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I am just getting into Warhammer and naturally am reading up on the various steps involved to paint the little dudes. I know there are pre-made washes one could buy, or some more involved ink recipes to make, but I was wondering about making a homemade black wash using paint. (To help with shadows on the model and such, not as the primary color). So far I know the recipe includes:

- Paint

- Water


Beyond that I am not sure. From what little I have read here (awesome site btw) I have seen people adding a tiny bit of dish soap, or regular pva (elmer's) glue to the mix. But I am at a loss of what to do. Any ideas? Please have your answer include the use of paint (assuming that I do not have access/funds for the washes/ink mixes). Unless you think paint based washes are so horrible that no one should ever use them. Thanks!

Paint washes can work, but usually the pigments get so washed out its not really worth the effort since you'd end up applying it a few dozen times.

If your you are really poor and dont' want to buy all that stuff.
Water + future floor polish + the paint color you want to wash with.
You will HAVE to use a dull coat on this when done the future has a tendancy to make it really really shiny

Ah ha, Mistress, you edited your post as I was responding to you. Heh. About the multiple coats, is that true even if I just want to darken the shadows, the little depressions, chinks in the armor?


Dysturbed, what do you mean by dull coat. Like a clear flat/dull coat at the end?

lol - add Future.

You don't have to add the whole thing. But it will make your wash perform better, I'd add some matte medium to the mix as well.

I've never tried it but I've heard you can use a little bit of simple dish soap along with your water/paint mix. Again I'd add some matte medium (get a big cheap liquitex bottle from an art store).

Ok- complete post now that my internet isn't freaking out.

Paint washes can work, but usually the pigments get so washed out its not really worth the effort since you'd end up applying it a few dozen times. It ends up being really thin paint more than a wash, washes generally use an ink base and are stronger. If you get just one ink- Devlan Mud is pretty much the 'go to' and is worth missing a cheese burger for the 4$ is costs.

I started to post a link to Les's wash recipe, but didnt think it sent when my net freaked out

Yea Les uses FW Inks and he uses a matte medium as well as something else? Im not sure, if you use a matte medium this will keep the paint from getting overly shiny, but you may also want to spray it with dull-coat at the end result.

yeah I use Testors Dull Coat comes in a small spray can can get it at any hobby store or craft store that sells models pretty much.
It's the mattest finish I have found.
I have heard some people say to use rustoleum matte varnish or Krylon Matte Varnish for 2 coats then do a coat of dull coat but it sounds a bit over kill to me.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

brush_slip wrote:Yea Les uses FW Inks and he uses a matte medium as well as something else? Im not sure, if you use a matte medium this will keep the paint from getting overly shiny, but you may also want to spray it with dull-coat at the end result.

He uses Liquitex flo-aid

Thats why mine didnt turn out! Im an idiot. I used some off brand hobby lobby stuff with a weird name. Had similar properties to the Basics brand, but it just like puddled. It as bad.

Hmm, it looks like if I can find one little jar of black acrylic ink and a non-ridiculous sized Matte Medium solution (or track down that Future product I never knew existed) I will be good to go... Hopefully the lame Micheal's nearby will have what I need, since there are no other even pseudo-convenient options.

Thanks for the lightning fast responses every one!

Michaels will have it. Not many places sell matte medium cheap and inks there will probably run you about 5.95 a bottle. Try to get a good brand not an off brand of any of it.

I hope you mean "generic" versus brand name because otherwise I'll have no clue which brand is good and which is not. Well besides the one Les mentioned in his recipe.

Yea Try to get what he has in the tutorial.

Brand shouldnt really matter- just make sure you're using all the ingredients- if you skip the flow aid/release or the matte medium it doesnt work very well. And use distilled water- tap water has minerals in it that the particles will bind too. Can cause lil lumps to form in your wash the form into little globs that look like poo on your figs

Stick to the GW washes is my advice, They dont cost much.
And they are awesome, Otherwise you should try Forgewordls, costs a little more, but you can mix them yourself. GW's washes really does the job.

Cryb

Cryb wrote:Stick to the GW washes is my advice, They dont cost much.
And they are awesome, Otherwise you should try Forgewordls, costs a little more, but you can mix them yourself. GW's washes really does the job.

Cryb

The GW's work, but they arent cheap. If you figured out their price by weight, its probly closer to liquid gold than silver

I laid out the investment to make my own washes, I spent about 70$ but I have enough raw materials to make about a gallon of washes in any color I want. So, for 70$ thats what 19(not counting tax or shipping) jars of GW wash that are 12 ml each? 228 ml of wash total(even with an online discount its only 23 bottles @ 278 ml). Theres 3785 Ml in a gallon. So, making your own is like 15 times more cost effective- probably more since the inks are the expensive part and those will last through several gallons of washes.

Im not sure I'd use a gallon of wash in my life time...Unless I poured it over a friend.

If i want a wash thats not available pre-made ive found that watering down Vallejo paints (alot) works just fine.

Dysturbed wrote:If your you are really poor and dont' want to buy all that stuff.
Water + future floor polish + the paint color you want to wash with.
You will HAVE to use a dull coat on this when done the future has a tendancy to make it really really shiny

Future does wonders! Its bright though, so i would probably just my the actual wash.
I wouldnt use soap though

Michaels will sell Liquitex Inks... they are really quite good. I found a dead ringer for the old GW Chestnut Ink in the Liquitex.

They will also sell Flow-aid and matte medium and glaze medium etc etc...

They probably won't have 'future' though... as it's just a cleaning product. Your local hardware store should carry it.

i got my huge bottle of future from family dollar or dollar general in the US.

One thing to consider with the inks was to be sure that it's a arcylic base ink so it is water compatible. otherwise you could end up with spotting if you mix it with water. That is why les was using the ink he was.