle size. Vallejo varnish recently ruined a few cloaks I painted, so I'm currently looking for an alternative. Thanks :)
Following your recommendation, I've got a bottle on order - only downer is that it's got to come from the States, with a lead time of 30 days. Can't find it anywhere in Europe (old world problem, lol). You'd think that it'd be popular over here and we'd have some stockists, but can't find any. Ho hum, never mind :-)
Thanks for another amazing video review Vince!! I would love that you do a varnish intensive video where you give some tips about varnishig, similar to the one you did for washes, . What i hate about varnish is that it change the colours that i use in a miniature, and ruins subtle blends, if there are ways to solve that or go around this problem , i will be happy to know :) i mostly use varnish with a brush though , dont know if airbrushing them gives different results.
Yes, I have an "all about varnish" video planned, I am not sure when it will happen, but I will be doing it and I want to cover all the different things I do with varnish.
Geweldig spul. Alleen na een paar maanden word alles wat ik heb geschilderd meer dan hoog glans. Zelfs na opnieuw ultra mat aanbrengen. Op verschillende merken acryl verf (ook op ak verf). Opnieuw gekocht hetzelfde probleem. Ik gebruik het nooit meer!
I won't lie, I had to run this through translate, but I will say that's very strange. I have been using this stuff for quite a while (more than a year now) and I have never seen that reversion to gloss, I really couldn't say what might be causing that.
Vince Venturella I don't understand myself either. Shaken and stirred very well before application. Bought it again, and again that it makes my figures shine after a while. First very good matt varnish but then. Horribly ugly because of that. Sometimes sent a message to Ak but never got a reply.
This is just for looks right? It's not actual varnish that will protect your mini? I ask because it's acryl based and I've been told several times that they cannot really protect your mini
They can protect your mini just fine, but this is quite thin, it takes a few applications to really get protection, it's fairly weak with one coat, but yes, it's more for the varnish effect.
I certainly trust Competition minis, the owner is an amazing couple and Jim really loves the hobby (he's an accomplished hobbyist himself) - so I can't recommend them enough. Now, as to the Ak Interactive, yes, I have been experimenting with more and more of their products and I haven't really found anything I didn't like. The pigments were on par with Vallejo or Secret weapon, their enamel streaking products are good. This however, was just head and shoulders above.
@@VinceVenturella I second comp minis. Jim is indeed awesome and it's free fast shipping after 49 bucks. I've had issues with one scale ink and an ak diorama effect. Sent pictures to Jim and replaced them for me no problem.
I haven't had a chance to do it yet, but I will try at some point. What I will say is this is so wonderfully perfectly matte, it would be hard to compare (but who knows).
Stop making me spend money Vince! :P After having mixed results with other varnishes I was about to head down the Testor's dullcote route but then saw this video and immediately ordered a bottle. Anything that means I don't have to deal with worrying about things like humidity, etc is a good thing in my book. :)
I always hated dullcote... never got results I was happy with. I finally ordered some ultra matte directly from AK, and have been using it for months - it's almost idiot proof and does EXACTLY what you expect a matte varnish to do (minus bad experiences from other products). I've yet to try it neat straight out of the bottle (usually I thin it 1:1 or 2:1 thinner:varnish), but I've never had it cloud up, and have used multiple coats across several stages of painting. This stuff makes dealing with the glossiness of inks a non-issue. I also like mixing it with their satin varnish for different levels of specularity.
Thanks for this, the video was very helpful. Have you tried AK's 3rd generation varnishes? Wondering if they are an improvement, or just a reformulation better suited to the 3rd gen paints. Surprised how little info there is out there about the new varnishes!
Vince, sir, senpai, lol... You do not know the power you weild... I cannot find this in stock ANYWHERE on the internet. Lol. Every place is sold out. If anybody sees it, link in a reply please 🤭
I would place that more on it being a great product than anything I have to say. :) - That being said, it's worth picking up at your first opportunity for sure.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for the review Vince. Ill add my vote to this product, I've used it on all my models for the past year, it's fantastic and will dull down anything no matter how glossy, I routinely use it over oil paints to regain some tooth for subsequent layers. I've used it for brush application but make sure you don't allow it to pool anywhere as it will become slightly opaque. I do thin it very slightly with water when airbrushing to avoid clogs but then I don't have a particularly great airbrush. One trick I learned with it is to spray some on with the airbrush and then just shoot air from the airbrush which distributes and drys it on the model giving you the thinnest and most even coat possible. Anyway sorry for the long post but I'm with Vince on this stuff - it's really a game changer!
A game changer?
I love this stuff. I also use it instead of thinner medium if I want to produce a translucent glaze.
That's a really good idea, I will have to give that a try. Awesome suggestion.
For those wondering: The contents is 60ml
Thank you, I swear it doesn't say it on the bottle, but much appreciated.
