1st Build Best paint sheen/finish?

[Friedrice4khd]

I have several questions regarding painting, most of which have probably been asked to death and I'm just too blind to find the post asking them.

The main one is what kind of paint and clear coat sheen/finish (flat, matte, satin, gloss, etc.) should I use for a set of 3D-printed ODST armor. I've heard some things about mixing different sheens and using a clear coat sheen that's different than the rest of the paint, but I obviously don't wanna experiment on a piece I spent hours printing and finishing.

Second, kind of working off the main question, what sheen should I use for the black portion of the helmet surrounding the visor:

I'm thinking matte since from what I've seen it tends to reflect less light than the rest of the armor, but that could just be because it's black and I don't understand how light and color work.

Third, do I need a base coat if I've already covered my print with filler primer?

So... yeah... what sheen should I use for the main paint, the clear coat, and the black portion around the visor? All my stuff is made out of black PLA and is covered in gray Dupli-Color filler primer if that matters.

Thanks and sorry for my ignorance.

 

[Cadet]

So, the clear coat is usually the last layer, so unless you mask off anything, what ever finish you clear coat is, that is the finish you will end up with. Say I do a whole helmet in matte paint, but then do a semi gloss clear coat on everything, the whole piece will have a semi gloss finish, even though I painted with matte. Now, different base paints, gloss, semigloss, or matte, might have a slight difference on the appearance after clear coat, but, the good rule of thumb is your clear coat finish is what your final piece will look like.

Personally, I do like a matte black around the visor on an ODST as it does help it "pop."

I tend to paint my armor in semi gloss paints, and then my black and brown wash weathering will knock the shine down. I honestly don't usually clear coat my pieces, but a lot of folks do, both before and after weathering.

 

[N8TEBB]

I clear coat after I get the main colours on, and then clear coat again after weathering. My first suit I did gloss. But besides when I take pictures of it in the rain where the shiny looks at home, it can be a bit too shiny at times.

My most recent suit uses a satin finish, which I like very much.

 

[Friedrice4khd]

I clear coat after I get the main colours on, and then clear coat again after weathering. My first suit I did gloss. But besides when I take pictures of it in the rain where the shiny looks at home, it can be a bit too shiny at times.
View attachment 344553
My most recent suit uses a satin finish, which I like very much.
View attachment 344554

So, the clear coat is usually the last layer, so unless you mask off anything, what ever finish you clear coat is, that is the finish you will end up with. Say I do a whole helmet in matte paint, but then do a semi gloss clear coat on everything, the whole piece will have a semi gloss finish, even though I painted with matte. Now, different base paints, gloss, semigloss, or matte, might have a slight difference on the appearance after clear coat, but, the good rule of thumb is your clear coat finish is what your final piece will look like.

Personally, I do like a matte black around the visor on an ODST as it does help it "pop."

I tend to paint my armor in semi gloss paints, and then my black and brown wash weathering will knock the shine down. I honestly don't usually clear coat my pieces, but a lot of folks do, both before and after weathering.

So lets say I painted my entire suit with gloss paint but then did a satin clear coat. My suit would be satin? Sorry if thats a dumb question, just making sure.

 

[N8TEBB]

So lets say I painted my entire suit with gloss paint but then did a satin clear coat. My suit would be satin? Sorry if thats a dumb question, just making sure.

Yes it would be satin