I just got the Vallejo extra opaque charcoal, and it says that the extra opaques dry to a matte finish. I painted with it, and it's not matte, its gloss. Is this just a fluke, or am I missing something?
Did you properly clean your mini before painting it? Did you prime your mini? Did you thin your paint, and if so did you use a gloss medium?
Yes, I cleaned my mini. Yes, I primed it. As the OP says, I used the Vallejo extra opaque Charcoal which is supposed to be a matte paint. I painted my mini, and when it dried, it was gloss. Have I misread something about the extra opaques being matte, or is this just a fluke batch of paint?
I painted a mini with Vallejo extra opaque: Charcoal, which is supposed to be matte. It turned out to be gloss. Have I misread something about the extra opaques being matte, or is this just a fluke paint?
Your OP wasn't clear this was about minis, to people like me who have never bothered with minis ever. There is a forum, Arts and Crafts, specifically dedicated to topics like this. I now know this is about minis and have deleted my previous post, and have asked mods to move this to the appropriate forum. I cannot help on this topic at all, I am sorry.
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Your OP wasn't clear this was about minis, to people like me who have never bothered with minis ever. There is a forum, Arts and Crafts, specifically dedicated to topics like this. I now know this is about minis and have deleted my previous post, and have asked mods to move this to the appropriate forum. I cannot help on this topic at all, I am sorry.
I actually meant to put this in Arts and Crafts. I'm sorry, this is a screw-up on my part.
I updated my original reply with more info. However:
Properly cleaned with soap? (They use mold release products to help the minis pop out of the molds freely. Those are often oily and can affect finish. So if you don’t wash them with soap some of that will always stay on the mini.)
What primer did you use?
Did you shake the bejeepers out of the bottle to make sure it was mixed thoroughly? Something might have separated or settled.
Did you use any thinners or medium with the paint, or straight out of the bottle?
How many coats did you apply?
Keep in mind, matte isn’t going to be like chalkboard paint matte. And a 3d mini will always catch a little shine because of the texture. Is it “glossy” or just a got some shine where the light catches?
If you have any matte clear coat you can always knock back any shine with a coat of that.
I haven’t used Vallejo’s extra opaques, but even among matte paints there are different levels of matte. Vallejo’s model paints are typically a little more matte than their game paints for example.
Not sure if that'll help for reference, but the subject photos do look to be in the semi-gloss to satin in finish.
From what else I gleaned I think extra opaque is just about how rich or heavy the paint is. It's sort of like in house paints (something I currently know a lot more about than mini paint) where extra opaque is the equivalent of paints that are marketed as "one coat." Such paints are not necessarily flat or matte or glossy. So I don't think extra opaque is supposed to be selling you on matte or flat. Rather it's trying to sell you on less coating/work needed to get your desired finish (even though in other paints "one coats" are still seen as sort of bullshit, you'll have to do at least a second coat).
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Not sure if that'll help for reference, but the subject photos do look to be in the semi-gloss to satin in finish.
Nahh, that looks like matte to me. Again, minis catch light like that. Especially when photographed because of the lighting. That’s specifically why minis get done in matte, because satin, semigloss, and gloss throw off so much shine. Admittedly, every screen displays pics differently, but if that were actually gloss, the camera wouldn’t have been able to pick up the details on the minis, like the warts or the stitching, or the runes. Those would all just be shiny blurriness.
Absolutely every mini on this site is painted in matte paints because that’s all GW makes.:
From what else I gleaned I think extra opaque is just about how rich or heavy the paint is. It's sort of like in house paints (something I currently know a lot more about than mini paint) where extra opaque is the equivalent of paints that are marketed as "one coat." Such paints are not necessarily flat or matte or glossy. So I don't think extra opaque is supposed to be selling you on matte or flat. Rather it's trying to sell you on less coating/work needed to get your desired finish (even though in other paints "one coats" are still seen as sort of bullshit, you'll have to do at least a second coat).
Yes, the “extra opaque” is referring to the amount of pigment saturating the medium. After priming comes base coat, and then all of the detail coats. Since the models are 3d, and about an inch tall, if the paint layers up it hides the details. Normally ya need about two thin coats to get a solid color, but as 2 become 4 become 8, that starts to add up, even if they are thin. The extra opaque line is their version of Citadel’s base coat paints. If you need to paint 100 Orks, a high pigment base color means 100 base coats instead of 200 base coats. And for Gaz it means less chance of of scurrying the details.
From what I read (don't use these particular paints myself) Vallejo matte paints do come out matte, but need to be shaken pretty vigorously before each use and preferably with an agitator. They're good paints by all accounts, but if not mixed very thoroughly you're not going to get that matte effect.
That said, I lean on varnish more than on the paints to get a matte finish. Glossy varnish protects better, that's the general theory anyway, so I usually hit all minis with a coat of that first and then a couple of coats of matte to get the finish I want. If you want parts of the mini to be glossy and others to be matte, do the glossy followed by matte spray process as normal and then take a brush and apply glossy varnish from a pot on the parts you want to shine.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I updated my original reply with more info. However:
Properly cleaned with soap? (They use mold release products to help the minis pop out of the molds freely. Those are often oily and can affect finish. So if you don’t wash them with soap some of that will always stay on the mini.)
What primer did you use?
Did you shake the bejeepers out of the bottle to make sure it was mixed thoroughly? Something might have separated or settled.
Did you use any thinners or medium with the paint, or straight out of the bottle?
How many coats did you apply?
Keep in mind, matte isn’t going to be like chalkboard paint matte. And a 3d mini will always catch a little shine because of the texture. Is it “glossy” or just a got some shine where the light catches?
If you have any matte clear coat you can always knock back any shine with a coat of that.
