Using wash

[Santacarl]

Hello All,

I've been reading a lot lately on learning how to use an airbrush. I keep running across the term 'wash'. Could someone tell me what it is used for (assuming that the term is somewhat multi faceted), when to 'wash', what to use to 'wash' with etc.

Sorry for the really, really noobish question but I'm in a learning curve so I want to make sure that I don't leave something out as I go. I learned a long time ago that if you don't fully understand HOW to perform a task/process you're likely to experience failure or less than satisfactory results.

Any links to 'how to' etc would be especially useful. Something like a step by step guide to a successful paint job.......if that makes sense.

Thanks for any responses/links offered.

SC

[Rob-UK]

As I understand it, there's different applications for wash, but all involve a very thinned down colour application.

One type is a pin wash, where a thinned down colour is run into fine gaps or corners to produce a highlighting effect. Aircraft modellers use this to highight the thin recessed panel lines in the aircraft outer surface, and for ships this is usefull to highlight raised features such as windows, doors, hatches etc.

[Zad Fnark]

There are tricks you can use with the water based washes.

If I recall (hope I'm not backwards)

Adding a touch of dish soap to the wash will help it concentrate more on the details.

Adding a touch of white glue will disperse the wash more.

Using Tamiya's Smoke will also work wonders in showing up details.

Ed

[biggles2]

After the painting stage is completed, apply a barrier (airbrush Future full strength, or a gloss coat) and allow to dry. I use artist's tube oils for the next step as one tube will last a lifetime, thinned with oderless oil for artists. Thin out a very small blob of oil paint (black works best for everything) at around 1:10 with the thinner. Use a wide flat brush with vertical strokes over all for weathering and rain streaking on the hull. If you've applied the wash too dark, you can further streak it out with a clean brush dampened in thinner (and constantly clean the brush between strokes). The oil paint with oderless thinner will usually dry overnight - some modellers will find a long dry time a disadvantage, but in this case it gives you plenty of time to remove or alter the wash if you don't like it. An acrylic wash will dry almost immediately and be difficult or impossible to remove. A pin wash applies with a slightly higher concentration of paint with a small pointy brush around, in between, and on raised detail, to outline and give more "shadow" to the detail. When the thinner has evaporated you can brush (with the wide soft brush) the residual pigment into the crevises and corners of the detail to further accentuate them. There are other methods - this is my usual one.

[Santacarl]

Thanks for the replies....I understand the concept now.....I've always just called it 'weathering' from my early days.....