Thanks SO much for this Vince, I have been very keen for an alternative to Dullcote. I like it overall, but I have had a couple of frosted minis with it. Plus being able to use this at my painting station without shooting in the garage with the door open in winter is a huge bonus. Product ordered!
It's so convenient for sure. I love it and that ability to just roll over to the airbrush booth is really wonderful for sure.
You saved my next model with the metallic tip, I never thought of it, thanks
Happy to help!
Ok, I bought it - and it is pure magic in a bottle! Zap-zosh and your mini is ultramatte in under 10 seconds :o
Thank you so much for the review.
I know right, it's just incredible. :)
Thank you for picking this up, was looking to restock on some varnish and needed something other than Testors dull coat.
*For reviewing this. I picked this up due to the review, ha.
Glad I could help :)
Also a longtime Testors Dullcote user. Recently got AK Ultramatte, and it’s incredible! Brushing is very effective too!
It's wonderful for sure.
awesome stuff! Im looking to get an airbrush soon, will totally check this out.
It's really worth it, fantastic tool for the airbrush.
Hey Vince, I really appreciate your upload schedule at the moment! Thanks for making all of these videos!
It's been a busy few days when I got back. ;)
Vince, on figures it works great but don’t try to mask it, it will lift right off. If you like the rattlecan of Dulcote, then you will definitely like it from a bottle mixed 50/50 with lacquer thinner and it will go 4 time longer than the can. I give the Ultra Matte a C+
Good to know, I don't mask with anything but silly putty so I don't run into the issue, but it's good to keep in mind.
Cool stuff. I’ve recently tried using Vallejo Mecha Color matte varnish, it’s much better than the standard Vallejo varnish in my experience. (Mecha color primer is great too for what it’s worth)
You mentioned going back and smoothening out bad blends. Would love to see how you go about color matching or whatever you need to do for that process!
Basically, I just feel it out and make something close. I wish I could tell you that i had some great secret, but my wet palette is just generally a mess of all my colors. I mix them up and then make some thin glazes. As they are just hyper thin glazes, you don't need to worry if you don't get it exactly right, as they don't move the color much.
Thanks for the info. Since I started painting with oils a good matte varnish has been extremely important. The only good one I've been able to find so far has been the revell varnish from a can, but that one is really expenisve. Now that I have an airbrush I've tried out the mig ultra matte varnish but that one seems to need a few coats to really do what I need it to.
Great timing! I got some just last week.
It's such a great product. I am just blown away by it's quality.
@@VinceVenturella I have been using the Matte version for months, with a brush, and it has been excellent. Looking forward to trying the Ultra Matte. Never had anything as good. I cannot get Testers here.
I ordered some Testors from the US which was not cheap, and it didn't sold me. I usually spray with GW Munitorum and then brush Vallejo Matte Varnish by brush. But the miniatures always look a bit too shiny.
Just sprayed it through my airbrush... Thank you for sharing this, it is awesome!
It's wonderful, such a pleasure how it mattes everything out so smoothly.
What did you use to clean out your brush after spraying the varnish?
Do you use thinner for it? or it is airbrush ready ?
Have you ever tried using a satin varnish? I used Testors Dull coat for over 15 years, but I found made my figures too flat, and blah. I am mostly do historical, and fantasy mass figure armies, and once you get 20-30 figure blocks and the lack of any lighting bounce from the game table, plus poor game room or LGS shop lighting causes the units to become darker blobs. I went full gloss for a few years before using Liquitex satin varnish. I kind of like the satin look of light reflecting, especially with metals. I was wondering what you think of satin varnishes.
Yes, I have used Satin Varnish. The issue is I paint very high contrast, so I tend to take colors up to very bright tints, that means, I want pure matte because the other highlights can conflict with the painted highlights. Also, I never varnish the metals because I use Vallejo Metal Color, which the silver has the highest reflection of any acrylic paint and any varnish will just dull it.
Now all that being said, that is my personal hobbies based on how I paint. If you aren't pushing the contrast all the way up. Then I totally agree, the Satin Varnish I think is the best plan here, because it doesn't overwhelm like gloss would but provides a nice natural shine.
Iv been using liquitex matte varnish and I’m having such a hard time with it frosting through my airbrush I will have to give this a try
Thanks for this review! The varnish seems like it's just what I am looking for.
However, I have read online people complaining that it's really fragile and while looking nice offers little protection. Quote from a Reddit thread:
"AK ultra matte varnish offers a limited protection if not at all. The pumice, make the surface micro porous, diffracting light, and thus negatîg specular reflection ; that called matte.
By nature, the micro-porous surface increase surface tension and Friction. Depending on cure time, and layers, it can peel the underneath layer if exposed to any rubbing/sideway contact."
Yep, it's not very protective, I mix it 3:1 with satin varnish for more protection but it retains the matte nature.
@@VinceVenturella I'll try that. Thanks!
