A wash that isn't a wash?

[-Ice]

I've come across a couple of "how-to's" that say "wash with dark flesh" and so I went out and bought a bottle of it... only to realize it is paint and not a wash. Is there something I'm missing here?

For example, in the how-to paint a space hulk, it says a wash of dark flesh and chaos black (2:1), but mixing both still results in paint, not wash. In how-to paint blood angels, it says to wash with dark flesh plus a drop of varnish, but no instructions on ratio and even mixing (1:1), it does not result in wash consistency.

Okay, so some may say "add some water to paint to make it a wash"... how much water-to-paint ratio is a wash? I'm a bit confused here because some say add water to paint from the pot and mix to milk-like consistency, so approx. what is the ratio here compared to achieviing wash-like consistency?

Thanks!

 

[Thetecman]

I make a wash with approx 1 part paint and 5 parts water (with a little washing up liquid added, 1 drop per 500ml of de-min water). This is with GW paints.

 

[gohkm]

You can create a wash from any paint. Add enough water to reduce the paint's translucency. I normally dilute 1 part paint to anywhere between 3 to 5 parts water. Add a spot of dish soap to break up the surface tension. It's not an exact science, just add water and observe the diluted paint's flow and opacity. It's the sort of thing that relies quite heavily on experience. Just give it a go.

 

[-Ice]

1:3 or 1:5 then. Thanks... At least I have a "baseline" to start off from. So if that's the ratio of wash, what's the ratio for a milk-like consistency?

 

[airhead]

I'd say that at 1:3, you are still at a paint/glaze - depending on the paint and the color.
I'll do washes at 1:5 up to 1:10 depending on the paint and color. (yellows cover poorly, blues and violets tend to cover better).

 

[gohkm]

I find 1:10 a bit hard to control. If you have good brush control, that may be something to try. I switched over to P3 paints to get more opacity, and at 1:5 dilution ratios, it's really working for me. Let's not turn this into a paint brand thread, but at the end of the day, don't be afraid to experiment. Eventually, you will find something that works well for you, and that might be a non-standard thing. Happy [paint] washing!

 

[-Ice]

Thanks guys! I agree, different brands may need different methods, but at least you have given me an idea of where to start from.

 

[IdofEntity]

I'd say that at 1:3, you are still at a paint/glaze - depending on the paint and the color.
I'll do washes at 1:5 up to 1:10 depending on the paint and color. (yellows cover poorly, blues and violets tend to cover better).

Where do reds fall in there? Do the cooler reds tend to cover a bit better? For instance, Crimson Gore (GW) seems to cover much better than Blood Red (GW), but is it pretty much the same across the board?

 

[Tommie Soule]

Thanks guys! I agree, different brands may need different methods, but at least you have given me an idea of where to start from.

dark flesh is perfect as it is for you at the moment, i'll talk/write/walk you through what to do in your other thread when you get to the stage that needs it.

 

[Torn blue sky]

Generally in terms of making a wash from paint, there's no real right or wrong. Depending on how much you want to darken the area you apply it to, add water. More water will obviously make it lighter, less > darker. As with all things; application and experimentation helps figure it out

 

[Quaero]

To tell you the truth, I have also been confused over what constitutes a wash or glaze etc. After some playing around I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter to me. I thin my paints quite a lot as a norm, but I thin them at different amount depending on the effect I want to create (or how much f the underlying colour I want to show through and where I want it to show on the mini) - granted I am no expert, but this seems to work for me. I also find that mixing a little washing up liquid into the water works a treat, I get smoother coverage when I do that. I have also been playing around with using filtered water (the water in London is very heavy with lime scale) and it might be my imagination, but I feel as though I have seen a difference.

As Torn Blue Sky mentioned, the key is experimentation and go with what you feel works for you.

 

[airhead]

One of the biggest diffences between washes and glazes is semantics.
Washes tend to be used to shadow/darken in the creases. Applied heavy and allowed to settle into the creases.
Glazes are similar in consistancy but applied in a much more sparing and controlled manner. Used typically to brighten up the layer underneath. (see Layering).

 

[bronzeback40]

One of the biggest diffences between washes and glazes is semantics.
Washes tend to be used to shadow/darken in the creases. Applied heavy and allowed to settle into the creases.
Glazes are similar in consistancy but applied in a much more sparing and controlled manner. Used typically to brighten up the layer underneath. (see Layering).

Washes: Darker over lighter
Glazes: Lighter over light

Do you think that helps?

 

[DarkStar]

Washes: Darker over lighter
Glazes: Lighter over light

Do you think that helps?

Not necessarily, although the part about washes being darker over light is almost always the case, glazes however can quite often be darker colors glazed over a lighter tone. A glaze being simply a transparent and thin layer of paint applied over another layer to adjust it's hue, tone, saturation, contrast, value or general appearance. You can work light over dark, dark over light, desaturated over saturated or the reverse, or the same value over the same value but in a different color to achieve color shifts.