Thank you so much for this 11 year old video! I made my 12 hour painted mini have "frosting". I really consider re-painting it but thanks to you I don't have to. This method is really working! Thanks again man! you earn a sub
I just spent a week painting a paladin with a lot of tiny details only to brutally ruin it with the frosting. This tip worked like a charm. I am so happy I can not skip leaving a thank you. Big thanks!
This has happened to me in the past and i ended up repainting the mini, now thanks to your info if it happens again i know what to try. Keep up the good work Chris.
Thanks PaintingClinic. You just saved my first 3 minis. The first two got a nasty layer of frost and on my third I applied a gloss varnish which I hated the result of. Sprayed a new coat sealant over all 3 of them and let them "bake" in the sun for 30 min. Now they all got that great matt look to them.
Thank you! You really saved few minis I tried to varnish for the first time P.S. used Monotorum Varnish from citadel and frosting wasn’t as strong as I saw in some photos, but still
I am going to try this! I know the issues is the humidity because I live in Florida where it's either roasting hot, super humid or a nasty mix of both!
Thanks for publishing this! I just thought I'd screwed up and was going to live with it and thought the only fix for this was something far more drastic.
Thanks so much for making my day. I was devastated after having ruined 5 carefully painted minis by fogging them with the varnish. Now they are okay again and I don't have to do them again from scratch! Three cheers for you!
Incandescent bulbs are a bit expensive and hard to get hold of nowadays. So I was wondering if a few minutes under a hand held hair dryer will have the same effect?
Hey! Thx for this tip. I only got some infinity models, and I know that I will have to use varnish on them, but I am so afraid that it will ruin the entire paint job...
So, okay--I picked up some Army Painter matte varnish finish. Previously I was using lusterless flat (that you show in this video) and never had any trouble. I wanted to try out this new stuff because I've been experimenting with their strong tone dip (I did two test models at 28mm) and with the lusterless flat stuff, it turned out fine. Tonight, I took a batch of about 11 minis that had just finished drying over 24 hours (doing the same thing I did with the lusterless flat), I sprayed them with the Army Painter varnish. And well... now I have bubbling. I've never seen this before (I've varnished about a hundred minis without fail). It looks like someone pixelated the models or made pick marks in them. Will this technique still work? If I recoat them will that pixelating go away and will it smooth the models out?
I tried this with Purity Seal. I had a bit frosting in a flames of war 88 gun. After more then 24 hours I sprayed it again (because of this video). It had even more frosting! The i found something in a forum. Gloss varnish! I tried it and.... it removed the frosting nearly completly.
Varnished my first model with Army Painter "anti-shine" matte varnish and ended up with high gloss and loss of maybe 50% of my highlights. Really bummed out. Temp outside in Seattle was maybe 48 F. Temp indoors was 70F. Really don't want to ever varnish another model again. Is the lamp enough to solve the problem, or should I switch to another varnish product?
Annoying when this happens. Tried the olive oil and it works! Thanks for the tip. Frosting was caused on my models by damp I think, will have to be careful with that in the future
I had batch of lizardmen I sprayed...looked good then later I noticed some got spots..as if laquer spit on them ... I an guessing this might fix them. What caused spots in ur opinion? I never noticed can fail to spray right and never had this occur b4.
Hello. I've bought a tube of Vallejo Matt Varnish, and I didn't notice that in on the back it suggests using it in an airbrush. I don't own one, and now my question is if it's possible to apply this with a brush. Perhaps it needs to be thinned in some way. I am painting noob, any advice is much appriciated. Thanks in advance.
Have you ever had a polyurethane matte sealer not dry? I had one model that I sprayed where it remained slightly tacky...even a month later. My usual method is put the spray can in a sink with warm water and let it warm up for a few minutes. Shake for two minutes and then spray. It kind of vexed me as this is a name brand that I have used for years without incident.
