Hey guys,

I've been watching some videos on base layer painting, and noticed this

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/colour-modulation-part-1_-airbrushing-basecoats/blog/1/40

The painter mentions adding satin varnish to the paint - I haven't seen people do it, even though the video is 4 years old. How come? I think the final effect looks great, but maybe there are some better techniques/bad side effects of this?

Bumping this one up, since I want to know too!

i suppose he wants to give the paint a slight sheen to mimic the reflectance of painted metal.
So, a way to give surface definition is my bet

His modulation is pretty crazy though, lights and shadows all over the place :/

Hi
At 3:40 he mention that it gives a good contrast to other parts having a matt finish. However another advantage would be at the weathering stage, where pin washes and filters will be easier to control due to the satin finish. Also, when doing modulation it can be desirable to add somewhat transparent layers, which can be done with a highly diluted mixture, that can't be achieved by diluting with water, as you'll lose the adherence properties of the paint. Of course this is not limited to the satin varnish.

Erik