Flat vs. Gloss

[poke44]

Now that i have a bit of a handle on getting the paint on the rocket without it looking like a drunk monkey with a bad hand put the paint on, what is the difference other than just shiny vs not shiny

1. Differences for decals?
2. Can you put flat on top of gloss and vice versa
3. Does one tend to run/sag more than the other.


Fluff Below:

Friday i was painting some at school while the 8th graders were discovering momentum with hot wheels cars... Anyhow i had two kids i cant ever get to be quiet or do their work, they asked if they could paint the rockets... needless to say they have a future in the painting field! The rocket was covered with no drips, sags or other malformations... of course they knocked it over while running around playing grab-***, but they did ask when i was going to have the rocket club meeting next.

 

[tbzep]

Gloss is slick, where flat has a rough texture. It's better to apply decals on a gloss finish. If you apply directly to the flat paint, the decals will look frosted.

I've never tried gloss over flat, but flat will go over gloss just fine.

I don't have problems with either of them running, but gloss seems more fluid and would probably run easier if you put it on too thick.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Here's a good article on decals
https://themodelmakersresource.co.uk/articles/article011.html

Flat goes over gloss, gloss goes over flat, no problem. Excessively heavy coats of clear may tend to yellow.

I find that generally, one is no more prone to running than the other but flat does seem to be hotter (faster drying) than gloss.