Liquitex Matte Medium versus Matte Varnish

Liquitex makes two matte products: matte medium and matte varnish.  Both products are designed to flatten the finish of your paint, but they actually produce different results.

Matte Medium lists that it:

• Creates a matte non-reflective finish.
• Dries translucent and matte.
• Increases translucency, adhesion, and paint flow.
• Provides a permanent, non-yellowing, flexible, and water resistant coat when dry.

Note that some of these properties (increased translucency, adhesion, and flow) come about by mixing the medium with acrylic paint, not by covering a painted, dried figure with medium.

Matte Varnish lists that it:

• Provides a permanent varnish to protect surfaces.
• Establishes an even, non-glare matte finish.
• Protects against UV damage.
• Reduces color intensity.
• Provides a permanent, non-yellowing, flexible, and water resistant coat when dry.

The language between the two is similar, but the results are not. The Matte Medium has a greater tendency to whiten (ever so slightly) after drying, and will have a slightly shiny finish than the Matte Varnish. The Matte Medium is also much thicker, so does not flow as well, causing it to pool more readily in creases (which probably accounts for its increased tendency to whiten).

The photos below show two stands. Both have been block painted then washed with Magic Wash (a mixture of paint and Future Acrylic Floor Polish). This creates a shine over the figure, which is strongest where the wash's color pools. The figure on the left has received a single coat of Matte Varnish, while that on the right has not. Although it is hard to see (because the camera tries to take out the reflection and shine), the white dots in the dark pools of wash are reflections, indicating shiny spots in the paint job. The figures on the left show a large reduction in those reflections, including toning down the darkness of the wash itself. Looking at the second figure from the right on both stands gives you a good representation of how the Matte Varnish helps mute the shine and dark.

I have tried several matte finishes and this is the best so far, as far as having a lower chance of whitening, being easy to apply with a brush, and producing a matte, as opposed to a satin, finish.