Question about thinned vallejo acrylics

planetFigure

Help Support planetFigure:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jviguers

Active Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
25
Location
NL
When I paint with thinned vallejo acrylics (highlight/shade), they become satin or glossy. Is it because of too many brush strokes? Or too much water? :confused:
 
...also do not work the paint(like one would do with oils) just apply and let it dry.
When you paint with acrilics my opinion there is not such a thing as too much water expecially towards the final shading of the figure.Danilo Cartacci's book is very good and i think that it would be a great help.
Roberto
 
4:1 is good when you Paint a base coat try somenting that resemble dirty water expecially for the shadow areas.sometimes the paint looks satin at the beginning (expecially reds and greens) but by the time you have finish should be matt
Roberto
 
Hi Jeff,

I agree with Roberto, don't work it, let it completely dry before repainting it. I read somewhere that adding a little Tamiya flat base to the mix helps too.

Denes
 
This is just another question, not a necessarily a suggestion. Would the Vallejo matt medium work to keep the shine away? I don't hear of people using it much, but was always curious. I'm an oil painter, but am interested in trying acrylics (have Cartacci's book on order).
 
Good thing is that you can mix andrea and valleyo togheter that matt down the paint considerebly
Roberto
 
Vallejo dries dead flat. Gloss is a result of not mixing the paint thoroughly enough. Shake it well and when you think you've shaken it enough, shake some more. Even while working on your palette and you've thinned it and are in the middle of painting, ocassionaly stir the paint up in the cup as the pigment separates quickly. Some of the colors need to be more thoroughly mixed than others and experience will show which ones. You can work this to your advantage when painting leather as personaly, I like a slight sheen to my leather bits to give them that oiled or finished look. Everything else....shake, shake, shake.
 
jviguers said:
When I paint with thinned vallejo acrylics (highlight/shade), they become satin or glossy. Is it because of too many brush strokes?
There can be a slight polishing effect sometimes with acrylic and vinyl paint when you apply numerous coats. But generally if you shake Vallejo well enough you shouldn't have a problem with the paint drying suitably matt.

jviguers said:
Or too much water?
That should definitely not be a problem: many painters dilute very heavily for some of the subtle layering (more like dirty water than thin paint, as already mentioned).


Brent Fordham said:
This is just another question, not a necessarily a suggestion. Would the Vallejo matt medium work to keep the shine away?
Should do, that's what it's intended to help with.

Einion
 
In using Vallejo acrylics, I find the following ratios to work:

Paint to distilled water:

Basecoating - 1:1 or 2:1
Highlighting - 1:5
Shadowing - 1:8
Toning Washes - 1:12
Outlining - 1:1 or 2:1
 
I personally don't like the Vallejo matt lacquer for what it is, it gives a satinish finish, I either use a thin wash of the colour over again if allowed or use Testors matt lacquer if needed.

Denes
 
Using heavily thinned colors and especially many layers , has the polishing result that Einion said before.

Personally i use the Valejos and get totally matt finish , except the parts that iuse many many wash like layers.

The slightly satin finish is not bad, but if you end with a glossy look there is a secure way i use manyyears now with 100% success.

I use the Valejo matt varnish in spray , i sprey in little cup and use it with the brush . It gives a perfectly matt finish in seconds. I never had a fail with this

Costas
 
Add a bit of magenta to every base color you make.If it is still clossy when you finish every figure put it near a hot place for a few days,and it will be as matt as you cannot imagine!(Or put your display case near a hot place).Cheers my friend
 
Cool info

Costas,
I am doing the Pegaso Centurion now, and am having a small case of the glossy finish.

I have some Vallejo matte spray, which I will be using now I sure it will work.

If you use it with no problems, I am sure I can too.

Cheers
 
For me the problem is only one. You need to shake the paint bottles a bit more. Apart from that try to avoid blues and reds by Vallejo(also black) and use Andrea instead. Valejo colours are best for earthy colours

Stephen Mallia
 
Janus be sure that before youuse the valejo matt varnish , anything that you will touch is finalised regarding painting , because paint doesnt grip nicely over varnish in case you forget to paint something
 
Back
Top