humbrol gloss cote + airbrush = matt finish

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

how do i use gloss coat through an airbrush when i try it just stays matt not glossy at all

2

It sounds as if

  1. you may be spraying from too far a distance to the subject or at too high a pressure and it’s drying in the air before it reaches the subject or;
  2. you’re not applying a sufficiently “wet” coat and you’re not attaining sufficient coverage for the gloss coat to form a uniform film of paint.

Grab a test subject (can be anything from an old kit to an empty drink bottle or other scrap) and apply a slightly heavier coat and see if it makes a difference.

3

it isnt number 2 but could be number 1 as i have the pressure high il try dropping the psi.

thanks for the advice

4

Something else you can do is hold the subject at an angle to your light source and watch the reflection from the paint/clear as it hits the surface. That can often help tell you how much paint is actually “arriving” on the model’s surface.

I do this all the time with difficult to judge colours like whites and clears. [8-|]

PS: What are you thinning it with? Humbrol recommends lacquer thinner for Gloss Cote. If you’re using something else, it may not be compatible and giving you an undesired result.

5

i worked the angle it toward the light trick out myself for that very reason lol

er i havnt thinned it at all i thought it would dull it if i did

6

There is a tendency when airbrushing to put on too thin a coat. A gloss finish must go down wet (thcker coat). The wetter the coat, the glossier it will look when dry.

For a really glossy finish, as on an automobile, it is a game of brinkmanship. You put it down thicker and thicker until about two seconds before it runs :slight_smile: How do you know just before it runs? Experience. Practice gloss coatings on scrap plastic to get the hang of it, and see how it looks just before it runs.