Yep, standard for matte and even satin varnish... the less gloss, the less protective it is (in the majority of cases at least). You can use a gloss varnish and (once it fully cures) do a matte varnish over it. Yes, the matte varnish can wear off and that will be apparent, but it shouldn't impact the paint itself. For Gunpla, I always do a gloss coat, and then a couple matte coats (letting it cure between each coat). Of course, the smaller the model, the more detail subsequent coats will obscure.
@@Telthar Thanks for the input. I tried Vince's method of 3:1 with satin varnish and the results look good so far. Also tried it over GW Munitorum Varnish. Being cautious with the amounts of coats, as you said it gradually obscures details.
This will be my saviour! Can you paint over the top of it if you need to fix your bad paint job?
Yes indeed, you can always paint over acrylic varnish, but yes, I frequently use this in the middle to matte everything out and find my errors, then just happily keep painting. :)
Vince Venturella Perfect, thanks!
It works just as well with brush too. I thin it with a bit of water. Also ultra matte is too matte for my taste. I mix 50/50 ultra matte and matte varnish from AK. I love that I can get my own look just by making my own mix. Also probably it has a lot of drying retarder in it. So no tip dry or brush strokes. Best varnish ever!
I am a fan of ultra matte, so this is perfect, but I totally get what you are describing, sometimes having that slight sheen can be good, especially for things like skin. I really love this product for sure and it's good to know you can play with mixes like that, I will have to give that a try.
Thanks for the excellent product review, Vince….very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Great review. Very helpful and informative. Did you have to thin it before airbrushing?
I always use a few drops of thinner, just to keep everything moving.
Thanks, Vince. Love your presentations. Cheers!
Have you tried Scale75 ultra matte? It appears nobody has tested or reviewed it on the internet, wich I find surprising.
Haven't tried it yet. I will have to add it to the list.
What did you use to clean the airbrush after it. Some thinners will make it go like glue.
Just my normal process water I will sometimes use a little bit of 99% isopropyl alcohol as that can help. Make sure that it gets any kind of gunk or chunks out of there.
Hi, I have brush varnish from citadel “storm shield” looks like satin varnish, it is ok to varnish again with AK ultra Matt?
Absolutely.
If I didn't know better I would swear you have ESP Vince. My old matte varnish ran out and it isn't a brand anybody carries anymore so I had to find a new one that I liked. Hit the web and before I can even search the first thing I see is this video, one and done. Thanks Vince!
Excellent, those cameras I installed are coming in handy....I mean, uh, glad to help! ;)
Just bought some. It's great and doesn't have to be used outside. May need 2 coats over some of the shinier washes. Won't be using spirit-based again. Many thanks for the headsup Vince.
It really is wonderful stuff. Game changer for me.
Think it is the exact same formula as the MiG - Ultra Matte Varnish as well, so if you can't get one where you are in the world, you may be able to get the other.
Also recommend AK Interactive's Drying Retarder, which is a liquid rather than a gel, unlike say Vallejo's drying retarder for acryllics.
Good shout out. I agree, I use Warcolours Retardent medium for the same reason.
Cool man that’s helpful for me because they do sell all the Mig products but not AK over where I live.
Interesting stuff, I found the dullcote can to be hard to get so I use the Testor's Model Master series Lusterless Flat Lacquer. It works so well, I've never looked back. Has to be used outside but it works great.
Also a good solution, well, this presents you with another option if you can get this and the bright side is you can use it inside.
Does it protect minis intended for play well? And can I also brush it on? If so should I thin it down?
No, it's more of a finish, it's not really protection alone, I mix it 3:1 ultra to satin varnish if you want protection, two coats. Yes, you can brush it on. You don't need to thin it.
Not sure why but mine is melting my liquitex ink when I apply it over it. Any idea why Vince?
It’s just reactivating it because you’re putting a liquid over it. My advice is if you find that happening, give it longer to cure or apply the varnish with an airbrush or a rattle can.
Ok, had given it three days to cure so thought it would be fine, I don't use an airbrush by choice but I suppose I might reconsider for this. What would your rattlecan brand of choice be for both matte and gloss for someone in the UK? Last time I checked people recommended a USA brand that I could not find anywhere :(
Great Vince!, but I clearly do something wrong, applied it and make everything nice and shiny...trying to thin it more and apply very thin layers but same result occurred...do you know what I'm doing wrong? Have you had that before?
So it sounds like it wasn't mixed properly, I've never had it happen, this stuff is generally very matte. My feeling would be to maybe add a non-ferrous agitator and give it a good shake, if that doesn't work, it could be a bad bottle.
Thanks I have tried with a massive shake and had a bit of a better result! Also I have mixed water instead of acrylic thinner to thin it down and worked really well...do you thin you varnishes with thinner or do you use water?
@@DarkSmithBunny I thin them through the airbrush, but just a few drops of thinner.
