Gloss Varnish Paint Guide

Gloss Varnish is a technical from Army Painter, commonly used for armour plates, cloth, and trim work.

Quick Equivalents

• Closest equivalent: Valhallan Blizzard (Citadel (Games Workshop)) – ΔE 4.4
• Vallejo equivalent: no close Vallejo equivalent
• Army Painter equivalent: Warpaints Stabilizer (Army Painter) – ΔE 4.0

How to Use Gloss Varnish

This paint is typically used for:

• basecoating neutral grey armour and weapons
• layering and highlighting on large flat surfaces

Apply it over a suitable primer and build layers gradually. Coverage sits around reliable, so two thin coats usually give a more stable finish than one heavy pass, especially over a dark primer.

Paint Behavior and Tips

Consider the following when working with this paint:

• Coverage: reliable — affects how many coats are needed over primer
• Dilution: controlled thinning — keeping the right ratio maintains flow and prevents brushmarks
• Interaction with washes and highlights: always run a highlight pass to verify the tone does not shift after drying

A good equivalent should remain stable after shading and highlighting. Test this alternative on the same primer and in the same recipe before switching a whole unit.

Miniature Painting Tips

For best results with Gloss Varnish on Warhammer and other miniature projects:

• Use the same primer across the project to keep tonal consistency
• Test on a spare part before applying to a full unit
• Compare after shading and highlights, not just the base coat

Even small differences can become visible on a finished miniature. This match may behave differently on textured surfaces like cloth, fur, and metal trim once the full recipe is applied.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Gloss Varnish equivalent ensures consistent results across your painting workflow. Use this page as a paint conversion chart to compare the Vallejo equivalent, the Army Painter equivalent, and other close options before committing to a full army.