GW Washes and addetives = Milky stuff

[Alowan]

Ok. I recently started to use addetives in my paints and I love it. Gives me much smoother layers, better brush control and overall less shiny surface on the mini (I think that is due to less paint on the mini aka. thinner layers)


Well I discovered a new problem today when I wanted to use some GW washes to add some definition. The problem was that after thinning the wash with my addetive mix (WN flow improver and a bit of liquitex slow dri) it made the paint on the figure turn white or seperate. I don't know excatly what is happening.

The white milky texture can be painted over and if I damp the brush and stroke over it it disappers until it dires.


Do anyone know if there are something reacting or something that makes this happen. I would really like to use thinned down washes but if I make them with water they are too uncontrollable for me.

Here are some images to show what is happening:

 

[Addasko]

I've had the same problem, but with VGC Matt Varnish. "Painting" it with pure glaze medium resolved the problem, maybe you could try? I think it should not hurt.

 

[Alowan]

I've had the same problem, but with VGC Matt Varnish. "Painting" it with pure glaze medium resolved the problem, maybe you could try? I think it should not hurt.

Well cant hurt to give it a try before I try to redo the basecoat. Thanks for the tip.

I will need to experiment with how to thin my washes - water is still an option but the brushflow is suboptimal - maybe even just doing shading manually.

 

[Zab]

The talc in the gw paint is separating out. This is a common problem. You can't over thin gw washes and glazes because this happens. You'll have to paint those white areas out and try another layer of wash. A pain I know but more wash will only make it worse.

 

[marjedi]

Use the Gw Lahmian Medium, with that you can easily thin the Gw washes.

I have used mixes as low as 3 parts Medium to 1 part Wash, without any trouble. With very nice transitions/blends as a result.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

A few comments. First, the black wash, can't remember the name of the new one, is notorious for leaving that chalky white finish. Personally, I don't buy "washes" because it's too easy to just make your own with any acrylic paint. A wash is really a verb and/or a noun. Meaning it is a pre-made or diluted acrylic paint, but it is also a technique used, in this case it sounds like you use it to quickly shade your figures. As a display painter I don't do this, however I understand and respect the principle. My point with all this theory mumbo jumbo is that you shouldn't handcuff yourself to buying only washes (noun) to apply your washes (verb). If for example you want to use black, take Abbadon Black and mix in 3-5 parts Lahmian Medium to your one part Abbadon. Boom, you have a wash. However, I wouldn't use GW's black as it is so damn glossy.

You made add a great point about achieving a less shiney surface by thinning your paint properly. Also, more importantly in this regard is that you don't want to apply too many layers of that paint, properly thinned or not. For me, when I learned this it drastically improved my painting. Everyone talks about properly thinning our paints. But nobody ever mentions that putting on too many layers of this properly thinned paint is catastrophic!

Finally, just remember that these additives are designed to be used with the acrylics for which they are named. So using Liquitex and WN with GW paints is likely to give strange results. At best, it will take some time to figure out the optimal recipe. So the above poster who advised for you to use Lahmian Medium is right on the money!!! It is a glaze medium, so not only will it give you the brush control that you desire, but it also acts as a minor retardant, so you won't need the slo-dri. I use Lahmian medium all of the time. If I want to do an extra thin glaze, like for skin tones or two tint a surface, I'll simply add more Lahmian. I have tried out other glaze mediums too, and trust me when I say that Lahmian is superior in everything but price. I use about a pot per mini.

Hope ps my ramblings were helpful to you and others. I really consider myself a student of technique...

 

[Alowan]

Thanks, I will try that.

But does the medium actually have an effect on surface tension? It is the main reason I like the flow improver so much since the paint goes off the brush a lot smoother.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Oh yeah, it definitely does. Plus acts as a mild retardant plus helps blend. The ultimate medium.

 

[Trevor]

Vallejo matt varnish works well for me for thinning GW washes.