I recently heard someone suggest mixing contrast medium with the AK ultra matte varnish for an "easy way to apply varnish." I would think that the medium would interact with the varnish while drying and not work great. Have you heard of this before? Thoughts?
I have no idea why it would be necessary, the varnish is already incredibly thin and covers easily.
@@VinceVenturella Possibly a quicker way to apply the varnish? I usually use a spray since I find brushing it on long and tedious (I paint board games in batches).
The only thing I’m missing is a quick varnishing tutorial via an airbrush… Love the review.
So most of what I say in the primer video - same thing for varnish. :) - But I will likely do one dedicated to that as well.
So, flow improver also is added to the varnish, when it goes through an airbrush. I was thinking that maybe water should be the desired medium, but if it’s the same as with primer - it should be easy enough 😊 Thank you!
@@VinceVenturella That would be amazing, it's hit or miss with finding videos on varnishing that goes over each type, matte, stain, and gloss. Also mixing them to show the middle ground between the 3 as well.
Thank you for this review! I have been a long time Dull Coat guy and I've run into it being erratic... sometimes its too shiny. Maybe its the weather or I'm over spraying? It's hard to control a rattle can. Got more into airbrushing my minis and just ordered this AK and looking forward to trying it. Do you think it will help miniatures that I previously Dull Coated to become more of the matte finish?
Absolutely, it will matte that right out.
How is this compared to the brush on Army Painter Anti Shine?
Any suggestion on a gloss/protective coating product?
I have always simply used Vallejo Gloss Varnish, never had a problem with it. That being said, you can then put this over the top to matte it back out.
I just bought some to matt down decals on model tanks, so will be using brush. There's no instructions how to clean brushes with it (!). Do I use white spirit, soapy water? What is best please.
Just normal brush cleaner, like a masters, will work just fine.
Bit of an inexperienced commenter here. Always tried to use a matte varnish on my minis as I like the look. I know a models finish is down to personal preference but I’m wondering what sort of varnish you’d personally use on space marines? I’m not used to painting that sort of mini - most of my armies up until now are flesh, cloth and leather. Thanks for the video - really enjoyed the review.
So some people like their space marines with a little bit of a satin shine to create some highlights, especially for tabletop. For me, it's pure matte all the way, but you can have a slight satin sheen and that can do a lot of work. :)
Vince Venturella hey thanks for getting back to me, and thanks for the advice. Going to pick up the AK ultra matte and give it a go! Can’t wait to see all my painting imperfections even clearer haha!
Is this a lacquer, enamel, or acrylic product? was wondering what kind of cleaner is needed to clean brush or airbrush
Acrylic based, the airbrush cleaned out with just normal cleaner, nothing special and no real extra effort over say primer or anything else that has more sticky mass than thinned paint.
@@VinceVenturella thank you Vince. I have been using the testers for years will have to give this a try.
@@VinceVenturella are you sure, it's not resin based?
I think Vallejo uses the same tip on some of their bottles. I use Winsor & Newton Matt Varnish and have been for years and I love it. I believe it's probably the same stuff. It also is a lot cheaper. Great video as usual Vince...thanks for sharing...
Thanks, happy to help as always.
@mike brazeale which of the Winsor & Newton varnishes do you use ? even for the matte varnishes they sell there are a couple of variations / product types on their website.
Thanks for the great review! Have you tried Green Stuff World's Maxx Matt varnish? It seems to work even better than AK when brushed on, removing any shine with one coat whereas AK sometimes needs a few applications.
Not yet! I'll have to try it.
I know its been a while, is this still your go to matte varnish?
Yes indeed
Have a look at... POLYVINES "DEAD FLAT VARNISH". Less than you paid and you get 1/2 litre of it. Water based and goes through the Airbrush like a dream. I use it on bare wood and after 4 coat's it looks like it's got no clear coat on it at all, also has a UV protector in it!
I'll check it out.
I've noticed it seeming dusty on the base rings after a couple games. Wondering if satin is the way to go for gaming
For the base ring? Not sure, I tend to have everything as matte but you could certainly have the base ring be satin, it wouldn't hurt at all.
My bottle of ultra matte varnish went from white to a cream yellowish color after having it for less than a year. Has this happened to you? Is it still okay to use? Will the minis I vanished previously when it was still white eventually yellow?
Sounds like it got water in it. It won’t weather on the mini, but it’s definitely bad now for new uses.
I read this varnish rubs of rather easily, does that hold true to your experience?
It's a weaker varnish. If you want something that is for protetion, you want a satin or similar varnish first. Then you can always apply this after.
@@VinceVenturella Thanks for the quick reply :)
Hey vince just wanted to get back to you about something I said a month ago, I made a mistake when I said my varnish melted liquitex ink, it wasn't ak interactive as far as I remember it was winsor and newton uv one that melted it.
Thankfully I also know why now, W&N Technical Department say it's because the liquitex ink is alkali soluble. Just thought I'd mention it here because it's a good thing for anyone to know, whether to avoid the issue or if they are having the issue.
