# Paint



## Marve (May 12, 2017)

I need some good advises about Paints. When do I use gloss enamel ? If I want to have a Clear gloss cote, shall I use a gloss or matt Paint under ? Are all acrylics matt ?


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

First, what are you going to paint?? Is it made of resin or poly styrene??


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Marve said:


> I need some good advises about Paints. When do I use gloss enamel ?


Regardless of whether the paint is enamel or acrylic, you want to use gloss/semi-gloss/satin/matte/flat in order to achieve the finish you want--shiny, dull, somewhere in between, etc.. 



Marve said:


> If I want to have a Clear gloss cote, shall I use a gloss or matt Paint under ?


Gloss. Matte/flat paints have that dull appearance because they actually dry with a rough surface; at a microscopic level, the difference is like comparing glass (gloss) to sandpaper (matte/flat). In order to get a shiny/gloss appearance out of matte/flat paint, you would have to either sand it with very fine sandpaper to get a nice smooth surface, or use enough glosscote to level it out (which, in my experience, requires several coats).

This is also the reason decals must be applied to a glossy surface. If/when you apply decals to a matte/flat surface, microscopic gaps between the paint and the decal makes the carrier film (the transparent part of the decal) visible with a "cloudy" appearance known among modelers as "silvering".



Marve said:


> Are all acrylics matt ?


No, they aren't. But in my experience enamel paints have a slightly glossier surface when they dry/cure.


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## Marve (May 12, 2017)

Thanks, Zombie_61. I want to paint model car bodys (plastic/resin). Will a surface painted With a gloss enamel + a Clear gloss cote be more shiny than a matte acryl + a Clear gloss cote ?


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Marve said:


> Thanks, Zombie_61. I want to paint model car bodys (plastic/resin). Will a surface painted With a gloss enamel + a Clear gloss cote be more shiny than a matte acryl + a Clear gloss cote ?


Clear glosscote over gloss paint will almost always be shinier than glosscote over matte/flat paint.

If you're going to use acrylic paint, be sure to wash and primer the styrene/resin parts first. Enamel paints are solvent based, and the solvent tends to "bite" into the surface of the styrene/resin, so it bonds better. Acrylic paints are usually water based and don't bond to the styrene/resin as well.


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## Marve (May 12, 2017)

Good to know that. But which Clear cote do you prefer? Is Zero Paint 2 pack Gloss Clear cote (With hardener) a good one?


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

There are probably better clear coats available, but I've always used Testors Glosscote and Dullcote in the aerosol cans because I don't own an airbrush. I had never heard of Zero Paints before reading your post and have no experience with them, so maybe someone else here has used them and can answer your question.


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