Question to anyone who sees this. I applied too much varnish on my miniatures with the GW satin varnish (it was my first time doing it), so it frosted a lot on the top. Is it really the case where applying MORE varnish actually helps? I have watched the video, but I'm a little nervous to try it.
If I had this happen with gloss varnish, will the frosting go away if I do a matte one after? I hadn't done this for 3 years and didn't review and applied too much spray. It created bubbles and frosting in the cape of my wizard. The directions want me to let dry for 30 min and either apply another coat then till 2 hours or after 48 hours. Something magic must happen in that window lol. I remember last time I did this, I thought I ruined everything after the gloss, and then the matte made them look pretty decent. Maybe I was just getting rid of frosting?
Happened to me for the first time today, when I tried glossy varnish (brush on) from ak for the first time. I wanted to do double varnishing with glossy and then ultra matte. Got a lot of frosting, which never happened when only using matte varnish. Maybe it’s the different consistency of the gloss varnish (the ultra matte is like water, the gloss more like acrylic paint), maybe I put on too much, not sure. :(
Thanks for this - and all your other! - good videos! Two questions: 1) Do you have any recommendations for good spray varnishes? (I can't find the model master laquer you used in the video). Both matt and gloss. 2) What good "varnish practice" would you recommend for getting properly protected and matt miniatures (for rpg/wargame gaming). I mean do you apply a gloss varnish first, and then a matt afterwards, and how many total do you recommend?
i always use Testors, so that is what I recommend. Two light coats is enough. Gloss then matt give more protection, but starts getting to thick and obvious to me.
Thanks for the video and help for newbies just getting started. I'm doing some Blood Bowl minis right now. You suggest doing two coats of the matt varnish, no gloss?
I am using Vallejo and andrea matt varnish and I noticed that most of the time it result in a satin or gloss effect. Any tips or insight to what cause that? Much appreciated. Thanks.
ThePaintingClinic Thanks. Another question: I use Testor dullcote lacquer and sometimes it removes small patches of paint on the figure. Do you know why? Thanks again, sir.
Is there a way to varnish a model without obscuring detail at all or changing the amount of shine? also, should you water down paint on varnish? (specifically Citadel 'Ardcoat and Army painter anti-shine matt varnish)
project1029 Not really. Some make "clear" sprays, but they will still affect the finish. You likely shouldn't thin them as that would dilute the strength, but I have not used those specific ones. If you must, then maybe go with two coats.
i have a question. i used vallejo matte varnish premium color on resin, the weather was around 14 C and the humidty level 47% .. i sprayed indoor with the window opened, the varnish kinda got peeled off and chipped quickly even though i have sealed it three times, what do u think is the problem or the causes of that?
+Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic thank you for ur answer! it wasnt painted though.. it was previously painted and cleaned by winsor and newton brush cleaner and restorer and then washed with dishes soap. however i tested it on samples that werent painted before and it didnt peel off , just scratches kinda fast
i have painted my friends minis but it is now decemeber in ND. would it be better to wait till spring to varnish as its far too cold and no ventilation indoors? whats the risk of paint removing from normal use over 3-4 months
I meticulously painted 100 goblins, lined them up and proceeded to drown them in varnish. It turned all ONE HUNDRED GOBLINS shiny and grainy(had to double check that i was using matte!). Months of hard work ruined. I will be trying this trick out, will update with results.
Not to be a negative nancy, but this absolutely did not work for me. I am new to painting and painted a few minis and actually thought they looked decent, just to have them ruined by a stupid spray can of varnish. I did everything the can said, yet it frosted horribly. I spent hours looking for remedies and came across this method, as well as the olive oil one. I did both multiple times and they do absolutely nothing. If anything, they got worse from reapplying the varnish.