You're killing me Vince, why did you cut out the brush on part? I'm having problems with every single matte varnish I've ever tried brushing on, not just this one. They all end up satin, almost halfway between satin and gloss, even! Should I be drowning the mini with the varnish or do a thin coat? Should I be putting down multiple layers? Should I be watering it down? I've tried everything and the only thing that seems to work out fine with a brush for me is Citadel's Lahmian Medium. Meanwhile, all these matte varnishes I've tried work just fine out of an airbrush. Going crazy here.
It works fine and amazingly with a brush. With the rest, you generally want to think in terms of a layer (and same here), but they will have varying effects. This is a magic varnish though, with a simple application straight from the bottle applied thinly, it goes completely matte.
Hey @@VinceVenturella thanks for answering. Turns out what I had to do with this one is just give it a rigorous shake before using. It's even in the instructions on the bottle. It really is a magic varnish, so much so that I feel bad having raised a concern against it. By the way in case anyone's reading, tried thin coat and tried dabbing it on, they both work just the same, no difference. Retried my other matt varnishes after giving them a shake, not nearly as good as this one. That A+ you gave it was well deserved.
I'm in Spain and we do cool paints Vallejo and AK Interactive but this is interesting I may not use AK Interactive ONLY for their weathering effects paints.. The real question is .. ok we use gloss matte varnish for pin washes and then dull it down again with matte varnish afterwards BUT when would one use a satin varnish which is the middle guy of gloss and matte and by that I mean what type of miniature ...for what kind of effect ?
Not very frequently to be honest, but it can be good to force a sheen on things (silk fabric, oily skin, etc.) It's probably the least used for sure.
Hey Vince, I've been using AK's Ultra Matte Varnish for a while following your recommendation. As usual, really useful video, thanks!
Recently I noticed that black looked lighter after applying the ultra matte varnish and the contrast with the shadows of the figure was reduced. I could clearly see the difference in pictures from before and after the varnishing step! Do you know why this might be or have some advice on how to mitigate this effect?
Yes, matte surfaces look lighter than satin or glossy surfaces. I talked about this in a recent video, but it has to do with how the surface scatters light. A little satin on the black can darken it.
I’ll try that, thanks!
Hi Vince, thanks for a great overview, after watching this video i immediately bought this varnish. How ever i have a problem with it. After applying it on a model with brush and letting it to dry even for more then 12 hours, if i gently rub the model i can see varnish coming off and peeling. Even after touching model for couple of times at same place damages the varnish coat. Do you have any tips what im doing wrong? So far i have an impression that this varnish is not to good for protection and maybe its more for display models then for tabletop games miniatures which main main focus is on. If this varnish is not good for mini protection which mat varnish you would recommend to use for protection?
Yep, I mix it 2-1 with satin varnish, that gives durability but it’s still completely matte.
@@VinceVenturella thank you good to know. Would you recommend vallejo mech satin varnish for this, or better to mix it with AK satin varnish? Just to be clear 2 drops of ultra matt varnish and 1 drop of satin varnish right?
@@lomofanas correct
What psi and mm needle size you spraying?
18 PSI, .3 needle
@@VinceVenturella thanks! I will mess around with it
Hi Vince , man you have put out a lot of content . It's a pleasure listening and learning from you ,I've learnt so much as a newbie, thank you.
I have a question, if you use this to matte out a figure , can you then go in and say hand paint any Satin or Glossy parts you might want i.e. leather belts and such like ? Will it affect or dull the subsequent Satin or gloss layer ? Or is it what ever type of Varnish you use last is the effect you get ?
You can certainly change the finish afterward, won't hurt anything :) - I generally want a completely matte finish outside of metals, but you can varnish other finishes over the top.
Awesome product, haven't touched my spray cans or Vallejo ever since the hobby store started carrying it.
$15 tho is kinda nuts tho considering the MSRP is 5 euro (60 ml btw) , even in Israel, after taxes and the regular markup we have around here it's 8 bucks or so. Oh and it works like a charm as a flattening agent for glossier paints like Minitaire, mix in a drop or two in the airbrush cup to knock that shine right off.
That was just the price from Amazon right before I uploaded the video. It varies and I am sure I could get it cheaper from hobby stores, but that requires leaving the house. I think when I bought mine, it was actually like $10 with shipping.
@@VinceVenturella weird I'm in Spain and AK Interactive state that its only 4.90 Euros for a 60ml bottle that should be only $5.55 not $15 ! I get free shipping if I buy more than 30 Euros worth of product and you guys in the U.S.A etc get free shipping if you buy more than 180 euros worth of product (ouch).
@Aviad Madar price is currently $30 per bottle(!) on Amazon U.S. any other amazon has it for 5-6 bucks (converted).
