Sealing metallics

[Kalidane]

With the armour finished on a test model I'm starting to freak out about how to varish the model whilst retaining the cool properties of metallic paint. I'm worried a simple coat of gloss will make quite a big change and waste most of the effort of 2 dozen glazes.

Because it will hopefully being a gaming piece I do need to toughen it up, especially as brush on primer was used.

Is there any product or combination that will protect the metallics without altering them?

A couple of pics:

View attachment 5428

View attachment 5429

 

[freakinacage]

gloss then matte. the important thing with metallics especially is that there is no shine in the shadows

 

[Einion]

Do you have to seal (e.g. for handling protection)?

Einion

 

[Kalidane]

Saw it get dropped on carpet yesterday so yes to protection! Handling and drops seem to be the biggest risks.

Wouldn't gloss then targeted matte mean the reflectivity of the underlying metallic is not just changed but irrelevant? In this case, blues then gloss then thinly layed matte would create the illusion but differently to glazed metals.

A gamer mate who paints to a very high standard never varnishes and simply lives with the odd boo-boo. I'm starting to think that could be a plan

 

[kirara]

I was going to suggest spray matte then paint-on gloss over the metallic parts. It isn't a perfect match in my opinion (because gloss never looks to me like metal), but it does make the metallic paint shine again. Try a test swatch and see how various things work for you.

 

[Demihuman]

Your going to lose something no matter what. Just take some good pictures first I have tried the spray on matt (dull coat) then gone back with gloss thinned on brush to try and pick spots out and it worked ok pretty good. If you look in my pictures you can see the flamer alcolyte guy was done that way.

I think some more advance painters incorporate varnishes as they paint so, base coat then matt, mettalics then gloss.

Maybe someone with more experience then me will weigh in.

 

[Kalidane]

Luckily I've left the little fella at a mates place so plenty of time to ponder...

Photo-shoot before varnishing definitely the way to go.

While he's out visiting my mate I'll find some sprue to paint and experiment on. Between Future/Klear, Tamiya X-21 and various brush-ons there's bound combination that works okay

 

[Dragonsreach]

Cover as much of the metals as you can with BLUETAC, then spray the rest of the figure with Dullcoate (or equivalent).
Allow to dry. peel off Bluetac and re-use.