Frosting is due to moisture in the air. Sometimes you can just recoat and when the varnish reactivates the previous layer it releases the moisture that is trapped. This can sometimes happen also if too far away and bubbles of air being trapped due to the varnish partially drying before it hits the model. This effect also happens in wood working which is where I learned to finish things. You need to be in a warm dry climate to varnish in. Here is an article on how to correct it on a wood surface some of this may help to correct but not sure how they would react to mini's with acrylic paint. homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-milky-finish-wood-47528.html I would advise using an airbrush in the house to apply your varnishes and multiple thin coats. One last piece of advice if you want some real protection go with two thin coats of each gloss, satin, matt. The gloss coat will give you the best protection and then the satin and matte combo will take the gloss away while providing some additional protection.
I've added link to this tutorial in my article about miniature varnishing - alkony.enerla.net/english/the-nexus/miniatures-nexus/miniature-hobby/miniatures-how-to-use-varnish-on-miniatures-miniature-hobby-guide
I just sprayed a whole anglo-saxon army on a humid day and they all got frosted over. I spent the whole day re-washing and re-highlighting them so I wouldn't have to see them so messed up; and then I found this video the next day :(
I live in a pretty swampy area too up north, I seem to do pretty well. You don't have to do it outside if the local humidity is that bad. Get a dehumidifier and do it in a well ventilated dehumidified room or garage. (Garage is best)
I would rather use Gloss Varnish which does not cloud and has the best paint color vibrancy retention as well as providing the best protection than use Satin or Matte which always changes for the worse the color vibrancy especially metallics and provides the least amount of protection.
I highly doubt the validity of that technique. Blushing of Lacquer happens when there is moisture trapped under the surface/in the topcoat, oil doesn't seem to compute :) It may work as a retardant but still, proper technique solves 99.9% of these issues.
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you so much for this 11 year old video! I made my 12 hour painted mini have "frosting". I really consider re-painting it but thanks to you I don't have to. This method is really working! Thanks again man! you earn a sub
I just spent a week painting a paladin with a lot of tiny details only to brutally ruin it with the frosting. This tip worked like a charm. I am so happy I can not skip leaving a thank you. Big thanks!
i just did the same. fingers crossed re varnishing it will work for me too
This has happened to me in the past and i ended up repainting the mini, now thanks to your info if it happens again i know what to try. Keep up the good work Chris.
Thanks PaintingClinic. You just saved my first 3 minis. The first two got a nasty layer of frost and on my third I applied a gloss varnish which I hated the result of. Sprayed a new coat sealant over all 3 of them and let them "bake" in the sun for 30 min. Now they all got that great matt look to them.
Thank you!
You really saved few minis I tried to varnish for the first time
P.S. used Monotorum Varnish from citadel and frosting wasn’t as strong as I saw in some photos, but still
I am going to try this! I know the issues is the humidity because I live in Florida where it's either roasting hot, super humid or a nasty mix of both!
thank you thank you thank you! Dealing with high humidity here, the drying has been a pain, even inside in AC
Thanks for publishing this! I just thought I'd screwed up and was going to live with it and thought the only fix for this was something far more drastic.
I put all my varnished piece in front of a fan and the results so far have been great!
Thanks so much for making my day. I was devastated after having ruined 5 carefully painted minis by fogging them with the varnish. Now they are okay again and I don't have to do them again from scratch! Three cheers for you!
Guys, i just tried to paint Lahmian Medium over frosting. It works amazing for me, give it a try.
Just don't eat the cake afterwards!
Hummel Black did you stir it with water?
seems to work quite well, thanks!!!
This is actually genius, thank you so much, you've saved quite a few of my minis.
Easier to find lacquer based sprays. I haven't compared the two, but I would think lacquer would be tougher.
Lol just made the rookie mistake and frosted my mini 😂
Always great to get back to basics.
Great video 👍
Incandescent bulbs are a bit expensive and hard to get hold of nowadays. So I was wondering if a few minutes under a hand held hair dryer will have the same effect?
Hey! Thx for this tip.
