Buying spree

This week I have mostly been ....... buying varnishes, and brush cleaner and brushes.  I have had one of my periodic foraging expeditions to Hobbycraft in Northampton.  I wanted some acrylic matt varnish as the Humbrol spray matt varnish had been stripping the ink wash on some of the stuff I have painted.  I think the propellant was the culprit it seems to have dissolved the gloss varnish I had painted over the ink wash.

I bought a pot of Humbrol acrylic matt varnish and as a test a large pot of Decoart Media Ultra-Matte Varnish.  To check how effective this was I daubed a thick layer of artists white acrylic paint on some card.  I let this dry then brushed ink on it and then varnished it with first the Vallejo gloss varnish then the two matt varnishes one to each half of the test piece. You can see the results below DecoArt on the left hand side and Humbrol on the right.  Both provide a good matt finish without lifting the ink.  So I now have a lifetimes supply of brushable matt varnish.

This is the generic stuff



Not the best photo but both products give a similar matt finish on this test

 

I also bought some Hobbycraft brush cleaner.  I'm pretty rough on brushes as I use nothing bigger than a 2 for most of my painting. It doesn't need much paint to get down into the ferrule and the base  of the brush for it to start clogging them.  So I thought it was time to start a proper cleaning routine.  I'm not certain that it will renovate older brushes but it does seem to be keeping the newer ones cleaner than water alone.  Time will tell if it prolongs brush life.

 



Last but not least I bought a couple of sable brushes.  I could probably get them cheaper on line but I like to see if the brush has a decent point before I buy.  Sorry Hobbycraft but your selection was awful.  Almost nothing on the racks in the sizes I wanted and most of those had splayed heads.  I got a better choice and quality at the war games store in Milton Keynes and those had good handles too, thicker above the grip point which gives good balance.  I don't know what brand they are but they are very good indeed.

So equipped with some new kit painting can continue apace.