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Exactly what Tarry said..
Here I collected a couple of shots from my old build of 1/24 scale Bf 109E. Generally I applied three coats of the clear varnish. One was airbrused and two next applied with a brush.
1. A very matt finish of the oil Humbrol enamels on the model and a close up shot of the surface.
2. The appearance of the model after airbrushing of one clear coat of a varnish ... as you may notice the gloss appeared as a couple of small spots there... generally nothing was changed.
3. And her appearance after the coat applied with a brush .. a little bit better bust still not too smooth ..
4. And after brusing of the second coat .. also not too perfect but fortunately it was enough gloss ( smooth ) at areas where decals had to be applied.
.. it is a business, instead of two bottles you have to buy three cans...
The business is the business.
The cause of the problem? Paint was already 'drying' when it hit the surface. Not enough paint in the spray stream or too much air, end result fast drying acrylics not hitting 'wet' to allow for some settling. Primer coat likely not the reason unless it was a rough finish too. Were you using a double action a/b? Was the needle 'drying a drop' on the tip, disturbing the flow? I keep a damp lint free rag handy to quickly clean the tip as I go otherwise sputtering can start as the tip develops some buildup.
Paul Budzik recommends a small spray gun works better than an airbrush simply because they lay down paint faster, leaving less chance for this problem to occur. Baring that, using a brush with a larger nozzle can help.
TYOQ: I've used a 'puddle' of Klear where the transfer must go to eliminate silvering then placing it right in while wet. Just not too much, it can build up, and of course wick off any excess you can. Sort of a 'super setting solution'. Can use solvent over top if needed, but I'd experiment on the 'paint pig' first. Better when the experiments fail 'off the masterpiece'!
Tough one when this happens, though. Still, looks pretty decent!
Regards, Robert