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07-19-2002, 05:47 PM

Guys, I have a set of roman 1st century legionarys, and I have a few of them painted. I noticed on some of the ones Jasper posted, that he used a wash of some kind. What is it? And how is it used? Also, can it be used with water based paints? "Remember, pillage first....then burn."

***Praefectusclassis*** · 07-19-2002, 06:20 PM

The general idea of a wash is simply diluted paint, which is usually used to accentuate deeper lying parts (i.e. bottom of creases etc). Catiline uses washes for his small scale figures, easier way to paint shady areas than to do it all by hand. I used a very dark brown wash to tint the bear's pelt. 
As for sorts of paint, you can use any sort of paint for this technique with the right type of solvent. Spirits/turpentine with oils & enamels, water for acrylics etc. Just take to find a type of paint with a rich, fine pigment, so that the diluted paint is still evenly coloured. Greets 
 
Jasper

07-19-2002, 06:28 PM

I don't know what Jasper used, but I can answer your question about water based paints: 
 
A wash is just what it sounds like, really: you wash the figure, or parts of it, in solvent tinted with a SMALL amount of paint or pigment, applied with a brush. It usually takes numerous applications of a wash, allowing drying time between each, to achieve the desired effect. 
 
If you use aqueous paints to paint the figure, it is easiest to use an oil-solvent based system for washes, since the wash solvent -usually mineral spirits- will not affect the underlying paint. the obverse is also true but with a caveat: aqueous solutions may bead up on a solvent-oil system, so the wash should be "doped" with a wetting agent. Some use soap, I prefer to use one of the surfactant cleaners such as "Fantastic" or "409." 
 
That being said, there are ways to use the same resin-solvent system for both base and wash: 
 
1. Use a sprayed on barrier coat. Commercial artists fixatives work well for this. So does *Future* acrylic floor "wax" (not a wax, at all, but rather a very strong, tough, crystal clear acrylic resin.) Both of these options are compatible with either an aqueous or a solvent based system. 
 
2. For aqueous washes on aqueous paint, mix ethyl or isopropyl alcohol with your wash water, somewhere in the range of 30 to 70 percent water, depending on the paints and the relative humidity. The idea, here, is to get the wash to dry rapidly, before it starts to dissolve the underlying paint. You will have to experiment with your particular paints, and vary the alcohol proportion depending on the humidity. Also, it is critical to allow the base paint to cure thoroughly using this technique. My wife has a "forced warm air" food desiccator that she allows me to use to speed the cure time from several days to one day or less. 
 
3. Use a dry wash made from artists pastels. This is by far the hardest and most labor intensive method, and it does not work well for figures smaller than 54 mm. 
 
Salve, 
Triarius 
One of the pack, maybe. One of the herd, NEVER!

07-19-2002, 06:32 PM

Interesting... 
 
I used to use the same technique when I was building tank models as a youth...washed for shadow and weathering...drybrushing for highlights....I had forgotten how to do it... Marcus Bruttius Romulus 
Optio 
Legio III Augusta

07-19-2002, 07:02 PM

Ok, my next question, is what type of paints do you guys recommend I use? (this will have a bearing on my wash as well, but I would prefer to stick with water based paints). "Remember, pillage first...then burn"
 
Magnus/Matt 
Optio 
Legio XXX

***Praefectusclassis*** · 07-19-2002, 07:14 PM

Depends on your budget, scale of the model and level of detail you want to go for. Tamiya and Vallejo are two makers of water based paints that spring to mind. I always worked with oils and enamels, but am switching to non-toxic paints too. Have started to use Vallejo, can't really report about it yet. It's very popular, but on the expensive side (and may be difficult to get your hands on) Greets 
 
Jasper

07-19-2002, 07:48 PM

Hmmm...pretty sure I can get Tamiya. I'll try that. Thanks Jasper. 
 
 
BTW, how do you pronounce your last name? "Only Trajan could go to Dacia." 
 
Magnus/Matt 
Optio 
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix"

***Praefectusclassis*** · 07-20-2002, 06:27 AM

My last name? Eeeh, that's a bit difficult to write down for the English speaking world. I explained it to Shogun once, maybe he remembers how. Greets 
 
Jasper

08-16-2002, 06:23 PM

groups.yahoo.com/group/mini-painter/ 
 
a yahoo list specializing in painting techniques, 
the citadel/GW washes are great 
 
and the last name looks like it would come out 
sounding like outhouse :-) 
(oort-like the cometary cloud, huys-like house?) 
 
Dave

***Praefectusclassis*** · 08-16-2002, 06:41 PM

Nope. Ask Graham Ashford when he's back from the Archeon. He asked me to pronounce it for him. Greets 
 
Jasper

08-16-2002, 07:18 PM

E EM "Only Trajan could go to Dacia." 
 
Magnus/Matt 
Optio 
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix"

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