Megahobby and scalehobbyist both want $11. CompMini is the cheapeast with $7. No idea how they manage that, but alot closer to the MSRP
How does it affect the color of your miniatures? I noticed it mattes cloth really well and looks great, but not the leather. Leather is more tricky since I still like to have some sheen. Would you re-highlight the leather?
I haven't noticed any real color difference. What I would say is if you want some areas to be satin, you could either reapply some satin varnish, you could re-apply some more satin paints, or you could apply the initial layer with a brush and skip those areas, all possibilities.
@@VinceVenturella Okay, I am getting used to my airbrush and I must have got in on too thick. With clear liquid it is hard to tell if it is working. With airbrushing varnish, a light coat will do? How many coats do you do? Thanks for all your help.
@@KerfluffinMcWooly One light coat, don't look for it to build up, it's a common mistake people make when new to airbrushing varish. Just give it a light single coat, let it dry, see the results.
if you were using an oil wash, would you gloss coat then oil wash then use this after the oil is dry? do you varnish oil washes?
I often do yes to do additional layers of acrylic over top. And I would either use this (if I wanted to completely kill the faint satin shine of oil washes) or just a standard vallejo matte varnish if I wanted to save the shine. But likely this.
@@VinceVenturella thanks! have ya tried the vallejo mecha varnishes and are they the same as regular game air line
Hi Vince, great review. Have you tried Windsor and Newton Galleria acrylic Matt varnish?. It’s maybe too gloopy for airbrush but it comes out VERY Matt. It’s what I use and very happy with.
I have not, but I have heard that some people use it and really like it. I will have to give it a try.
Have you tried applying it with a brush? I have a bottle but I'm not sure how to go about it safely without an airbrush
Absolutely, it works great with a brush. Honestly, just use a standard synthetic brush and apply thinly, no real challenge from there.
Do someone knows how water (sweat) and touch resistant is it? I need to know if it can work for a piece that will be in hand contact a for hours.
It's not super durable, so if you want something more hardy, mix it 2-1 with Satin or Gloss Varnish.
With repeated use, I find that the bottle ends up getting little chunks of congealed varnish in it, that then goes into my airbrush. Have you found the same thing or do I have a bad bottle/not closing it tight?
I haven't seen that, but I shake the living heck out of it with an agitator, so that might be helping.
Finally I'm looking for the review and what the use of this varnish... i bought this bottle 5 years ago AK 190 matte varnish and I don't know what is it, I do ask the shop owner he too don't know, he said maybe for wood you uh varnishing the wood. 😅😅😅... Anyways thank you.
Glad I could help
How do you know if you have sprayed it own too lightly/too thick? I can see the sheen shift, very subtle, but unless the model looks a little wet, I cannot tell if I actually got the model or not? Any tips you could provide would be awesome.
I just give it two solid sprays and trust its on there. A good light near your spraying area will reflect the slight sheen and let you know you are good to go.
@@VinceVenturella Cool. Thanks. My Iwata gravity fed Neo likes it when I dilute the AK Ultra Matte. with AB thinner. Is there a trick to mix it well without having to get fancy battery powered stirring device?
@@KerfluffinMcWooly I just keep a crappy brush and stir.
Have you tried AK190 matt varnish ? and could it be over-sprayed? I've tried GSI new acrylic matt spray can. It can be over-sprayed which is good but, spray can is not good for dealing with some particular or small area. So, here I ask for your advice?
I haven't tried it yet. What I will say is the AK Ultra Matte is nice because it can go airbrush or brush so easily and without any need to go outside or anything. I will have to look that one up though and give it a shot.
How does this compare to regular Vallejo Matte varnish?
Much better, I used to use Vallejo
I agree, Vallejo Matte Varnish has a sheen, it's still satin. This is flat matte, no reflection, no shine whatsoever.
Absolutely blown away with this stuff. Only concern is that it seems to go on very thin and worried a bit on how it will wear for gaming.
If you want durability, mix it about 1-1 with satin varnish, it will still be matte, but it will be more durable.
@@VinceVenturella Thanks a lot for the tip. I'll give that a go on my next mini but will try vallejo's matt, since I don't have satin.
Hi Vince, wondering if you've tried AK-775 Matte Varnish as a comparison? I can't get the Ultra Matte variety easily.
I have, this is far more matte. Sometimes that could still leave a bit of a shine. This kills all reflections.
Does it "just" matte or gives it protection too? This could be the holly grail I'm looking for. Thank you so much.
It also protects, same as any varnish. Now it's not as thick and protective as say a layer of gloss varnish, but it pulls double duty. That being said, it's strong enough if you wanted to do a quick later of gloss, then put this over top, it would matte that right out.
It's defintly not protective enough for tabletop duties. I experienced some paint chipping off. Therefore I always seal with gloss varnish before applying the ultra matt varnish (loving it, though!).
Do you varnish metal armor/weapons on pewter miniatures?
