Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm building a DE raider. On the GW site there is an article that takes you step by step through the painting process.

On Step 2 it says to shad the hull with watered-down Chaos Black. And apply Badab Black to the metal. Badab Black is a wash.

I thought washes were mostly just watered down versions of the regular colors... In this case, does anyone know what the difference is between Badab Black and watered-down Chaos black?

Thanks,

Washes are kind of/sort of "watered down" versions of a regular color.

They're watered down to a specific consistency so that they'll shade, but not necessarily 'stick' if that makes sense.

GW's washes aren't watered down versions of their colours. They're a transparent colour suspended in a medium.

If you look at the effect created by Badab Black vs. watered down Chaos Black you will see what I'm getting at. The suspension medium holds the pigment in place in a certain way and creates a more consistent effect when dried.

Les from Awesomepaintjob has a tutorial for making your own washes in this forum that is worth searching for (though I'm too lazy to do it now).

Simple colored water won't pool and shade the same as a purpose-made wash, in which there are additives to manipulate flow and maintain consistent coloration. Washes like GW puts out or LBursley explains how to make are colored by inks, not paint, which results in more translucent coloring, allowing for smoother gradients when shading, subtler color shifts when glazing, and avoiding the issues of pigment separation and clotting that can arise with overly dilute paint.

The step that you cited has watered down black being applied only in the cracks to shade the model - it's watered down to provide smooth, even coverage while letting a hint of the original color show through. The metallics are washed with Badab Black instead, as the intention is to provide deep shade and, thereby, definition between individual elements, while generally slightly darkening and muting the initially bright and shiny finish.

oadie wrote:The step that you cited has watered down black being applied only in the cracks to shade the model - it's watered down to provide smooth, even coverage while letting a hint of the original color show through. The metallics are washed with Badab Black instead, as the intention is to provide deep shade and, thereby, definition between individual elements, while generally slightly darkening and muting the initially bright and shiny finish.

That's the part I was trying to understand.

Thank you!