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Washes
Nov 20, 2020 7:00:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2020 7:00:21 GMT
Just after a bit of advice.
When using washes, do people just go over with a black/dark wash all over their figures for shading/shadows or do you have a shade colour matched to each colour you are going over? So red shade over red tunics for example?
Thanks Roger
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Washes
Nov 20, 2020 8:31:00 GMT
Post by Chris D on Nov 20, 2020 8:31:00 GMT
Hello.
I use brown umber, sparingly, on flesh and uniforms which seems to highlight faces, hands and uniforms.
I think less is more here as too much ink and the detail disappears.
I have seen many a blob of brown as a face.
It’s tricky at first but you soon pick up the knack.
Best wishes,
Chris
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Washes
Nov 20, 2020 8:32:52 GMT
Post by paintdog on Nov 20, 2020 8:32:52 GMT
Just after a bit of advice. When using washes, do people just go over with a black/dark wash all over their figures for shading/shadows or do you have a shade colour matched to each colour you are going over? So red shade over red tunics for example? Thanks Roger Good question.
I suspect you'll get different responses as tastes vary.
I have a collection of coloured washes. Black (Nuln Oil) is my go-to wash. It can darken things too much....hence....
The Vallejo pale grey is excellent for white uniforms & also "grey" horses.
I use GW sepia & Vallejo brown washes for other horses, depending on how dark I want them- I usually begin with a mid brown or beige base coat. I use a flesh-shade over flesh paint for bare skin: it makes faces pop & if there's enough detail, I then highlight chin, cheeks & forehead with flesh paint.
The blue, red & green washes are of lesser use. Indeed, I find red fairly useless unless I mix with Nuln Oil (a GW black wash) at about 60:40.
BTW I often don't wash an entire figure. Sometimes I add a line of wash using a fine brush, to show a shadow.
The beauty of washes is it is easy to remove before it dries if you don't like it.
I hope this helps.
donald
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Washes
Nov 20, 2020 13:40:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2020 13:40:09 GMT
Many thanks for the advice guys. Hmm certainly given me food for thought. Think I will maybe buy a couple more shades and experiment on my horses and artillery first before trying some figures. Least I can easily repaint a horse or gun instead of an intricate uniform!! Or I could maybe paint up some spare (discarded) figures as basic as can and then test on them when dealing with red, blue tunics etc.
Thanks again
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Washes
Nov 20, 2020 18:47:02 GMT
Post by waynew on Nov 20, 2020 18:47:02 GMT
I've found a watered down brown India Ink wash can bring out details as well as give the "weathered" "dirty" look of troops who've been in the field if used sparingly and with discretion. I've tried doing the same with acrylics but they seem to be too heavy for my taste - again, it all boils down to a matter of taste.
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Washes
Nov 21, 2020 0:26:10 GMT
Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2020 0:26:10 GMT
Like Wayne, I use a watered-down ink; simply black in my case. I was getting too much of a dirty wash effect on the ridges, rather than in the grooves. I mentioned this to a wargaming friend who suggested a product called 'Pledge One Go', a floor cleaner! He said that he'd tested it, it seems to work and doesn't melt or distort the figures.
I tried it for the first time late last year. Simply added a few drops to my diluted ink and 'presto'. It makes the wash more viscous, producing not only a better wash, but a really interesting weathered look. It exposed a few, tiny bits of poor coverage with paint (I use acrylic paints and ink), but this did not worry me as my process is undercoat, base-coat, wash and then touch-up/highlight. Mind you, I am finding that I am doing less and less of the final bit, particularly after adding this to the wash.
So, for the advert., "I always use Pledge One Go" when applying a wash to my figures, it makes a world of difference"!
Regards, James
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Washes
Nov 21, 2020 2:45:51 GMT
Post by davidmac on Nov 21, 2020 2:45:51 GMT
I prefer Vallejo sepia shade for most shading work.
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Washes
Nov 21, 2020 5:41:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2020 5:41:36 GMT
Thanks for the advice guys. Very much appreciated. I will experiment and see what results I get.
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Washes
Nov 21, 2020 11:35:02 GMT
Post by richard on Nov 21, 2020 11:35:02 GMT
As everyone else on here and the other manufacturers forum has said, it is all down to personal taste and trial and error. I use Army Painter quick shades-the dark and soft tone. And I use vallejo flesh wash for...flesh. Sometimes less is more with this! I'm still trying to get better with my use of washes, but a wash used well certainly improves any painting in my opinion. Might be worth having a look on Bennos forum as you might get some more knowledgable answers.
