Flat vs Gloss paints...

[Kiotcloudkicker]

What do most people prefer? Flat or Gloss? What techniques have you discovered, developed as for paint application? i.e. How to get the "been in flight/combat" look?

[Macross_Fanboy]

As far as decal placement goes, it's good to go with a glossy surface since they'll adhere better and then finish off with a flat finish to seal the paint and decals. But it all depends on what kind you're using. I'm using Testors Enamel.

[VF-19]

I prefer flat paint for mainly 2 reasons. The first being, that I like the look of flat paint. The second being that I can more easily tell when the paint is dry. I find that Tamiya's gloss paints still look "wet" when dry. But then again, that's just me.

[jonwayne]

gloss. my only choice. i like my model to look all new and shiny.

[BinaryFalcon]

Generally the best way to go is to do all initial painting with flat (matte) paints and then apply a gloss coat prior to decal application. Once the decals have been applied, allowed to cure and are then wiped clean, you can apply the appropriate clear coat to give you the finish you want (gloss, semi-gloss or flat).

Gloss paints should generally be avoided for initial paintwork simply because they tend to hide more detail than flat paints (gloss white is typically the worst). You definitely want a gloss finish before decaling though to make sure the decals will stick.

As for finish coats, for military equipment I usually go for a flat finish. Anything else (aside from polished or shiny objects like a car), I tend toward a semi-gloss finish. Most objects in the real world tend to be some level of semi-gloss, as they're not truly shiny and yet not completely flat. I find that kind of finish tends to look the best.