I don't, generally, I will paint all matte parts, give a good varnish, then do the metals. Metal paint tends to be a little tougher, but I also move everything on magracks so I am never rubbing it against foam or anything.
@@VinceVenturella That helps a ton. Thanks.
Hello! I know it took a while you posted this review. I’ve been using top Coat Matt, it’s very very good. I paint figures that use too much decals, and top coat took out any Decals marks, like magic. Do you know if this AK ultra matte do the same job? Thanks
It's great for matting out the shine of decals, I use it 50/50 with satin varnish so there is no shine but there is still enough body to smooth out the edges after the micro-sol.
@@VinceVenturella So this mix Ak ultra matte and Ak Satin, took out any marks of decals? The same as top coat or testors? Thanks
@@rafaelreisferreira yep, two coats
Do you thin the varnish before you put it in to your airbrush?
Yeah, I always thin everything. For me, it's a couple drops of my thinner mix (80/20; Thinner/Flow Improver) into the varnish mix.
How is the protection aspect of it? Very interested in it, tried vallejo matt varnish before but was a bit too shiny for me.
It's decent, but it's not it's strong suit with a single coat. The advantage is, if you really need to have a solid layer, you could always do a layer of gloss varnish and then use this over the top and it would completely kill the shine.
It looks very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Happy to help as always. :)
Do you use a gloss before you use matte? Or could I get away with using only matte?ive been using Vallejo matte varnish 1:4 with water because it's too shiney. Could I use that for my gloss coat and cover it with this AK matte varnish?
I am sure you could, you certainly don't have to. Some folks like to do a coat of gloss on their gaming miniatures for extra protection (since it is thicker and more durable), this would kill that shine, but it's far from required. You can just use this and you should be fine.
@@VinceVenturella thanks!
Thanks for posting this. I picked some up 3 weeks ago after getting a recommendation from another painter. If I wanted to do a flame effect on a sword, when would apply the varnish? Would you treat the flaming sword as you would metal?
In general, I would apply it after as normal. Fire doesn't need any shine like metal. the glowing effect is all the illusion of the paint.
@@VinceVenturella Cool. Thank you for your reply.
Hey vince, I know this video is very old but I've just sprayed some of this through my "admittedly below average" airbrush and I wanted to ask if you get any greyish/cloudy patches around the base rims or flat areas or if I'm doing something wrong, cheers!
So it's unusual to have this happen. But it generally comes from it going on too thick and in the time it takes to dry, it gets humidity caught as it's drying. My best advice is apply through some thinner layers. Hope that helps.
Vince Venturella understood! I’ve been spraying it neat through the airbrush right now, maybe a drop of water and an extra layer might be better
Curious to see if anyone has tried the 100ml AK Interactive 3rd gen ultra matt varnish. IS it just a bigger bottle?
Just a bigger bottle as far as I known
How resilient is this in terms of paint fading away due to handling?
A few coats are generally pretty protective, it doesn't have the thickness of gloss or satin varnish or anything, but it's more about finish smoothing than true protection.
What do you use to clean it out of your airbrush? I really gooped up my patriot using vallejo matt varnish several years back and switched to testers to avoid dealing with the cleaning. Does it clean out with normal airbrush cleaner and water fine?
Just normal old airbrush cleaner (I use medea) I didn't do anything special, it's an acrylic product, so no different than your paints in the end as long as you clean relatively quickly.
Awesome! thanks so much for the response! Love your channel, helping me improve my speed and quality.@@VinceVenturella
What of AK Interactives other varnishes Matte Varnish, Satin Varnish and Glossy Varnish?
Have you tried those and how do they stack against Vallejo, Army painter, Citadel etc etc??
I have tried them. they are all solid and good values, I didn't find them any more or less valuable than Vallejo, they tend to have some shine left. The value to this for me is it's ability to completely kill all shine and make it perfectly matte.
Dead cheap nowadays, just found it for 5€. Same bottle size.
Vallejo varnish recently ruined a few cloaks I painted, so I'm currently looking for an alternative. Thanks :)
Following your recommendation, I've got a bottle on order - only downer is that it's got to come from the States, with a lead time of 30 days. Can't find it anywhere in Europe (old world problem, lol). You'd think that it'd be popular over here and we'd have some stockists, but can't find any. Ho hum, never mind :-)
That's a shame, but it's worth the wait.
The company is from spain btw. You could have just ordered from their own webstore.
Does this mess up paint and decals?
Not at all, I usually mix with satin varnish to cover my decals.
The other big question is how durable is this?
Not very durable, it's more about finish, you want to mix it with something like Satin varnish if you want the durability.
Thanks for another amazing video review Vince!! I would love that you do a varnish intensive video where you give some tips about varnishig, similar to the one you did for washes, . What i hate about varnish is that it change the colours that i use in a miniature, and ruins subtle blends, if there are ways to solve that or go around this problem , i will be happy to know :) i mostly use varnish with a brush though , dont know if airbrushing them gives different results.