I've just started to follow a new routine which so far has improved my painting, although I would not say my painting is anywhere near the standards others achieve.
Wash figures, primer (vallejo), dark wash over everything (helps keep the details clear for me and helps to point out the depths/creases for when I start painting base layers, base layer of main items (jackets/trousers), dark wash, highlights with a slightly lighter shade. Then start to paint all other parts. Dark wash or soft wash all other parts (muskets, hair, cuffs, shoes etc), highlight with lighter shade if it seems worthwhile or possible dry brush (the dry brushing depends on how motivated I am). Two coats of matt VARNISH (vallejo currently).
But everyone has their own ways of using washes/highlights etc and achieves much more impressive results than mine.
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Washes
Nov 21, 2020 23:57:10 GMT
Post by plasticpanzers on Nov 21, 2020 23:57:10 GMT
I have pretty much used the same technique for about 50 years. A black wash when the figure is done. Some get it in the cracks where belts and harnesses are and some just get dry brushed on the trousers. I find some people put too much on or to little or blacken every piece of equipment. I wanted mine to look like they are on their way to Borodino and not coming back from Moscow.
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 1:08:20 GMT
Post by paintdog on Nov 26, 2020 1:08:20 GMT
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 6:13:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 6:13:43 GMT
Looks promising & have been looking at some of the Army Painter washes but doesnt that varnish give the figures a shiny sort of finish? I prefer to keep my figures in Matt finish what with them going on a diorama. Nice idea though.
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 11:07:45 GMT
Post by paintdog on Nov 26, 2020 11:07:45 GMT
Yes, you need to spray them with a matt varnish to take the shine away.
NB the dip is different to the washes. It comes in large tins & you dip the entire figure in (or paint it on, if you're sane).
One of the benefits of the whole process is the figures are bullet-proof. I've stood on one and no damage. I'd read on-line reviews etc before I went down this pass: there are pros & cons. donald
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 11:30:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2020 11:30:20 GMT
Ah ok. Something else to think about/try out. Certainly like the idea of them being more protected.
Think I will ask for some of their washes and a pot or 2 of this varnish for Christmas!!! Then I can have a go and experiment with the options over the holidays.
Will then go over with a clear Matt to get rid of the shine.
Thanks for that Donald. 👍
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 12:15:15 GMT
Post by paintdog on Nov 26, 2020 12:15:15 GMT
Think I will ask for some of their washes and a pot or 2 of this varnish for Christmas!!! Then I can have a go and experiment with the options over the holidays. . 👍 The Varnish (Dips) or Quickshades have three types: soft, strong or dark. Choose which one will suit you.The effects are quite different.
The point is, you only need paint the figures in flat colours - no washes used at all - dip & then all the shadows & highlights are there!
Good luck, Roger. There are many paths to PAINTING NIRVANA.
donald
(I should add I don't use Army Painter any more but use washes. It takes a whole lot longer but the effect can be better. For painting large numbers of figures quickly & to a good standard, Army Painter Quickshades is very good).
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Washes
Nov 26, 2020 21:59:39 GMT
Post by pinotnoir on Nov 26, 2020 21:59:39 GMT
Make my own wash w/floor wax and ink. Dark brown wash over everything not skin tone. Face and hands get a red/brown wash over a light flesh paint. Use straight floor wax to dilute where necessary. Black wash over brass/steel. Highlight after wash. Clear spray. Usually do a gloss coat then a satin coat (clear).
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Post by davidmac on Nov 27, 2020 14:16:06 GMT
The fellow who runs "Goobertown Hobbies" (and is a chemist) has a youtube about how washes are made, and how you can make your own (basically, acrylic ink and acrylic mediums).
Also, Uncle Atom (tabletopminions) has a few about using washes and "contrast paints".
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Washes
Nov 28, 2020 5:28:10 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2020 5:28:10 GMT
The fellow who runs "Goobertown Hobbies" (and is a chemist) has a youtube about how washes are made, and how you can make your own (basically, acrylic ink and acrylic mediums). Also, Uncle Atom (tabletopminions) has a few about using washes and "contrast paints". Thanks for the info. I will check them out 👍
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Boom boom out go the lights
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Washes
Nov 28, 2020 12:25:50 GMT
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Post by Boom boom out go the lights on Nov 28, 2020 12:25:50 GMT
Make my own wash w/floor wax and ink. Dark brown wash over everything not skin tone. Face and hands get a red/brown wash over a light flesh paint. Use straight floor wax to dilute where necessary. Black wash over brass/steel. Highlight after wash. Clear spray. Usually do a gloss coat then a satin coat (clear). Very interesting Pinotnoir. Can I please ask you to specify which ink you are using, since “ink“ has different meanings depending on the translation?
