Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.520 Review

Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.520 is a sensible choice if you want a small bottle of clear varnish that you can brush onto miniatures or use through an airbrush. Its strongest selling point is that flexibility. Vallejo supports both methods and provides a specific airbrush recipe for this product.

The main drawback is that it may leave more shine than you want. Don’t assume “matt” means no sheen: application and dilution matter, and some owners report a shinier result than they expected. I recommend it for painters who want to even out a model’s finish and can try it on a spare painted piece first. For an extremely flat finish, consider an explicitly ultra-matt varnish instead.

Check that your bottle is 70.520

Look for Matt Varnish, reference 70.520, sometimes written as 70520. Vallejo identifies it as a water-based acrylic varnish. It isn’t Matt Medium, which is an additive for changing paint rather than a substitute for a protective final coat.

The current catalog lists an 18 ml bottle. Older listings describe 17 ml, and the product has appeared under Model Color and Model Air labeling. Neither the range name nor the extra milliliter proves that the formula has changed. Match the reference number and follow the instructions on your bottle; don’t assume an old bottle and a new one will behave identically solely because they share a name.

The 70.520 bottle also isn’t a spray can. You can spray its contents through an airbrush, but Vallejo’s aerosol varnishes are separate products. Instructions and experiences involving a can don’t automatically apply here. The polyurethane and Mecha varnishes are separate choices too.

What 70.520 does to the finish

The useful reason to apply 70.520 is to bring different levels of shine closer together. A miniature might have dull paint on its clothing, shinier washes in the shadows and glossy decal film. A final matt coat can help those areas look more consistent.

Vallejo’s decal tutorial specifically finishes with a thin airbrushed coat of 70.520 over the decals to reduce shine. That’s a supported use for it, provided you let the earlier products dry as their instructions require.

However, matt varnish won’t necessarily make an already very flat paint look flatter. One owner who explicitly identified 70.520 reported that a dry-looking dirt base became more like wet mud after varnishing. They described a generous application intended to reach cracks. That account doesn’t establish what a thin coat will do, but it does show why the starting surface and the amount applied matter.

Vallejo’s demonstration reports a less matt finish in some areas after thinning with water or Airbrush Thinner. Compare an undiluted sample with your intended mix if you want as little sheen as possible.

Color deserves a separate check. One owner of 70.520 reports slight darkening, without measurements or matched before-and-after photographs. Treat that as a possibility, not a predictable amount of change. For white armor, pale cloth or snow bases, include your actual white paint in the sample. There’s no established result here showing how much 70.520 changes white, or how it looks after years of aging.

Judge the dried sample beside an unvarnished patch under the same light. Tilt both toward your lamp to check reflections, then look straight at them to compare color. That tells you more about suitability for your model than a photograph taken under different lighting.

Applying 70.520 with a brush or airbrush

Brushing it on

Yes, you can brush on 70.520; Vallejo explicitly supports this in its Model Color and Model Air documentation. Brushing makes sense for a few miniatures or selected areas where you want less shine.

Use a clean brush and spread a thin, even coat, checking recesses for excess varnish. Vallejo warns that thick layers can dry unpredictably. Let the coat dry before brushing over it again.

Start your trial without dilution rather than assuming it needs water. The published 3:1 recipe described below is an airbrush demonstration, not a requirement for brush application. Vallejo presents 70.520 alongside its acrylic paint ranges, but that doesn’t establish compatibility with every ink, oil wash or other brand’s finish. Reproduce those layers on your spare piece too.

Airbrushing and thinning

Vallejo demonstrates 70.520 undiluted and mixed three parts varnish to one part Airbrush Thinner 71.161, or distilled water at that ratio. You don’t always need thinner.

The demonstration uses an Evolution airbrush with a 0.2 mm needle at a stated 12–15 psi, spraying from 15–20 cm, roughly 6–8 inches. Start with several thin coats on your sample; these settings won’t necessarily suit every airbrush.

The tutorial says to shake well; an older Vallejo FAQ advises stirring to avoid bubbles. Follow your bottle’s instructions first, and let any bubbles subside before application.

Plan cleanup before starting. Vallejo recommends its Airbrush Cleaner for equipment cleanup, and its FAQ notes that the cleaner can remove varnish and underlying paint. Keep it away from your finished model and follow your airbrush’s cleaning instructions. Clean brushes promptly too.