Yes, I have an "all about varnish" video planned, I am not sure when it will happen, but I will be doing it and I want to cover all the different things I do with varnish.
Geweldig spul. Alleen na een paar maanden word alles wat ik heb geschilderd meer dan hoog glans. Zelfs na opnieuw ultra mat aanbrengen. Op verschillende merken acryl verf (ook op ak verf). Opnieuw gekocht hetzelfde probleem. Ik gebruik het nooit meer!
I won't lie, I had to run this through translate, but I will say that's very strange. I have been using this stuff for quite a while (more than a year now) and I have never seen that reversion to gloss, I really couldn't say what might be causing that.
Vince Venturella I don't understand myself either. Shaken and stirred very well before application. Bought it again, and again that it makes my figures shine after a while. First very good matt varnish but then. Horribly ugly because of that. Sometimes sent a message to Ak but never got a reply.
Zombie post, I know, but does anyone have experience with this product via plain old brush? Additionally, does matte kill nmm metal?
Yes, it can go on with brush. It won't hurt non-metallic metal, it makes it look better, but it can hurt TMM. It will absolutely destroy that.
@@VinceVenturella Thanks for the reply!
This is just for looks right? It's not actual varnish that will protect your mini? I ask because it's acryl based and I've been told several times that they cannot really protect your mini
They can protect your mini just fine, but this is quite thin, it takes a few applications to really get protection, it's fairly weak with one coat, but yes, it's more for the varnish effect.
I've seen it on amazon for $7.99 and after this I'm gonna get me some
It's just wonderful, can't recommend it enough. :)
I’ve seen a lot of AK interactive products on competitionminis.com. Have you tried any of their other products? Paints, pigments, and such
I certainly trust Competition minis, the owner is an amazing couple and Jim really loves the hobby (he's an accomplished hobbyist himself) - so I can't recommend them enough. Now, as to the Ak Interactive, yes, I have been experimenting with more and more of their products and I haven't really found anything I didn't like. The pigments were on par with Vallejo or Secret weapon, their enamel streaking products are good. This however, was just head and shoulders above.
@@VinceVenturella I second comp minis. Jim is indeed awesome and it's free fast shipping after 49 bucks. I've had issues with one scale ink and an ak diorama effect. Sent pictures to Jim and replaced them for me no problem.
did anyone have the chance to compare this,and Ammo mig mattle varnish ?
I haven't had a chance to do it yet, but I will try at some point. What I will say is this is so wonderfully perfectly matte, it would be hard to compare (but who knows).
@@VinceVenturella well, since AK and AMMO MIg .. kind of the same root, i wonder about the result of both of them.
Do you still like the AK Ultra Matte?
Love it, use it all the time.
@@VinceVenturella Fantastic. Thanks!
Brilliant! Off to Amazon I go!
It's such a great product.
Stop making me spend money Vince! :P
After having mixed results with other varnishes I was about to head down the Testor's dullcote route but then saw this video and immediately ordered a bottle. Anything that means I don't have to deal with worrying about things like humidity, etc is a good thing in my book. :)
This stuff is really worth it, sorry about the additional money, but this is worth it for sure.
Agreed, my "things to get next" list keeps growing.
I just ordered it thanks!
Happy to help sir, you won't regret it.
Hi, great review! I was wondering, if I wanted to give it an extra coat of this varnish, how long should I wait before applying another?
I would give it about 30 minutes to dry.
you know these as well:
Lackspray Matt Varnish 400 Ml. Ak-1013 Ak Interactive?
I'll be honest, I haven't tried that one, I tend to stay away from Rattlecan primers, but I can't speak to the efficacy of this one.
I always hated dullcote... never got results I was happy with. I finally ordered some ultra matte directly from AK, and have been using it for months - it's almost idiot proof and does EXACTLY what you expect a matte varnish to do (minus bad experiences from other products). I've yet to try it neat straight out of the bottle (usually I thin it 1:1 or 2:1 thinner:varnish), but I've never had it cloud up, and have used multiple coats across several stages of painting. This stuff makes dealing with the glossiness of inks a non-issue. I also like mixing it with their satin varnish for different levels of specularity.
Yep, my experiences exactly, I might make a whole video about mixing varnishes as I do the same.
Thanks for this, the video was very helpful. Have you tried AK's 3rd generation varnishes? Wondering if they are an improvement, or just a reformulation better suited to the 3rd gen paints. Surprised how little info there is out there about the new varnishes!
I have not tried them, I tend to stick to the varnish here and the similar product from Mig, they just have the best results I've found.
Vince, sir, senpai, lol... You do not know the power you weild... I cannot find this in stock ANYWHERE on the internet. Lol. Every place is sold out. If anybody sees it, link in a reply please 🤭
I would place that more on it being a great product than anything I have to say. :) - That being said, it's worth picking up at your first opportunity for sure.