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Washes
Dec 1, 2020 21:24:13 GMT
Post by Zaphod on Dec 1, 2020 21:24:13 GMT
Spent a lot of time thinking about washes. Mostly after ruining some figures with Army Painter Quick Shade.
Well, it says you can should dip the figures on the tin, at least in things I’ve seen and read. Didn’t think that was wise, so thought I’d proceed cautiously, and use a paint brush. Sploodged the stuff all over my lovely airfix highlanders - with carefully painted kilts - and noticed that the stuff was pooling quite badly in all the folds. Figured it would dryout — in the same way that PVA dries out leaving a perfectly thin layer. Of course it didn’t. Looked at them next morning and not only were the tartan patterns gone, so too was most of the intricate detail on their jackets, replaced by a thick brownish layer of lacquer. Bugger!
Quick Shade has a certain smell which, in truth, I quite like. And it leaves a rock hard surface, which again is a definite plus when you’re dealing with flexible plastic figures that are likely to be heavily handled. But it needs to be applied with utmost respect. I tend to use it extremely sparingly these days, especially on figures. I tried it on terrain, which also gets a lot of heavy handling, but the glossy sheen it leaves is quite hard to paint over, and it makes drybrushing almost impossible. I still have more than two-thirds of a tin left and doubt that I’ll ever use all of it.
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Washes
Dec 1, 2020 21:48:43 GMT
Post by Zaphod on Dec 1, 2020 21:48:43 GMT
From what I understand, Pledge floor wax is an acrylic resin. It’s the poor man’s version of the medium that pigment particles are suspended in in acrylic paint. Most paint manufacturers sell a version of this — generally known as acrylic matte medium. It allows you to thin the paint without the negative side-effects of adding too much water.
As for ‘inks’, they are paints but with very fine pigment particles. Again, what you want for full compatibility with your other acrylic paints is acrylic ink — suspended in an acrylic medium. Vallejo make a range in their usual dropper bottles. If you intend to use a lot of it, inks are also available from the big art companies like Daler-Rowney. I have some beautiful gold ink from a company called Manuscript, which produces the best metallic gold finish I’ve ever seen in any brush-applied paint. Whereas my Daler-Rowney sepia seems to be quite sludge-like and not altogether satisfactory.
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Washes
Dec 2, 2020 8:14:41 GMT
Post by paintdog on Dec 2, 2020 8:14:41 GMT
Spent a lot of time thinking about washes. Mostly after ruining some figures with Army Painter Quick Shade. I'd agree: "Handle with caution".
I've seen some good results with dipping but it depends on some very vigorous post-dip shaking to get the excess off. My experience has been with brushing. As you've indicated, it pools. You need to be vigilant and wipe off excess. That being said, a normal wash has similar issues. You can have some problems with pooling also.
Like you, I'm not sure I'll ever "dip" again. However, if I wanted to get 2-300 Confederates done quickly, I'd use it.
Recipe: white undercoat.
flat colours applied
paint on AP Quickshade strong tone
a one colour high light (esp. faces: makes the figures pop. Maybe a highlight on the tops of folds on the clothing)
brush/spray matt coat.
Seriously, you could easily do this in a week or so & they'd be good "wargames' standard" figures.
donald
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Washes
Dec 2, 2020 9:08:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2020 9:08:44 GMT
I think its gonna be like many things, trial and error. I will do some discarded figures, horses and guns, painted up to test on before going on to my proper figures.
I very much doubt i would dip the figures in if i do decide to use those tins but will most probably try applying via a brush carefully. I think going the brush route will allow more control than just dipping. I can put a little amount on a brush at a time and apply carefully, if need be, can use little bit more and so on. Will probably do that anyway even with the washes in dropper bottles to start with. Dont want go slapping a wash on and then regret it. Might do some test ones that way though just to see what it looks like/how it behaves etc.
Do the same tones used on figures work on the artillery or is a more dark/black wash better for those? Would Napoleonic field artillery of had much in the way of oil/grease? Then theres maybe mud and dirt etc. What sort of ideas do you have about weathering these and their limbers/caissons. Weathering is definately a alien subject to me as i get lost with all the paints, powders etc on the market!!!
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Post by Tripod on Dec 2, 2020 11:18:31 GMT
I use a water based wood stain as a wash(cheaper than army painter). I brush it on after diluting/ thinning with water. This method also reduces those dark pools you can get thicker products and any you do get can be wicked off with a brush.
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