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I've recently started doing pin washes on my models, mostly for panel lines and edging. Would love some advice from experienced painters on how to perfect the technique.

Acrylic and oil based paints are what I've been using, and it's been hit or miss with each.

With acrylic, I've been mixing paints with water and Liquitex matte medium. The most common mix has been Rhinox Hide and Chaos Black, which is good for deep shadows, and Beastial Brown / Blood Red for lines on yellow. (These are from the original Citadel paint range, they still work fine.)

I can control the consistency of the acrylics pretty well. When applying the washes, the paint usually blots over the surrounding area and I end up wiping it off to get it in the recesses. I would love it if they flowed more easily into the cracks.

So I know acrylic on acrylic isn't optimal, and I started using oil paints for pin washes. Mostly mixing up dark browns for the washes themselves. The oil pin washes go on well, they fill in panel lines almost automatically and don't really require a lot of work.

I've been using Linseed oil to cut the oil paints, and it takes a very, very long time to dry. I have a Land Raider I was working on over a week ago and you can still see wet spots in some areas.

I tried cutting the oil paints with turpentine instead, which gives me about the same result with a much shorter drying time. The problem with that is the smell, as well as the fact it dries a little faster than acrylics. I have to take breaks from painting more often and it's leaves a chemical smell near my paint station.

Anyone have any advice on how to either make acrylics flow a little better, or how to make preparing oil washes a little less challenging? Can you tell me what you use?

You can get odourless thinners for making washes using oil paints to cut down on the smell. There are also a few companies that sell ready made panel line washes,although these are mostly enamel based but should do the same job as the oil washes.

ODM, my friend. I use Weber oderless turpenoid for oil washes and enamel washes.

For pin washes, I suggest putting down a coat of gloss varnish, Future Floor Finish/Pledge Future Shine is awesome for both brushing on and spraying in an airbrush. Makes it much easier to clean up the lines, you don't get the wash bleeding into the surrounding paint and it wipes off cleaner when you do spill over

[url=http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html]guide to Future Floor Finish[url]

Oil paints in general take incredibly long times to dry.

You should try an enamel based wash for something that flows like an oil wash but dries in a reasonable amount of time.

Mig offered these pre-mixed which is nice. Makes it easier to be consistent.

Also make sure you gloss varnish the model before doing your washes + try using airbrush thinners for thinning your paints instead of water or flow aid.