Question on painting and sealant

[cherrykitsune]

Well, I'm a first-time customizer and am almost finished with the painting. I have a question on sealing the paint, though. Is the sealant just to affix the paint and make it permanent, or does it make the paint job smoother too?

Oh, and in case it's important, I have only painted on her eyes and her symbol, not her full body.

 

[ladyphoenix9]

Sealing helps to protect the paint -- especially handy for light washing if the pony gets dusty or needs her hair styled. I'd recommend a semi-gloss varnish for the eyes to make them more lifelike, but I might as well confess I don't always seal just eye/symbol repaints.

The varnish won't make your paint job smoother -- if you have brush strokes visible, it won't "fix" that. But it does change the texture of the paint, making it slicker to the touch. A couple of my favorite pieces I've done have a full body varnish and feel almost like a china pony.

It's personal preference what you decide to do. Maybe you can try a dab of varnish on a hoof bottom to see if you like the effect? and to make sure your varnish and paint get along okay too...mixing brands can cause issues with stickiness.

 

[cherrykitsune]

Well thanks! I think I'll let her sit a day or two and kind of look her over. She has to anyway, since I need some new, bitty brushes to finish up her eyes!