Filter advice needed please.

[Mr Bowcat]

Hi guys,

I bought a filter to use over German tri-camo. However I'm not sure if this should be used straight over the paint or if it needs sealing with varnish first?

If applied after varnish, should i use a gloss or Matt?

Cheers,

B

[stona]

That rather depends on the filter. I use oil paints to make my own filters and always apply over a gloss coat.
Cheers
Steve

[Mr Bowcat]

It's a Mig enamel filter, but i assume this would work over a gloss coat?

[Guest]

Filters should always be applied over a matt or semi matt coat, according to Mig Jimenez who is generally accounted as being the one who made filters popular.

The idea is that the filter is nothing more than tinted thinner. It's not made like a wash, the amount of paint is much less than that.
The reason for applying it to a matt surface is that the filter gets trapped in the microscopic pits of a matt surface.
With a glossy finish, the filter will spread out too much & act more like a very mild wash.

This link explains it more fully

http://missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw02.htm

HTH

[Guest]

It's a Mig enamel filter, but i assume this would work over a gloss coat?

Yeah, it will work over a gloss coat, but may behave more like a pin wash, finding raised detail to flow into. My advice would be to use really thin coats, after two or three, you'll start to see the effect - when I day thin coats, I mean brushed out, using a flat brush. I usually like to put filters over Matt varnish, or more often, straight onto the paint!

[Mr Bowcat]

Thanks for the advice gents.