Monday 9 September 2013

Frustrations of a Varnish Variety.

Bit of a Grrr post. I decided to take out some of my other miniatures to take some pics in the sun on Sunday. Not only where 95% of the pictures out of focus and unusable but I noticed some of figures where misted/frosted a bit. What is odd is I varnished these figures in October/November last year and where fine when first done but have gone misty in places grrr.

Pics taken last October and November.







Pics Taken yesterday

See Oakley shirt has appeared faded and the back of his left leg. You can't see it from this angle but the front is the same as well as his hand holding the Axe. Jess is the same the hair is almost white in places the hockey stick jumper and shotgun on her back.  Kitty in the middle isn't so bad theres a faint mist to her making her appear very matt.
After some requested Advice Oakley and Jess have no been stripped and are ready to be re-painted at som point.

Annoyingly the two latested Otherworld Dwarves I painted recently are showing it a little bit. Its not as bad on these two just slightly more matt than normal. I'm really hoping these don't get any worse as it would be crushing to strip and re-paint them as I think they are some of my best figures.

On a cheerier note heres some of the pics in the sun I took yesterday. All Erm 3 of them that turned out!




31 comments:

  1. Bummer!

    I've heard of varnish turning cloudy as it dries (if applied when the weather is very humid?), but I've never come across it doing so long after.

    The oft-quoted solution to milky varnish is to apply another layer when the weather is better. I don't know whether this works, mind - but it might be worth a quick experiment...

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    1. Yeah I'd heard of it doing it in humid conditions but not after such a long time.

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  2. before stripping them try respraying them with a gloss varnish when dry hit with a dullcoat.
    Peace James

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    1. It was brush on coat was fine when I did it last year and been stored in a box with some of my other stuff which is fine so it must just be a thick coat or something. There stripped now took out my anger with a tooth brush on them last night.

      I'll bear that in mind with the dwarves though.
      Thanks James :)

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  3. As someone who has experienced enough varnish problems I can sympathise. Like you I took out my frustration and stripped them and started again. It does get on your, er, 'toots' though, dunnit?

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  4. great colours, Simon.
    Accidents do happen sometime..

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    1. Yeah true indeed Going to change them in the repaint might even change Oakley (Ash) and add his chainsaw hand instead.

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  5. I dunno I'm thinking it was my old pot of varnish that I used as I replaced it around then but can't remember for sure. I'm gonna replace it again before I do any more as i don't trust what I have at the minute.

    I think it must of just been to thick

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  6. Before you consider doing anything too drastic, it may remedy the situation to brush over the figures with water, several times allowing the figure to dry thoroughly between washes.
    I've also always found many varnishes unnecessarily "thick" and I always water them down too before applying.

    Good luck finding a fix that doesn't involve the sole-destroying taks of stripping the figures.

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    1. nah stripped em. I don't think it would of worked its had a year to .

      Thanks for the suggestion I might give it a go on the dwarfs though.

      How did you get on with watering them down. I do it with paints but wasn't sure how varnish would react

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    2. I've always watered down varnishes (acrylics) and haven't applied varnish any other way.
      If I want a more durable finish I've used multiple coats.
      On old soft plastics I've used a coat of gloss followed by another of matt if I wanted a matt finish.

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    3. Thanks I'll give it a try on something i'm not bothered about perhaps a piece of terrain see what happen's.

      Cheers Z

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  7. That sucks. They are such good figures, and you did a great job the first time, shame to have to redo the work. That would be a motivation killer for me.

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  8. That's horrible try a different varnish.

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    1. Thanks Robert, I'll get a new bottle not had a problem with the two previously I think it must the way its aged.

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  9. I must admit varnishing is one of those things that makes me twitch... you've spent ages getting the paintjob spot, on then varnish, and stuff it all up in one fell swoop...

    I used to use spray on 'matt' varnish GW purity seal, but got mixed results - frosting, grrr!

    I switched to a brush on derivan mattisse, but this only worked for a half the tin then stopped being matt! Finally I found Vallejos brush on acrylic matt - perfect - but now I hear this has been discontinued and has been replaced by a polyurethane matt... I am loath to switch to a new product when the one I was using works... but I may be forced to...

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    1. Yeah I've never had a problem with it before until now. It Sucks. I've had good results consistently so have kept with the same process. I will still use it perhaps watering it down first.

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  10. Sorry to hear that you got trubble with varnishing...
    Thats why i never ever use it...

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    1. Thanks, do you not. My paint wears off quite easy I've found so found it a necessity

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  11. Sorry to hear of the varnish troubles, Simon. I use a light dusting with krylon crystal clear. I have also used krylon workable fixative. Both are sprays and found in Art stores here in the states. I have yet to have frosting issues, and they are a popular sealant for artwork....at least with myself and other Kendall graduates! ;)
    I like your police officers, they look grand!

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    1. I've not tried spray varnish tbh. I don't really paint in a high enough volume of figs I usually finished a fig let it dry for a few days then varnish it.

      One of them things I suppose will have to just replace the varnish. I've no idea of the age tbh I just know its my second pot. Time passes so quick lol

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  12. Varnish can be a real pain in the arse. Especially spray varnish which seems to have a mind of it's own. But unvarnished figures tend, in my hands, to get chipped and scratched easily.

    Sometimes parts of this hobby suck!

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    1. Indeed they do I think the worst part is its like the final stage that screws the lot up.

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  13. Sorry to have heard about these troubles Simon. I am one of the few who seems to find GW Purity Seal spray to be a could solution, and even if I am varnishing just one mini I will use it.

    Just out of curiosity, where were they stored, and what were they stored in?

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  14. Just store in one of my butter tubs but with a dozen other figs I painted a year before these. They are all varnished as well but are all fine go figure?

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  15. That's strange about the varnish, never heard of that happening before. Cool figures though, I do like those police :D

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    1. I'd heard of it with spray varnish's but never brush on and never after such a long time. really odd.

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  16. Geez mate thats a heart breaker but you could of washed olive oil over it and I think that this can remove the cloudiness.

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