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I'm just beginning to feel like my painting skills are starting to get interesting. I'm willing to put a little more time into painting, and am watching more and more tutorials.

Many go into the virtues of multiple washes, and lots of layers.

Though I feel like I'm getting the hint, I'm still not quite sure why you wash, paint, wash, paint etc. I layer - that is, I'm not yet ready for blending! So taking a close look at my color gradients, it looks a bit like stripes. At 3', this is not at all noticible. Is this repeated washing supposed to help these layers blend together?

Anyone care to enlighten me, or send along links to a tutorial that explains why repeated washing and layering is better than (what I do now...) just two or three layers, no or one wash?

pancakeonions wrote:I'm just beginning to feel like my painting skills are starting to get interesting. I'm willing to put a little more time into painting, and am watching more and more tutorials.

Many go into the virtues of multiple washes, and lots of layers.

Though I feel like I'm getting the hint, I'm still not quite sure why you wash, paint, wash, paint etc. I layer - that is, I'm not yet ready for blending! So taking a close look at my color gradients, it looks a bit like stripes. At 3', this is not at all noticible. Is this repeated washing supposed to help these layers blend together?

Anyone care to enlighten me, or send along links to a tutorial that explains why repeated washing and layering is better than (what I do now...) just two or three layers, no or one wash?

Well, you have to take into consideration what the wash DOES.

Does it act as a filter, altering the tone of the model, or does it just settle into the cracks? Heavier washes are more like filters, and they serve the purpose of blurring the difference between colors if your not great at blending them via brush. A wash like that can make the transition between colors look smoother.

I personally find gradients impossible to do via brush... which is why I use an airbrush. Makes gradients SUPER simple.

It helps with blending and gives a more rich, vibrant color.

Well washes are a great way to blend. Ink is similar. What I do is if I am doing a green, I will base coat, layer, layer, dry brush, drybrush (the last is usually white) then wash it with thrakka green. As it is not a heavy pigment it doesn't really do much beyond making the colors a little more blended. When I am doing leather (snakebite leather as a base) devlin mud wash makes it perfect! as it adds a more leathery feel to the model. Another thing is If i want red leather i Use baal red. Felsh washes add tones to a models face/hands that would normally be impossible to do. Also because of the way it pools shadowing is ALOT easier