When to apply a wash

[Aria Amberhawk]

After reading a few articles and watching a video tutorial on applying a wash to create shadow lines... I was left confused as to when I should use this technique (specifically in regards to the face).

One told to apply the wash right after priming the miniature while another showed using it after applying the 1st base coat.

I am using Master Series paint by Reaper, although for the moment I am using Face Wash by Citidel if this makes any difference. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KatieG]

Well, I\'m afraid you aren\'t going to really like my answer, which is: it depends.

However, since it sounds like you\'re pretty new at this, I will try to give a better answer. If you\'re using Citadel\'s flesh wash, it\'s designed to be used after the basecoat. You\'ll probably have to go back and \"clean up\" afterwards though, washes can be messy.

The longer answer is, you use a wash whenever it gets the job done. I\'ve basecoated with paint not much thicker than a wash. I\'ve washed after highlighting. Nowadays, though I don\'t wash much, instead I thin my paint like a wash, but take the excess off my brush using a paper towel, and put it exactly where I want it (whether that\'s lining the space between two parts or deep in the folds of a cloak etc.) Hope this helps!

 

[EldinTux]

I\'ll just reiterate what KatieG says. I still do use washes quite a bit & it depends on the mini.

The most common time is just after the 1st base coat, but I sometimes also use them to pull a whole area together if I have made the difference between highlight & base to great towards the end.

Hope this helps.

 

[DaRat]

I\'ve done both.

Sometimes, I apply the wash right after priming to darkline. In this case, I usually use a brown \"magic wash\" using 1 part Reaper MSP Brown Liner, 3 parts Matte Medium, and 3 parts water.

However, when I want to shade more than darkline (or when I am painting skeletons), I apply the wash after I apply the base coat.

 

[matty1001]

Go nuts, do it twice.

 

[Aria Amberhawk]

Thanks for all of the advice... I get the gist of what you are saying. I\'ll do a test run using both techniques (before and after the 1st base coat) to see what works best (or go nuts and do it twice)

One more question, though... is the Citidel \"Face Wash\" meant to be applied as-is straight out of the bottle, or should it be diluted with water? This is the 1st time I have used the product, and it seemed to act more as a thin paint (evenly covering the area meant to be shaded) rather than collecting in the nooks and crannies as I had expected it to.

Is this just a mistake on my part with the application of the wash? I did try to \"mop up\" the excess with a slightly damp, clean brush, but all I accomplished was evenly distributing the wash all over the face area.

 

[NINJAWIZARD]

Inks/washes should be thinned down, IMO. You can always add more coats to get the darkness right, but you can\'t take coats away if it\'s too dark after 1.

To help with getting it in the nooks and crannies, mix up a bottle, jar, whatever, of Water and EITHER Futures Floor Wax (available at most grocery stores in the US), or dishwashing liquid (very little). This helps break the surface tension, and allows it to pool in the cracks.

Be careful when washing like this, and don\'t overdo it. You don\'t want huge pools of it, just enough to seperate the parts you\'re trying to accentuate.

 

[KatieG]

It definitely needs to be thinned. To be honest I don\'t like it much because it\'s too shiny. I tend to use darker shades of paint to wash instead of inks (of which, flesh wash is one). This creates it\'s own problems though, like if you think the paint too much you need to add binder of some sort. Welcome to the world of Paint Additives