Do Gloss and Flat Coats Lighten or Darken

[Blain]

I am trying to determine how much to fade the exterior of finish of a model I am working on. I have read where gloss coats darkens the finish. Does it stay that way once a flat coat is applied, or does it get lighter. How much of this is perception and how much of it is real? It would seem that a glossy finish would reflect more light. I know I probably opened a can of worms, but would appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

[peebeep]

If your paint job has been done with matt paint a gloss varnish coat will darken the colours. This is more noticeable with dark colours and less noticeable with light colours. If the paints you use are satin, then a varnish overcoat will not darken them so much and may not give you any visible change at all. There are a couple of ways round this:-

1. Don't use matt paints.

2. Use a filter colour in the varnish coats.

If there is no option other than matt paint, you can adjust the final sheen by adding varnish to the paint before application. Even a small amount of gloss added to matt paint will take the edge off of how matt it would normally be and will reduce if not eliminate any darkening caused by over-coating. Of course it is much more straightforward to use gloss paint in the first instance.

If using a filter in the varnish, try using white or very light grey in tiny amounts and use several coats. You won't get the full effect until the varnish has dried out, so you need to be very careful as it is easy to use too much lightening effect. It is a technique that needs a bit of practice to get right.

peebeep

[Chuck1945]

Some types of gloss coats will darken the finish. I remember doing a model many years ago and when ready to decal, just brush painted MicroGloss in the areas where the decals were to be applied. There was quite a difference and a flat coat didnt even everything out. After that I always tried to cover the entire model with gloss.

However, I now use Future as my gloss coat. I spray it on but dont try to get a uniform smooth glossy finish overall, but concentrate more where the decals will be placed. For instance, the undersides of the wings will get more attention on the outboard portions where the national insignea will be located, and, while I will spray the rest of the wing, it wont be a very even coat. When decals are on and dry, and after the flat coat is applied, I cant tell any difference.

[Blain]

My typical procedure is to use xtracrylics paints. which has a glossy sheen, then a dark wash, then future, then decal, then a flat coat. The dark wash probably has more of an impact. I'm trying to determine how much I need to dilute the base color with white when applying to a pre shaded model. I know there is a lot of opinions regarding pre shading. I guess here is where the art of modeling comes into play. I am thinking I will try 15% dilution for an F-16 and 20% for a Super Hornet. Hopefully I won't have to reshoot.

[pigsty]

Any clear coat will darken the finish. The reason is that it absorbs some light, leaving less to come to your eyes. (The same principle applies to wet objects.) Gloss finishes shine because of the smooth surface, not because they manage to dig light out of somewhere and emit it - even they darken the colours. No clear coat can reverse this, so to lighten colours again, you need to add lighter colours, as others have suggested.