I only got some infinity models, and I know that I will have to use varnish on them, but I am so afraid that it will ruin the entire paint job...
Let me know how that works out.
So, okay--I picked up some Army Painter matte varnish finish. Previously I was using lusterless flat (that you show in this video) and never had any trouble. I wanted to try out this new stuff because I've been experimenting with their strong tone dip (I did two test models at 28mm) and with the lusterless flat stuff, it turned out fine. Tonight, I took a batch of about 11 minis that had just finished drying over 24 hours (doing the same thing I did with the lusterless flat), I sprayed them with the Army Painter varnish. And well... now I have bubbling. I've never seen this before (I've varnished about a hundred minis without fail). It looks like someone pixelated the models or made pick marks in them. Will this technique still work? If I recoat them will that pixelating go away and will it smooth the models out?
Thomas Verenna That has to do with a reaction with the dip. It has nothing to do with frosting, so no.
Heard of that only with poly-vinyl models and lacquer varnish.
I tried this with Purity Seal. I had a bit frosting in a flames of war 88 gun. After more then 24 hours I sprayed it again (because of this video). It had even more frosting! The i found something in a forum. Gloss varnish! I tried it and.... it removed the frosting nearly completly.
Karolus 84 thanks for the info. Purity seal is exactly what I had this problem with. You're saving me from adding to the problem.
Your welcome :)
I've heard you can remove frosting using olive oil? Have you heard about that as well?
What about if Acrylic Matte Varnish frosts?
Never heard of that. I don't use much acrylic varnish and never had frosting happen with it.
Varnished my first model with Army Painter "anti-shine" matte varnish and ended up with high gloss and loss of maybe 50% of my highlights. Really bummed out. Temp outside in Seattle was maybe 48 F. Temp indoors was 70F. Really don't want to ever varnish another model again. Is the lamp enough to solve the problem, or should I switch to another varnish product?
Annoying when this happens. Tried the olive oil and it works! Thanks for the tip. Frosting was caused on my models by damp I think, will have to be careful with that in the future
would this work with a hairdrier?
I've got small bubbles that dried from a gloss brush on varnish, is there anything I can do to remove them now that they've dried?
Thanks for the Tip, I hope it will rescue my miniature.
I had batch of lizardmen I sprayed...looked good then later I noticed some got spots..as if laquer spit on them ... I an guessing this might fix them. What caused spots in ur opinion? I never noticed can fail to spray right and never had this occur b4.
Hello. I've bought a tube of Vallejo Matt Varnish, and I didn't notice that in on the back it suggests using it in an airbrush. I don't own one, and now my question is if it's possible to apply this with a brush. Perhaps it needs to be thinned in some way. I am painting noob, any advice is much appriciated. Thanks in advance.
I use that exact varnish and apply it with a brush. I usually dilute it with clean water first and brush it on in two quick, light layers.
nice video what varnish is that?
Have you ever had a polyurethane matte sealer not dry? I had one model that I sprayed where it remained slightly tacky...even a month later. My usual method is put the spray can in a sink with warm water and let it warm up for a few minutes. Shake for two minutes and then spray. It kind of vexed me as this is a name brand that I have used for years without incident.
Question to anyone who sees this. I applied too much varnish on my miniatures with the GW satin varnish (it was my first time doing it), so it frosted a lot on the top. Is it really the case where applying MORE varnish actually helps? I have watched the video, but I'm a little nervous to try it.
Sounds like a different issue. Maybe a clogged nozzle. Not sure how to fix that.
If I had this happen with gloss varnish, will the frosting go away if I do a matte one after? I hadn't done this for 3 years and didn't review and applied too much spray. It created bubbles and frosting in the cape of my wizard. The directions want me to let dry for 30 min and either apply another coat then till 2 hours or after 48 hours. Something magic must happen in that window lol.
I remember last time I did this, I thought I ruined everything after the gloss, and then the matte made them look pretty decent. Maybe I was just getting rid of frosting?