The mini was one of the Nolzur's ones, I used it straight out of the box. I've done hundreds of Nolzur's and never had a problem, so I don't think it was the mini. The Charcoal was not the only extra opaque I used, and the other ones were perfectly matte. I didn't use any thinners or anything, and I only did one coat. I shook it, but I didn't shake the bejeepers out of it, which may be the problem. It wasn't even a semi-gloss, it was the shinies, glossiest, gloss I've seen
From what I read (don't use these particular paints myself) Vallejo matte paints do come out matte, but need to be shaken pretty vigorously before each use and preferably with an agitator. They're good paints by all accounts, but if not mixed very thoroughly you're not going to get that matte effect.
That said, I lean on varnish more than on the paints to get a matte finish. Glossy varnish protects better, that's the general theory anyway, so I usually hit all minis with a coat of that first and then a couple of coats of matte to get the finish I want. If you want parts of the mini to be glossy and others to be matte, do the glossy followed by matte spray process as normal and then take a brush and apply glossy varnish from a pot on the parts you want to shine.
Yeah, I'm beginning to think the problem might have been I didn't shake it enough. I shook it, just not a throughly as some people are reccomending.
I just got the Vallejo extra opaque charcoal, and it says that the extra opaques dry to a matte finish. I painted with it, and it's not matte, its gloss. Is this just a fluke, or am I missing something?
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Since D&D minis come prepainted, and not everyone who plays uses minis, here are some other places you might get better answers:
PS- Questions like this usually do better in the Arts & Crafts forum instead of General Discussion.
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Yes, I cleaned my mini. Yes, I primed it. As the OP says, I used the Vallejo extra opaque Charcoal which is supposed to be a matte paint. I painted my mini, and when it dried, it was gloss. Have I misread something about the extra opaques being matte, or is this just a fluke batch of paint?
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
I painted a mini with Vallejo extra opaque: Charcoal, which is supposed to be matte. It turned out to be gloss. Have I misread something about the extra opaques being matte, or is this just a fluke paint?
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
Your OP wasn't clear this was about minis, to people like me who have never bothered with minis ever. There is a forum, Arts and Crafts, specifically dedicated to topics like this. I now know this is about minis and have deleted my previous post, and have asked mods to move this to the appropriate forum. I cannot help on this topic at all, I am sorry.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
I actually meant to put this in Arts and Crafts. I'm sorry, this is a screw-up on my part.
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
I updated my original reply with more info. However:
Keep in mind, matte isn’t going to be like chalkboard paint matte. And a 3d mini will always catch a little shine because of the texture. Is it “glossy” or just a got some shine where the light catches?
If you have any matte clear coat you can always knock back any shine with a coat of that.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I haven’t used Vallejo’s extra opaques, but even among matte paints there are different levels of matte. Vallejo’s model paints are typically a little more matte than their game paints for example.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
So I got curious and found at least this review of someone using extra opaques:
https://dc23-mecharts.blogspot.com/2012/03/vallejo-game-color-extra-opaque-review.html
Not sure if that'll help for reference, but the subject photos do look to be in the semi-gloss to satin in finish.
From what else I gleaned I think extra opaque is just about how rich or heavy the paint is. It's sort of like in house paints (something I currently know a lot more about than mini paint) where extra opaque is the equivalent of paints that are marketed as "one coat." Such paints are not necessarily flat or matte or glossy. So I don't think extra opaque is supposed to be selling you on matte or flat. Rather it's trying to sell you on less coating/work needed to get your desired finish (even though in other paints "one coats" are still seen as sort of bullshit, you'll have to do at least a second coat).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Nahh, that looks like matte to me. Again, minis catch light like that. Especially when photographed because of the lighting. That’s specifically why minis get done in matte, because satin, semigloss, and gloss throw off so much shine. Admittedly, every screen displays pics differently, but if that were actually gloss, the camera wouldn’t have been able to pick up the details on the minis, like the warts or the stitching, or the runes. Those would all just be shiny blurriness.
Absolutely every mini on this site is painted in matte paints because that’s all GW makes.:
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Home?_requestid=12120580
Yes, the “extra opaque” is referring to the amount of pigment saturating the medium. After priming comes base coat, and then all of the detail coats. Since the models are 3d, and about an inch tall, if the paint layers up it hides the details. Normally ya need about two thin coats to get a solid color, but as 2 become 4 become 8, that starts to add up, even if they are thin. The extra opaque line is their version of Citadel’s base coat paints. If you need to paint 100 Orks, a high pigment base color means 100 base coats instead of 200 base coats. And for Gaz it means less chance of of scurrying the details.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
From what I read (don't use these particular paints myself) Vallejo matte paints do come out matte, but need to be shaken pretty vigorously before each use and preferably with an agitator. They're good paints by all accounts, but if not mixed very thoroughly you're not going to get that matte effect.
That said, I lean on varnish more than on the paints to get a matte finish. Glossy varnish protects better, that's the general theory anyway, so I usually hit all minis with a coat of that first and then a couple of coats of matte to get the finish I want. If you want parts of the mini to be glossy and others to be matte, do the glossy followed by matte spray process as normal and then take a brush and apply glossy varnish from a pot on the parts you want to shine.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
The mini was one of the Nolzur's ones, I used it straight out of the box. I've done hundreds of Nolzur's and never had a problem, so I don't think it was the mini. The Charcoal was not the only extra opaque I used, and the other ones were perfectly matte. I didn't use any thinners or anything, and I only did one coat. I shook it, but I didn't shake the bejeepers out of it, which may be the problem. It wasn't even a semi-gloss, it was the shinies, glossiest, gloss I've seen
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
Yeah, I'm beginning to think the problem might have been I didn't shake it enough. I shook it, just not a throughly as some people are reccomending.
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig