Mr. Color - matný základ

An additive, not a paint in its own right

The flat base contains a flattening component with no color pigment. It is added to a gloss or semi-gloss paint of the same range and reduces its sheen according to the amount you mix in. The advantage over a ready-made flat shade is that you set the degree of sheen yourself: one level makes sense on an aircraft rolled out of the hangar and another on a machine after months in the field.

How to work with the additive

It is added in small doses, because in larger amounts it not only flattens the shade but also lightens it. That is most noticeable with dark colors. So it pays to mix a test sample, spray it on an offcut of sprue and let it dry completely before judging the result. When wet, every coat looks glossier than it will finally be.

Recommended procedure

• Mix it into the whole volume of paint you will use on the model, so that the sheen stays uniform
• Do not mix it with water thinnable ranges, because the additive is intended for a lacquer binder
• To flatten a finished model, use a flat clear coat rather than this additive
• Before applying decals you need gloss instead, so leave the flattening to the very end

The bottle holds 10 ml. The additive has to be stirred before use just like an ordinary paint, because the flattening component settles at the bottom.

When to reach for a flat paint instead of the additive

• If you need a single settled degree of sheen, a ready-made flat paint saves mixing
• The additive pays off where you want to grade the sheen across several models in the same collection
• For the final treatment of a finished model, a flat clear coat in a spray can is more suitable

The degree of sheen is one of the most underrated details. A machine in service in the field was flat, while a freshly repainted one was distinctly glossy, and it is exactly that difference which often decides whether a model looks convincing.