Is there a particular reason to use lacquer base varnish instead of acrylic?
Will putting it on low heat in the oven work also?
How do you clean your airbrush after using future wax? Ammonia?
Purple Power. It's best to break it down afterwards.
You want an example? My hobbies have collided! I'm painting in a room with 300 gallons of aquariums!
Well bugger me, this totally works! Thanks man!
Supposedly it works on Acrylic Matt Varnish, just by rubbing on some olive oil, the frosting goes away. Not sure why, but it seems to work.
Happened to me for the first time today, when I tried glossy varnish (brush on) from ak for the first time. I wanted to do double varnishing with glossy and then ultra matte. Got a lot of frosting, which never happened when only using matte varnish. Maybe it’s the different consistency of the gloss varnish (the ultra matte is like water, the gloss more like acrylic paint), maybe I put on too much, not sure. :(
Sooo humidity is bad? It's like 80% humidity here every day in New Orleans.
cheers for this video. Explains alot and is very helpful. Thanks for this video. 😆😆😆
Thanks for this - and all your other! - good videos! Two questions:
1) Do you have any recommendations for good spray varnishes? (I can't find the model master laquer you used in the video). Both matt and gloss.
2) What good "varnish practice" would you recommend for getting properly protected and matt miniatures (for rpg/wargame gaming). I mean do you apply a gloss varnish first, and then a matt afterwards, and how many total do you recommend?
i always use Testors, so that is what I recommend. Two light coats is enough. Gloss then matt give more protection, but starts getting to thick and obvious to me.
Thanks for the video and help for newbies just getting started. I'm doing some Blood Bowl minis right now. You suggest doing two coats of the matt varnish, no gloss?
I am using Vallejo and andrea matt varnish and I noticed that most of the time it result in a satin or gloss effect.
Any tips or insight to what cause that?
Much appreciated.
Thanks.
Best guess is you're not shaking it enough or you're applying it when it's too cold and/or humid. Either that or it's just a crappy brand of matt.
ThePaintingClinic Thanks.
Another question: I use Testor dullcote lacquer and sometimes it removes small patches of paint on the figure.
Do you know why?
Thanks again, sir.
*****
That shouldn't happen unless you're using it over enamel or lacquer paint and touching it before fully dry.
ThePaintingClinic If I am not going to manipulate or game with the min,i is
it really important or necessary that I varnish miniature?
Thanks a lot.
*****
No. But it also depends on if it's too glossy from an ink wash or whatnot.
Is there a way to varnish a model without obscuring detail at all or changing the amount of shine? also, should you water down paint on varnish? (specifically Citadel 'Ardcoat and Army painter anti-shine matt varnish)
project1029 Not really. Some make "clear" sprays, but they will still affect the finish. You likely shouldn't thin them as that would dilute the strength, but I have not used those specific ones. If you must, then maybe go with two coats.
OMG, thank you so very much. It worked like a charm.
It's happening to me in a warm garage. How do i fix that?
i have a question. i used vallejo matte varnish premium color on resin, the weather was around 14 C and the humidty level 47% .. i sprayed indoor with the window opened, the varnish kinda got peeled off and chipped quickly even though i have sealed it three times, what do u think is the problem or the causes of that?
+Steven rawr Best guess is it's more an issue with what is underneath. Problem with the material, paint, or primer, etc.
+Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic thank you for ur answer! it wasnt painted though.. it was previously painted and cleaned by winsor and newton brush cleaner and restorer and then washed with dishes soap. however i tested it on samples that werent painted before and it didnt peel off , just scratches kinda fast
i have painted my friends minis but it is now decemeber in ND. would it be better to wait till spring to varnish as its far too cold and no ventilation indoors? whats the risk of paint removing from normal use over 3-4 months
oh and its for a board game. specter ops.
