Finish is grainy and \"chalky\" :-(

[Ikaponthus]

Guys, the help I got from my thread about washes was awesome. Hopefully someone can help me with this problem too.

The finish I get on my mins is often grainy and chalky looking. Browsing through the galleries here, most of the minis look silky smooth. How is this achieved?

My undercoat is white spray paint, and a fairly thin layer. Maybe I should apply the undercoat with a brush?

The other idea I had was maybe I should get some extender in the paint? I like to paint with multiple thin layers, maybe they are drying out too quickly?

 

[E-Arkham]

Do you mean after clear coating or do you mean after finishing the painting?

If it\'s after clear coating, a chalky appearance can occur if it\'s wet/rainy/moist out with some brands of clear spray (such as Citadel). Solution: use Testors or Model Master, which both work very well even in wet weather.

If it\'s after painting, it sounds like you might need to thin your paints more. Just add a few drops of water, or keep your brush wet constantly while painting.

Kep

 

[Ikaponthus]

It\'s after painting.

But often my paint is so thin that I need to apply 5 or more coats to get an even covering...

 

[Wolf_Fang]

uh.... different primer mayb? all i can think of is different primer and slightly thicker paint..

 

[KatieG]

This is a common occurance with lighter colors, I see it especially with white and light blues and greys. Drybrushing is one thing that really brings it on, but sometimes just painting it on brings on the grainyness. All I can say is try some additives, such as color float, matte medium, thinner (vallejo has a thinner in their line for example), etc. to see if that helps with the smooth finish. Also, what kind of water are you using? Maybe your tap water has nasty crap in it and should be filtered before using, or you should get some distilled water to use for painting. Another thing to try is adding a little detergent (liquid soap you use for washing dishes for example) to the water you use for thinning paints, and that may help get the grainy bits into solution. Anyways, hope this gives you some ideas, good luck!
--Katie G.

 

[LouisCypher]

yeah i agree with the other comments here.

my personal suggestions are:

-thinning paints
-for the chalky look, you may want to add a wash just to increase saturation: whan you highlight a lot, the last layers may have too much white and the colour loses in saturation: a very thinned was of the base colour may help!

Luca

 

[Legacy Account]

Try a drop of Vallejo Glaze Medium in yer paints....

 

[tidoco2222]

Lighter pigments up to white often give a chalky look, this is down to the nature of the pigment itself.
The comments already made are good ones, one thing I have tried in the past is glazing using Tamiya clear colours, they need to be thinned with water and a little detergent like washing up liquid to improve flow,drying time and also it will kill the glossy finish that these colours tend to leave. There may still be some glossyness when dried but a coat of matt varnish like Testors Dullcote or Humbrol matt varnish should sort this out.

 

[Wolf_Fang]

possibly air bubbles?

 

[E-Arkham]

What primer are you using? Moisture can be the problem here, too -- I\'ve had problems with all primers except for Testors and Model Master when it\'s wet out. The primed mini will end up with a very fine, dusty texture.

This can also happen if you spray in areas that have a lot of dust in the air, or if you hold the can too far back and the spray dries before it hits the miniature.

The solution is to take an old toothbrush and brush off the grainy dust-like covering and give a light recoat. If it\'s really bad though, the only real solution is to strip it and reprime.

So... As you can see from all the posts, there are a lot of potential causes for your problem.

Kep

 

[Shawn R. L.]

I don\'t find the primer to affect the outcome. I use many different types with a consistant good result. My guess it the paint you use after priming MIGHT be the problem. Try a different brand.