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Afternoon all

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of using Vallejo's Liquid Metal paints combined with washes. Relatively new back into painting and trying out a lot of things for the first time so any help would be appreciated.

My plan was to use the Old Gold liquid metal to paint up SM termie emblems, then to bring it down a bit, wash it with Agrax Earthshade. The problem I have is that the wash just runs off and doesn't fill any of the details. The Old Gold seems to be too smooth so there is nothing for the wash to cling to. Maybe I pooled too much of the gold paint on there giving too much of a level surface or maybe it is the smooth nature of the paint.

I had a couple of plans to try and remedy it:

- Add some normal thinned paint to to the wash to create a thicker layer that will cling to the surface more and create a more opaque layer (bringing down the shine)
- Add some dishsoap to the wash to lower the surface tension. Not sure if this will actually make it run over the surface more though or allow a thin film
- Give a matte varnish coat (to dull down and provide more texture for the wash) and then wash again

Any of those seem like a good plan or is there something different I should be doing? Anyone run into the same issue?

Incidentally, the Silver liquid metal combined with Nuln Oil works a bit more how I expected it to but there are more defined recesses for the wash where I am using it.

Yeah, liquid gold is glossy to enhance the metallic effect and some washes don't spread on glossy surfaces well.

You could try matte coating it before washing.

If you like the glossy effect and don't want to destroy it with matte varnish and matte washes, you could try mixing up a gloss enamel wash instead.

I haven't tried dishwashing soap in this specific context, but that may work too, as you say, lowering the surface energy of the wash to allow it to spread better.