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I notice lots of high level modelers, including the guys at forgeworld, use oil washes, i.e. oil based points thinned with paint thinner. I was suprised to see the forgeworld guys use this even when doing a brown or black wash instead of using devlin mud or badabad black. Nuclealosaur on youtube does the same thing, despite using acrylics for everything else.

It find it even more interesting that they don't mix their own acrylic washes, but instead invest in a totally different set of paints specifically for washes.

Do oil based washes have some benefit over a acrylic based washes?

Oils have a superlong drying time and blend really well, which is a massive advantage.

Imagine being able to apply a coat of paint one day, check it the next, decide you want ot do something different and take the entire coat off with a little white spirit.

I use oil washes for blending in battle damage and rust/dirt effects mainly and I love them because you dont get the typical 'tide marks' that the GW washes give you.

Don't misunderstand me though, GW washes are amazing on miniatues with loads of detail, but on flat panels like tank sides, oils are my best friend.

There's also a secondary reason; the oil thinner does not attack acrylic varnish; so we tend to seal before using oil washes with a nice gloss varnish, then do the oil work, cleanup with mineral spriit (low odour thinner) and then reseal once it's all dry.

GW washes in all its glory!!!!

[quote=AG.
Don't misunderstand me though, GW washes are amazing on miniatues with loads of detail, but on flat panels like tank sides, oils are my best friend.

Oil washes in all there glory. They are phenomenal for weathering effects and panel lining. Oil washes also have excellent capillary action because the white spirit is so thin they will run into cracks and grooves as if they have a mind of there own. There is no reason to exclusively use oil or gw wash, use them both as they are just tools.

Wow oil washes are awesome also thanx for pointing them out .

riplikash wrote:Would that be an accurate assessment? Oil washes work on flat surfaces where GW washes don't. Could you, for example, tint a large flat area evenly with an oil wash?

Yep. Commonly referred to as a "filter" and used frequently by the AFV modeling crowd. You'd be amazed how dilute (and, therefore, transparent) you can get oil colors with no ill effect (as one would run into attempting the same with acrylics). This, coupled with the longer dry time and ability to rework drying paint by wetting with thinner is what makes them so great for weathering - you can subtly add richness and variety to a plain surface by using several colors of oil (I've seen it called "oil dot filter weathering"), relying on the translucency, then you can use the consistency of the washes to blackline panels, then you can use a combination of the long dry time and adjustable consistency/reworkability to direct and realistically feather streaks and pools.

riplikash wrote:

AG. wrote:
Don't misunderstand me though, GW washes are amazing on miniatues with loads of detail, but on flat panels like tank sides, oils are my best friend.

Ah, this seems like it could be pretty huge. I notice oil thinners are used a lot to do rusting bolt effects. GW washes are crap on flat surfaces, they pool. I could see an oil wash still working in that situation.

Would that be an accurate assessment? Oil washes work on flat surfaces where GW washes don't. Could you, for example, tint a large flat area evenly with an oil wash?

Yes, that would be an accurate statement.

One of the advantages of an oil paint is that you can use it to shade/tint large flat areas in stages, leaving one stage dry before adding another.

Yep. Commonly referred to as a "filter" and used frequently by the AFV modeling crowd. You'd be amazed how dilute (and, therefore, transparent) you can get oil colors with no ill effect (as one would run into attempting the same with acrylics). This, coupled with the longer dry time and ability to rework drying paint by wetting with thinner is what makes them so great for weathering - you can subtly add richness and variety to a plain surface by using several colors of oil (I've seen it called "oil dot filter weathering"), relying on the translucency, then you can use the consistency of the washes to blackline panels, then you can use a combination of the long dry time and adjustable consistency/reworkability to direct and realistically feather streaks and pools.

Fantastic description of why oils are great.

Well thanks everyone for the advice. I went out and grabbed some burnt umber, black, and thinner and have been testing it out on an old tank. The difference is really dramatic in how it flows and the depth of the color.

I do notice some separation of the pigments from the thinner as it settles. It ends up looking a little grainy if I don't swish it around occasionally (on the model). I'm wondering if I am thinning it too much. Any ideas what might be causing this?

riplikash wrote:I notice lots of high level modelers, including the guys at forgeworld, use oil washes, i.e. oil based points thinned with paint thinner. I was suprised to see the forgeworld guys use this even when doing a brown or black wash instead of using devlin mud or badabad black. Nuclealosaur on youtube does the same thing, despite using acrylics for everything else.

It find it even more interesting that they don't mix their own acrylic washes, but instead invest in a totally different set of paints specifically for washes.

Do oil based washes have some benefit over a acrylic based washes?

Are you looking at the IA model masterclass?

They didn't have Washes yet. this is still in the 'ink stages'

that said, I use both oil paints and acrylic washes. Both are useful, and can be used in different ways. Washes make pleasing quick and easy effects, whereas oil will look better, last better but will take longer.

Sometimes I think the simple devlan mud wash looks better. It's situational and I tend to agree oils looks better on flat surfaces, especially if you want to do things like streaking etc.

^ Couldn't agree more.

It is a fallacy saying oil paints take longer to work with...once you are satisfied with the effect hit the model with some LACQUER based clear coat and it will be dry in about 15 minutes.

I did all the oil weathering, clear coated, and used pigments and was done in about an hour.






Ashton

Well, not really a fallacy. Acrylic washes dry in just a couple of minutes. By your own admission yours took an hour.

From what I can tell it is a benefit anyways. Gives you more control.

riplikash wrote:Well, not really a fallacy. Acrylic washes dry in just a couple of minutes. By your own admission yours took an hour.

From what I can tell it is a benefit anyways. Gives you more control.

Maybe I was not so clear. ALL my weathering took an hour to do, the oil paints were dry with in 15 minutes.

Ashton

For some reason I have a hatred beyond words for oil based paints. I think its cleaning the brushes afterwards and how they takes an age to dry.

The Oil paint will naturally stay wet for days.

You need to seal it with a varnish to have it finished within 15 mins.