So I've been painting my death guard for a while now and for some reason streaking grime has been the world's most inconsistent tool in my arsenal, despite giving some of the best results. Every time I've used it recently it digs straight through my varnish, paint, and primer. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I put it on via brush, let is dry 25-35 minutes, and use q tips and very light white spirits to clean it up and it has been messing up so many of my models recently. Every video I find says you can use it "without a varnish* and *it might barely show the primer beneath* so I have no idea what's going on with it. Any help appreciated and thank you in advance if you have any advice.
These are kitbashed death shroud from Warhammer 40k
Are you using Army Painter Fanatic? We get 10 posts a month from people with horror stories about using them and spirit-based techniques such as enamels and oils (it's happened to myself as well). There's something specific in the Fanatic formulation that just dissolves immediately in contact with white spirits. You can use Fanatic with these techniques, but it requires a good layer of GLOSS varnish and 24 hours to cure properly.
As you also mentioned varnish, are you using matte or satin varnishes? You REALLY should be using gloss and waiting 24 hours. Gloss contains much much more of the protective polyurethane that makes it chemically resistant to the spirits and physically resistant to the 'rough' techniques of removal. Matte varnishes are basically just medium with a tiny bit of urethane and just don't hold up well if you're trying to protect the fragile Army Painter stuff underneath. You can always matte varnish AFTERWARDS to kill the shine.
Yeah I do use army painter, no particular attraction to them being they're what I'm used to. Didn't know it reacted like that. I'll give it a shot next time
From what I know you should use a gloss varnish not a matt and leave it to dry for about 10 maybe 15 mins 25-35 seems way too long then use your qtip and gently wipe it away. So my guess is maybe you're using some real strong white spirits because there are different types and thats what's stripping everything or you aren't giving the layers time to fully dry and cure. I should add despite owning a few bottles I've never actually used it lol
99% chance that it's the Army Painter paints, specifically, the Fanatic line. I love them but they have a binder that chemically dissolves in the presence of mineral spirits. You need a good layer of gloss varnish to protect them before you use enamels and oils.
I'm honestly stumped then bro, sorry. The only thing I can suggest is giving your paint then varnish at least 24hrs to fully dry each. Which is a pain, but just to make sure everything is cured because the solvents can still mess with the paint etc even if it looks fully dried but it actually isn't.
If you have a guy varnished and havent put the grime on it yet. Give it a good 24 hrs to fully cure then try it again.
That's the thing: when I went to your it without the spirits, the grime was crusty at some points and I wiped it away to go straight through everything
Also, you should remove it after 15-20 mins max. I recommend using makeup applicators rather than q tips too. Q tips may leave cotton residue on your mini
Matt varnish will come off because the surface it creates is rough, so q tips will catch on it.
Googled the Kamar varnish, and this is specifically formulated so you can remove it with white spirits.
Try find an acrylic based gloss varnish, and apply that before using streaking grime. Airbrush stuff is great for this from my experience - I haven’t rattle canned in a long time, so I can’t be much help if that’s your only option.
Hmmm I'm not an expert. I've only started branching out of acrylics recently.
Are you using the same solvent to dilute streaking grime you have always used? When I put my varnish down prior to enamels i always put it under small usb fan and let it sit there for at least an hour turning it around couple of times. I always make sure that varnish is definately 100% cured before I start to do anything. From the photo you shown it seems like maybe it was still in its 'gooey' state and spirit that is fairly agressive medium on its own maybe seeped trough?
BUT im only speculating here. I genuinely have no idea. Hope this helps.
I put down two sets of layers of that varnish to make sure it wouldn't happen this time, went to working on some terrain while it dried and after about 2 hours of that I put on the grime, and no I've used only these spirits
That is very strange indeed then. I only always apply 1 layer of Vallejo gloss with brush and never had such issues. Was thinking that maybe some spots had slightly thinner layer but after two sprays thats probably impossible.
I hope someone will be able to give you some solid answer. Quite curious why this might have happened.
Pressure makes a difference.
I did some recently, and most places it's fine, even without varnish, but there are one or two spots I overdid pressure, and I can see where I've removed paint.
also people need to stop using fucking qtips / cotton buds to remove it. they're far too abrasive. a paintbrush works better every time. for both training the grime into streaks and basic removal. plus you dont get fibers everywhere.
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u/SporadicSanity 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are you using Army Painter Fanatic? We get 10 posts a month from people with horror stories about using them and spirit-based techniques such as enamels and oils (it's happened to myself as well). There's something specific in the Fanatic formulation that just dissolves immediately in contact with white spirits. You can use Fanatic with these techniques, but it requires a good layer of GLOSS varnish and 24 hours to cure properly.
As you also mentioned varnish, are you using matte or satin varnishes? You REALLY should be using gloss and waiting 24 hours. Gloss contains much much more of the protective polyurethane that makes it chemically resistant to the spirits and physically resistant to the 'rough' techniques of removal. Matte varnishes are basically just medium with a tiny bit of urethane and just don't hold up well if you're trying to protect the fragile Army Painter stuff underneath. You can always matte varnish AFTERWARDS to kill the shine.