Model varnish for miniatures, and the metal varnish question

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How to choose

1. Varnish for use, not for looks. A display piece in a case may never need it. Anything handled, transported or played with does, and the more it is handled the more the decision matters.
2. Gloss first, matt last if you want both. Gloss varnish is the tougher and clearer coat; matt varnish knocks the shine back. Painters wanting durability and a flat finish apply gloss and then matt over it.
3. Beware matt varnish in cold damp air. Matt varnishes are the ones that go cloudy or frosted, and the cause is the same as chalky primer: cold, humid air. Warm conditions and light coats prevent it.
4. Mask what should stay shiny. Eyes, gems and wet effects lose their point under a matt coat. A small brush-applied gloss over those areas afterwards restores them.

What varnish protects against

The wear on a gaming miniature is mechanical: fingers on raised edges, models knocked together in a transport tray, and the constant pick-up and put-down of a game. Paint fails at exactly the places that make the model readable, so an unvarnished force develops bare metal or plastic at every helmet crest and weapon edge. Varnish adds a sacrificial layer that takes that abrasion instead. It does not make a model indestructible and it will not save paint that was applied over an unprimed surface, but for a properly primed and painted model it is the difference between years of use and a repaint.

Matt, satin and gloss, and why painters use more than one

Gloss varnish forms the hardest and clearest film, which makes it the best protection, but a glossy miniature reads badly under table lighting and hides the shading. Matt varnish contains a flattening agent that scatters light, giving the finish most painters want, at the cost of a slightly softer and less clear coat. Satin sits between them. The common professional approach is to use gloss for the protective layer and a light matt coat over it purely to control the sheen, which gives the durability of one and the appearance of the other.

Frosting, and metal miniatures

The failure everyone remembers is a matt varnish going white and cloudy over a finished army, and it is caused by humidity and cold rather than by a defective can. Spraying warm, dry and in light passes avoids it almost entirely, and testing on a spare model before committing a finished unit costs nothing. Metal miniatures are worth mentioning separately: they are heavier, chip more readily when they knock together, and benefit more from a hard gloss layer underneath the matt than plastic models do.

Common questions

Do I need to varnish miniatures?

If they are handled, played with or transported, yes. Display models in a case can go without, though varnish still protects against dust and the occasional accident.

Matt or gloss varnish for miniatures?

Gloss is tougher, matt looks right. Many painters apply gloss for protection and then a light matt coat over it to remove the shine.

Why did my varnish turn white?

Frosting, caused by spraying matt varnish in cold or humid air. Spray warm, dry and in light coats, and test on a spare model first.

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