Miniature Varnish

Varnish is the last coat on a miniature or any painted piece: it protects the paint from handling and gives you the finish you want, matt, satin or gloss. Here you'll find Vallejo varnishes in three types: polyurethane, the toughest; permanent acrylic, for brush or airbrush; and spray, for varnishing quickly.

Below we explain which one to choose, which finish to use where and how to varnish without your mini going cloudy white.
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Do you need to varnish miniatures?

If the mini is going in a display cabinet, it isn't essential. If you're going to game with it, yes: picking it up, putting it in the case or moving it around the table wears the paint on the edges first. Varnish adds a hard layer on top that takes the wear instead of the paint.

Varnish also evens out the finish. Some paints dry glossier than others, and a coat of matt varnish makes the whole mini look the same. It works the other way round too: gloss makes the bits you want shiny stand out.
Barniz poliuretano mate Vallejo 72651 para miniaturas y modelismo - Mr Resin

Polyurethane, permanent or spray

Polyurethane varnish (matt, ultra matt, satin and gloss) is the toughest. It's what we use on gaming miniatures. It's touch dry in an hour and it's best to wait about 24 hours before the second coat.

Permanent varnish, an acrylic (matt, satin and gloss), dries faster and is very easy to use with a brush or an airbrush. It's a good varnish for dioramas and display figures.

Spray varnish (matt, satin and gloss) is the quickest way to do lots of minis at once. As with primer, pick a dry day and spray from about 20-25 cm away.

Matt, satin or gloss: which finish to use

Matt for almost everything: skin, cloth, leather, painted armour. It kills the shine and makes the mini look more realistic. Ultra matt if you want an even flatter finish, common in military scale modelling.

Satin for something in between: polished armour, new leather or vehicles. Gloss for anything that should shine: eyes, gems, polished metal, puddles, blood or slime. A popular trick: varnish the whole mini in gloss, which protects more, then add a coat of matt on top. Finish with touches of gloss only where you want them. More on this in matt or gloss varnish.

Which Vallejo varnish to choose

TypeFinishesHow to applyBest for
PolyurethaneMatt, ultra matt, satin and glossBrush or airbrushGaming miniatures: the toughest
Permanent acrylicMatt, satin and glossBrush or airbrushDioramas and display figures
Spray 400 mlMatt, satin and glossSpray, no thinningVarnishing lots of minis quickly

How to varnish without ruining your mini

The paint needs to be completely dry, ideally left overnight. Shake the varnish well, without whipping it into bubbles, and apply thin coats. Two thin coats protect better and look better than one thick one.

With an airbrush, varnish can go on almost unthinned; if it's too thick, add a few drops of airbrush thinner. With a brush, use a soft flat one and don't go back over areas that are already drying. There's a step-by-step in our miniature varnish guide.
Barniz Acrílico Mate en Aerosol Vallejo 28531 28531 - Mr Resin

Why varnish goes white and how to avoid it

The cloudy white effect, or "frosting", happens mostly with sprays: high humidity, cold, a can that wasn't shaken enough or spraying from too far away. With brush-on varnish it's usually down to coats that are too thick or varnishing over paint that's still wet.

To avoid it, varnish somewhere dry and not too cold, shake well and apply thin coats. If it's already happened, a thin coat of gloss varnish followed by matt can sometimes fix it. For the rest of your painting supplies, see paint mediums and auxiliaries, and for everything together, miniature paints.

Frequently asked questions about miniature varnish

Do I need to varnish my miniatures?

If you're going to game with them, yes: varnish protects the paint from handling. For display-only minis it isn't essential, although it does help even out the finish.

Which varnish is the most durable?

Polyurethane. It's the one we recommend for miniatures that get handled a lot.

Matt, satin or gloss varnish?

Matt for most of the mini. Satin for armour or leather. Gloss for eyes, gems, polished metal and liquids.

Can you airbrush varnish?

Yes. Vallejo varnishes go through an airbrush almost unthinned. If it's too thick, add a few drops of airbrush thinner.

How long does varnish take to dry?

Polyurethane is touch dry in an hour, and it's best to wait about 24 hours before the second coat. Permanent acrylic dries quite a bit faster.

Why has my varnish gone white?

Usually it's humidity, cold, a can or bottle that wasn't shaken enough, or coats that are too thick. Varnish somewhere dry and not too cold, in thin coats.

Can I mix matt and gloss varnish?

Yes, as long as they're from the same range, for example both polyurethane. Mixing them gets you a satin finish to your own taste.

How many coats of varnish should I apply?

Two thin coats are usually enough. For gaming minis, one coat of gloss, which protects more, and one of matt on top.

Can I varnish an unpainted 3D print?

Yes, but on resin prints varnish doesn't replace curing or primer. If the piece is going to be painted, the order is primer, paint, then varnish.

Do you ship spray varnish outside Spain?

No. Aerosols, such as spray primer and spray varnish, we can only ship within Spain. The bottled varnishes do ship to the other European countries we deliver to.

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