Water-based doesn’t mean spray mist needs no precautions. Vallejo’s Acrylic Matt Varnish safety sheet calls for respiratory protection when mist forms; follow the current label and safety sheet for your bottle.

Drying between coats and before handling

“Quick drying” doesn’t tell you when you can handle the model. Touch-dry means the surface no longer feels wet. It may still need time before another coat, and longer to finish hardening, or fully cure.

Vallejo’s current catalog doesn’t give 70.520 a specific touch-dry, recoat or full-cure time. The nearby polyurethane instructions belong to another formulation. Don’t use those numbers for this bottle.

Let the underlying paint dry according to its maker’s guidance, and use any timing printed on your varnish bottle. Don’t schedule your first application immediately before a game or packing the models away. A dry-looking surface alone doesn’t confirm that it’s ready for repeated handling.

If the finish stays shiny or looks white

If 70.520 dries shinier than you wanted, pause before adding more. Check the product number, how you mixed it, your dilution and whether you applied a heavy coat. Change one thing on a spare painted piece so you can tell whether it helps.

A Reddit discussion about a glossy Hulk miniature illustrates the danger of copying a diagnosis. Commenters suggested settled matting additives and recommended shakers, mixing balls, beads or pieces of plastic sprue. But the painter later mentioned spray cans and reported that airbrushing a matt varnish reduced the gloss, after earlier attempts had damaged the finish. The product remained unidentified. That isn’t a demonstrated 70.520 fault or a reason to buy mixing accessories.

If the varnish looks white, check whether you’re looking at wet liquid or a dried coat. Vallejo’s Acrylic Matt Varnish safety sheet describes the liquid as milky white, so that appearance in the bottle isn’t itself evidence of failure. White haze that remains on a dried model is a separate problem. Don’t assume it will disappear under another coat.

Humidity, preparation and coat thickness are worth recording if you need help, but there isn’t a verified humidity cutoff or one proven haze-removal recipe for 70.520. Let the coat dry, photograph the problem and contact Vallejo with the bottle reference, paint layers and application details if it persists.

Avoid experimenting with alcohol or airbrush cleaner on the model to remove the haze. Vallejo warns that removing varnish this way can also remove the paint underneath.

Protection and value for your models

Vallejo markets 70.520 as protection against dust, scratches, dirt and humidity. That’s its intended job, but it doesn’t tell you how many games a miniature will survive without wear.

One hobbyist’s informal comparison included confirmed 70.520 brushed over black and red acrylic paint on smooth plastic pieces, with and without primer. Their fingernail tests favored a gloss-plus-matt combination over matt alone. However, the combination had two coats instead of one, and scratching force wasn’t measured. It doesn’t prove that a gloss undercoat is necessary or that gloss varnish is inherently stronger.

For display models, choose mainly by the appearance you want. For frequently handled gaming pieces, also check whether the dried coating tolerates normal handling on a spare model. Handle finished miniatures by their bases where practical.

For a flatter alternative, Vallejo’s 72.653 Ultra Matt polyurethane varnish is the closest small-bottle option to consider. Mecha Matt Varnish 69.702 belongs to another range. Neither the polyurethane name nor owner preferences establish a measured durability or yellowing advantage over 70.520.

The 18 ml size suits trying the finish without committing to a large bottle. For batches of vehicles or scenery, don’t estimate value from volume alone: the number of coats and how much you use while spraying affect consumption. There’s no reliable coverage figure here to turn into a cost per miniature.

Is 70.520 right for your models?

Choose 70.520 if you want one bottled varnish for brush and airbrush work, particularly to reduce uneven shine across painted models and decals. Its documented application options make it a reasonable starting point, and you don’t automatically need thinner or a mixing gadget.

Pass if your priority is an almost reflection-free finish and even a little sheen would spoil the look. An ultra-matt product is a more appropriate candidate to try. Also, don’t choose 70.520 on a promise of exceptional gaming durability or a guaranteed overnight cure; neither has been established for this exact bottle.

The deciding result is straightforward: an even finish, acceptable color and satisfactory handling on the same paints you use. If your sample meets those needs, 70.520 has a useful place on your painting desk.