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.

Hello Dakka, was wondering if any of you have tried using white as a wash color? I'm painting plasma coils on my weapons and wanted the deepest recesses white with the raised ribs purple/red. Would basing in purple and red then washing it with a couple coats of white work or would it be better to base in white and then drybrush purple/red over the top?

I personally havent tried it but yea look up oil washes. I know there's been some pretty great effects for exactly this with it.

I dont think washing with white is the best idea as this is generally used for a weathering technique. Its best to put the work in and work up from a white base

 Gordon Shumway wrote:
Hello Dakka, was wondering if any of you have tried using white as a wash color? I'm painting plasma coils on my weapons and wanted the deepest recesses white with the raised ribs purple/red. Would basing in purple and red then washing it with a couple coats of white work or would it be better to base in white and then drybrush purple/red over the top?

You got it backwards mate, I would recommend using darkest blue over whole area, once dry, lightly drybrush with regal blue, then enchanted blue, then ice blue, then space wolf blue, wash with GW blue wash, once dry, highlight with white or space wolf blue.

 Big Mac wrote:

 Gordon Shumway wrote:
Hello Dakka, was wondering if any of you have tried using white as a wash color? I'm painting plasma coils on my weapons and wanted the deepest recesses white with the raised ribs purple/red. Would basing in purple and red then washing it with a couple coats of white work or would it be better to base in white and then drybrush purple/red over the top?

You got it backwards mate, I would recommend using darkest blue over whole area, once dry, lightly drybrush with regal blue, then enchanted blue, then ice blue, then space wolf blue, wash with GW blue wash, once dry, highlight with white or space wolf blue.

If I wanted it to look like it was hotter on the outer parts (ribs), yeah, this is the way to do it. However, it seems to make more sense to me that the hotter area (where it would be white) would be the inner core, not the ribs. Basically, I'm asking if it is possible to do a reverse shading with a white wash.

 Gordon Shumway wrote:

 Big Mac wrote:

 Gordon Shumway wrote:
Hello Dakka, was wondering if any of you have tried using white as a wash color? I'm painting plasma coils on my weapons and wanted the deepest recesses white with the raised ribs purple/red. Would basing in purple and red then washing it with a couple coats of white work or would it be better to base in white and then drybrush purple/red over the top?

You got it backwards mate, I would recommend using darkest blue over whole area, once dry, lightly drybrush with regal blue, then enchanted blue, then ice blue, then space wolf blue, wash with GW blue wash, once dry, highlight with white or space wolf blue.

If I wanted it to look like it was hotter on the outer parts (ribs), yeah, this is the way to do it. However, it seems to make more sense to me that the hotter area (where it would be white) would be the inner core, not the ribs. Basically, I'm asking if it is possible to do a reverse shading with a white wash.

Oh ok, instead of white, I would suggest using GW nihilakh oxide technical paint, it's normally used for aging bronze, but letting it set and using a tip of the actual paint with some water applying with a detail brush would look the part, after drying, highlight very small areas with white using the detail brush.
The technical paint flows really well, so let it do the job for you in the crevasses, if you accidentally go over areas you don't want to, after drying, use a dried brush tip to remove the cake powdery paint. If that doesn't work, use a xacto knife and lightly scrap off the paint.

I would suggest sourcing some comic artists white correcting ink to give it a try, or some gouache. You'd need quite thick pigment, and those pack a punch.

I have used white as a wash, though not for that reason. I'd just give it a try and see how it turns out.

Reverse highlighting definitely works to create a glowing effect, though I've never seen it tried on plasma guns. Will be interesting to see how it turns out for you.

I've tried painting the recesses a lighter color and the ribs a darker color before (though not white) on both plasma weapons and the original (Space Hulk V1) Genestealers. It didn't really work out for me, because the ribs are too small, and I couldn't tell recess from raised detail at any distance further than a foot or two, and then, it just looks like the dark ribs are the recesses, and the light recesses are the raised areas.

But that was a really long time ago Give it a shot, and let us know what it looks like!