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.

Just recently someone here posted a cool video of some fellow building a 1/72 scale Y Wing fighter, and it started with the guy brushing on some thin-looking black paint over the unprimed model, and it just ran right into the recesses and looked really cool.

Someone pointed out it was Tamiya ican'tremember....

I think I wasn't logged in when I read that thread, and so now I can't find it! I was thinking I'd try it on the figures from the boardgame Star Wars Rebellion, to see how it looked.

Thanks for any advice you might have!

https://www.emodels.co.uk/tamiya-panel-line-accent-color-black-87131.html

I believe it was this stuff, friend. I want some and a Y-Wing just to see it run into the recesses.

THAT'S THE ONE!

(my coworkers are all lookin' at me funny, as I shout out with glee)

Now to see if I can track it down somewhere around here...

Glad I could help! I reckon that would pick out all of the little lines in a Star Wars Rebellion figure.

Does it have any particular properties or additives that allow it to flow into the recesses? I'm looking at the shop decription and all it says is 'pre-diluted paint'.

It's probably just a black wash. The surface tension of the added water helps to draw it primarily into recesses. You can make your own by just mixing lots of water with a bit of black (or whatever dark color you like, brown works well for a rusty/dirty look) paint. I'd recommend testing it on something unimportant, because if you mix it too dark, it could discolor the other surfaces more than desired.

I use washes by Ammo by Mig for my figures and my vehicles, I do lots of planes and tank models.

You can varnish the whole model with gloss then do a wash. You let it dry for about 15 minutes then you clean up the a clean brush dipped in the approriate cleaner. In this case enamel thinner since its an enamel wash. Enamel washes are so great.

Alternative to gloss varnished you can wet an area slightly with the thinner then but on the wash. I have been doing that lately but you have to work in smaller sections.

this is a great video

https://youtu.be/nIIExRWTC3g?t=9m56s

 Vermis wrote:
Does it have any particular properties or additives that allow it to flow into the recesses? I'm looking at the shop decription and all it says is 'pre-diluted paint'.

It's thinned enamel paint and it flows into panel lines and recesses through capillary action. The benefit to using it over an acrylic wash is that it is easily removed with a cotton bud, brush, or foam makeup applicator and a little bit of enamel thinner.

Talinsin wrote:
It's probably just a black wash. The surface tension of the added water helps to draw it primarily into recesses. You can make your own by just mixing lots of water with a bit of black (or whatever dark color you like, brown works well for a rusty/dirty look) paint. I'd recommend testing it on something unimportant, because if you mix it too dark, it could discolor the other surfaces more than desired.

No, if you add water to regular acrylic paint you will NOT get something that is like Tamiya's panel accent. Tamiya's panel accent is an enamel and enamel with enamel thinners has a muuuuuuuch lower surface tension than acrylic washes or acrylic mixed with water, because of that it works its way in to the crevices much better.

If you want to mix up the same thing at home, historically modellers have just used oil washes. Mix a bit of oil paint in with white spirit or enamel thinner. That's what modellers used before Tamiya ever released their panel accent. Instead of oil paint you can use enamel paint and thin it down the same way, Humbrol, Testors and Tamiya are the main enamel paints I find in local hobby shops. Enamel paint will tend to dry faster and isn't as easily manipulated after you apply it.

Testors also makes prethinned enamel washes as do some other companies. Prethinned enamel washes are relatively new to the market because historically people would just thin them down themselves.

Tamiya's panel accent is an especially thin enamel wash, they made it super duper thin so it would pull through the panel lines on Gundam models, personally I find it too thin for my likings so I don't find myself using it terribly often.