Not what I needed.
We've had a few problems recently at Chateau Foy, and hobby time has mostly been scrapped. However, I took advantage of the arrival of some pre-owned Interim-Period (post S-Range) Minifigs British infantry to do something I've wanted to do for ages - increase the size of my Foot Guards battalions. Because, as you will be aware, historically they were - well - big.
All right, all right - I admit that the amount of retouching work, as always, exceeded what I intended, but I got myself well organised and a couple of shortish evening sessions did the job (Stan Getz and Ravel on the CD player helped me along). I had about 2 dozen figures to smarten up - the most fiddly job was overpainting the facings with Royal Blue, then repainting the white piping on collars and cuffs, a general tidy up and I finished bang on schedule last night. All that was required now was to base the chaps up to match the existing units, and make up larger sabots to take the big battalions.
Not so fast - the Imp of Perversity strikes back. This morning, I find that the acrylic varnish has dried with the white piping an alarming shade of purple. The forensic work is still under way, of course, but the only unknown element in the job was a previously-unopened pot of Citadel's "Midnight Blue". I've had it for a while, but it looked fine, and covered well enough. Obviously there must be some pigment in there which is unstable with the varnish, even after curing for 24 hours - a problem I've never had with Citadel before. It's a while since I used a blue that dark - I had a pot of a nice Tamiya acrylic Navy Blue which has now turned into chewing gum. Anyway, whatever, I am hoping that a simple re-fiddle of the white piping will do the job - I would not like to have to go back to the dark blue stage.
If anyone is tempted to tell me that it serves me right for using uncool paints, please don't bother.
Hard luck - can you just touch up the blue?
ReplyDeleteNo - alas, the white is very conspicuously not at all white. If I'm really lucky (and it has to happen eventually?), after I've re-done the white I'll have just some minimal touch-ins with the blue.
DeleteKeeps one humble, anyway. These things are sent to test our faith - in truth, the Guards' reinforcements came close to ending up in the bucket this morning.
Could have left them and claimed that 'dyes used to run quite badly in those days' :)
ReplyDeleteNice idea, but - after all - this is the Foot Guards...
DeletePossibility it was some of the paint that was already on the figures, and that you didn't overpaint??
DeleteHi Steve - no - most of the old paint was ancient Humbrol - tough as the Rockies. I did a quick test and it's the Midnight Blue - using Winsor & Newton acrylic varnish with it dissolves a strange mauve colour out of it - vivid or dark colours are OK, but it will mark any adjacent white.
DeleteSo here is a Government Health Warning - Citadel "Midnight Blue" can damage your figures.
Very disappointing. Though not as bad as spray varnishing a new unit with primer (not saying that I've done that......)
ReplyDeleteAt least there was no insurance claim involved.
You don't suppose Uncle Harold's genes could affect my painting, do you?
DeleteIn fact I fixed it pretty easily. I re-did the white bits and then touched in the blue to clean up the lines, and then I DID NOT VARNISH ANYTHING. It took less time than I had spent swearing at it this morning. The real expert bit of this was not varnishing, which took me - literally, of course - no time at all.
How strange??? I've luckily never had any problems like this at all........fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteHi Ray - just seems to be a characteristic of that particular shade - it's OOP now anyway! I have used a lot of Citadel paints - they are not rated very highly by the cognoscenti, but I have always found them to be handy and (importantly) locally available. The only problems I have ever had with colours bleeding into varnish before were with some of the inks, and with the ubiquitous Flesh Wash, which gets around a bit in the varnish.
DeleteI checked the Midnight Blue with Citadel's own matt varnish, and it ran with that as well, so it's not a function of my using Winsor & Newton!
It serves you right for using uncool paints. Hey wait a minute you said NOT to say that - sorry!
ReplyDeleteMy lip is now trembling...
DeleteI saw Stan Getz in concert at the Royal Festival Hall back in '88. He was very good, a little short of breath perhaps, but basically he still had it. Now.. the support band was led by Branford Marsalis - wow - that was a great set, very impressive.
ReplyDelete