What do you use for your washes?

Bubba Ho-Tep

Mongoose
I was just curious about what everyone use for their washes. I have used inks thinned with a 3 to 1 ratio as well as paints thinned to the same ratio, with varying results.

So all you painting gurus out there give me some tips.
 
I generally use some old ass GW Inks (about 15 years old!) which I thin with water. I used to use paint thinned down with water, but I prefer inks overall.
 
I have done some experimenting with "Future Floor Finish" as a thinning agent/ carrier for both ink and acrylic paint washes.

Future Floor Finish is available at your local supermarket here in the USA for about $6.00 USD for 27 fluid ounces. It is a pure clear acrylic so it makes a very strong wash, and it acts as a surface tension remover to allow the wash to really settle into all those little details. It also has a pleasant fruity odor.

I thin it and then experiment until I get the exact wash shade I desire and store the particular wash mix in 1 pint canning jars with label.

The future floor wax also works beautifully as a gloss clear protective coat when applied by itself. You clean your brushes with soap and water, just the same as for any acrylic paint.

Once dry, over night, spray with a matt artists finish and you have a good looking, well protected painted figure.

Actually experimenting with dipping figures in this type mixture at the moment, because you can achieve virtually any color of wash to any intensity you desire.
Once dry you can then drybrush or use any other painting process you desire for effect with the darker wash in the recesses. I have been able to really speed up the painting of rank and file with this technique. Without the objectionable side effects of the normal dipping iprocess involving wood finishes. With this process I have full control of color, hue, intensity etc. by simply experimenting, anyone can do the same.

If your local store does not have "Future Floor Finish" (It is a liquid acrylic product by SC Johnson Company) look for a similar product that is available to you locally.

I hope this is of interest to some, and stirs some creative juices in all. :D
 
Watered down GW inks or very watered down acrylic paint. It really depends on what effect I want.

I do find inks provide a better pigment load than the watered down paints, though inks can get a touch shiny - but that really helps when you are making a glazed, laquered or varnished effect.

I also find inks can be better for mixing to alter the colour of the paint, when shading.
 
I use the "Magic Wash", which is the mix of Future and water to thin Winsor Newton acrylic ink's. Usually a 10:1 to a 10:3 mix.

I usually use a burnt umber ink or every once in a while, I'll use black. But I won't use the black unless I cann't help it.

Sometimes I get good results when I wash in the same basecolor after I've drybrushed it. It seems to smooth my drybrushing out and stops the "chalky" look.

But I ain't no professional, so take my advise with a grain of salt.
 
Hey Buggrit No I don't work for SC Johnson. :D

I just wanted to be sure the advice I gave was understood to have only been tried with Future Floor Finish. I would really hate to have someone buy the wrong product and mess up a paint job they had spent a lot of time doing. :D :D

I just love that Fruity fresh aroma of Future Floor Finish, I say
Future Floor Finish!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: sorry just could not resist.
 
CudaHP said:
Hey Buggrit No I don't work for SC Johnson. :D

I just wanted to be sure the advice I gave was understood to have only been tried with Future Floor Finish. I would really hate to have someone buy the wrong product and mess up a paint job they had spent a lot of time doing. :D :D

I just love that Fruity fresh aroma of Future Floor Finish, I say
Future Floor Finish!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: sorry just could not resist.
*Fumes* I say Fumes :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
I will have to try the future floor stuff. I used to use airbrush medium. I wonder can the future floor stuff be used to resurect a paint pot. Mine are getting kind if thick.
 
I use ink thinned with water or Tamiya acrylic thinner, Acrylic artists or just plain quink pen ink, with a drop of acrylic varnish in it to stop the ink bleeding when over painted. I also use thinned paints but prefer to use those like Foundry's or artists acrylics with high fine pigment content in this respect and water them down a lot.

I do Glazes much the same way but mix in a lot more Varnish generally gloss as mat varnish is not actually clear
 
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