Deck-wash terror!!!

[largeallan]

OK, this deck-wash totally strikes fear in my heart......my first attempt at this will be on my Varyag.

Can someone please explain the technique for creating a wash over a pre painted deck.......the planks are painted in three shades of wood already, and look ok( if i screw my eyes up), but this wash thing is intriguing me though at the same time im terrified of ruining what ive already done

I've used enamel paint thus far, and generally I use white spirits as thinner........what colour paint should be used in the wash, and how dilute?

Thanks cats....Allan

[mike mccabe]

Alan
Don't use enamel again or that way you risk damaging the paint job done already. It depends if you want the wash to highlight the planking or add further depth to the colours. In any case I would use watercolours, being water based and fine grained they are ideal for the job, just use a very tiny amount of paint to water, also add a tiny spot of washing up liquid, it helps the paint flow better. The advantage of watercolour is also that if you overdo it then you can remove much of the paint when dry with a damp brush. For shading I just use black, but you could use shades of brown depending on the effect you want. In any case follow the usual painting rules of two thin coats better than one thick.

There are plenty of others far better at me than painting but this is how I generally go about it.

Mike

[largeallan]

Thanks for that Mike, I have some watercolours somewhere in the house. I'll give that method a wee try out on my Shell Welder i have built and use as an experimental ship.

[Sylvain Auger]

I have had success using an enamel wash over existing enamel paint. The thing you have to do is wait at least 7 to 10 days after the last coat of paint on the deck. Afterward you should be able to use a dark wash over the deck with no problems.

I should mention that I use Humbrol paints exclusively on my projects. This paint is very easy to paint right from the tin and it also self-levels when brush painted so there are no brush marks.

The technique I use as been given to me by a fellow modeller from Model Warships. First I paint the deck an overall tan color and when everything is dry I use a earth brown wash over the tan. I brush the wash until the tinner becomes a bit sticky to create "streaks" that looks like wood grain. I then use a wash of black paint that I brush over everything and I wipe the excess with a non lint cloth. This operation is important because it removes the excess black paint and it gives a sense of shadows around details and it kind of fuses the tan color with the earth brown color.

You can see examples of this technique here: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

I used this technique on the Veneto and on the Hood. Bismarck and Warspite didn't get the dark wash and they used another shade of brown that ended up being a bit too orange for my taste.

Hope it helps! I too was a bit frightened when I did my first wash but it's actually easier to do than it seems. If you feel unconfortable just try it out on a test model or any piece of styrene you have lying about.

Cheers

[NukeMM]

Has anyone tried various colors of pastel chalk? I used it on a couple of 1/700 aircraft carrier flight decks to weather them. I would put a clear coat over the enamel or acrylic paint, then rub finely ground pastel chalk around the deck with a dry Q-Tip. Sometimes the chalk would fill any recesses in the surface. If I screwed up I could blow off or wipe off or wash off the chalk and start over. I have a set of chalks in earth tones in hues of brown, green, gray, and black. I got them at a craft store, I think.

[Sylvain Auger]

The chalk technique looks great Nuke! How do you "seal" the chalk dust once the application is finished? I'm curious since I might try that technique on top of the normal wash I do to get even more depth in my paint job.

[NukeMM]

The chalk is rubbed into the surface and extra is lightly blown off. I seal it with air brush acrylic clear coat.

The top photo actually does have a THE DETAILER "Black Out" ready to use wash effect on it. It appears in the seams, but the weathering on the surface is chalk over a Gunship Gray base coat. BTW - This is a 1/700 scale model.

I had asked if anyone had tried pastel chalk for the recesses in wooden deck planks. I didn't do it on purpose, but I have had the chalk rest in the seems where I didn't want it. It would have to be really, really fine powder.

[les]

I've used Tamiya's Weathering Kits on a couple of my builds. Satisfied with the results. I overshot it with Dullcoat. It tends to reduce the effect so you have to put them on a little heavier than you want the finished model to look.