+JohnsonNavinR25 Just spray them outside and then bring them inside to the warmth. Make sure the can is at room temp.
I meticulously painted 100 goblins, lined them up and proceeded to drown them in varnish. It turned all ONE HUNDRED GOBLINS shiny and grainy(had to double check that i was using matte!). Months of hard work ruined. I will be trying this trick out, will update with results.
I used coat d'arms matt varnish, and I couldnt remove the frosting doing what you said :(
thank u, you are the master
Should i gloss first, and then matt varnish?
Some people do believing it gives better protection. I don't because while thin, those layers do build up and you start to lose details and contrast.
Okay, it seems people who advocate doing it, do so because they are varnishing models for wargaming. I might try both my self, to see what i prefer :)
It is a good idea for wargaming models
If you spray, make sure it is 60-80F,
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you so much!
Not to be a negative nancy, but this absolutely did not work for me. I am new to painting and painted a few minis and actually thought they looked decent, just to have them ruined by a stupid spray can of varnish. I did everything the can said, yet it frosted horribly. I spent hours looking for remedies and came across this method, as well as the olive oil one. I did both multiple times and they do absolutely nothing. If anything, they got worse from reapplying the varnish.
Frosting is due to moisture in the air. Sometimes you can just recoat and when the varnish reactivates the previous layer it releases the moisture that is trapped. This can sometimes happen also if too far away and bubbles of air being trapped due to the varnish partially drying before it hits the model. This effect also happens in wood working which is where I learned to finish things. You need to be in a warm dry climate to varnish in. Here is an article on how to correct it on a wood surface some of this may help to correct but not sure how they would react to mini's with acrylic paint. homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-milky-finish-wood-47528.html I would advise using an airbrush in the house to apply your varnishes and multiple thin coats. One last piece of advice if you want some real protection go with two thin coats of each gloss, satin, matt. The gloss coat will give you the best protection and then the satin and matte combo will take the gloss away while providing some additional protection.
Thanks!
You are a saint
Best advice ever. I thought I ruined an imperial knight. Thank you.
Doesn't worked at all on my minis :(
Testors Lusterless Flat
But yeah what if the humidity is too high?
RobertsofRome Then do exactly what I said in the video. Spray and warm it with a light.
I've added link to this tutorial in my article about miniature varnishing - alkony.enerla.net/english/the-nexus/miniatures-nexus/miniature-hobby/miniatures-how-to-use-varnish-on-miniatures-miniature-hobby-guide
I just sprayed a whole anglo-saxon army on a humid day and they all got frosted over. I spent the whole day re-washing and re-highlighting them so I wouldn't have to see them so messed up; and then I found this video the next day :(
I guess It’s gonna be hard to avoid frosting considering I live in Florida, a swamp state.
I live in a pretty swampy area too up north, I seem to do pretty well. You don't have to do it outside if the local humidity is that bad. Get a dehumidifier and do it in a well ventilated dehumidified room or garage. (Garage is best)
I would rather use Gloss Varnish which does not cloud and has the best paint color vibrancy retention as well as providing the best protection than use Satin or Matte which always changes for the worse the color vibrancy especially metallics and provides the least amount of protection.
Title the video "How to Varnish Miniatures".....doesn't show how to varnish miniatures in the video.
I highly doubt the validity of that technique. Blushing of Lacquer happens when there is moisture trapped under the surface/in the topcoat, oil doesn't seem to compute :) It may work as a retardant but still, proper technique solves 99.9% of these issues.
I just ruined some immortals. I hope this trick will help.
Sorry to point out, but in this how to varnish video you actually didn't varnish anything :-)
This is why spray varnish is pain in the ass, ruined my minis for good
What temp would you consider to be "cold" outside?
+Michael R I'm in So Cal, so below 75 is freezing for us.
Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic
Haha. Here in Germany it's around 55 in the evenings now. Varnish dried just fine (Vallejo matt).