Vallejo Game Inks Washes and/or Glaze recipes?

[Flagg]

Hey Guys -

I'm looking to create some washes and glazes with some Vallejo Game Inks.

I've seen recipes for creating washes. In "Les' Wash Recipe" for example he calls for Daler Rowney brand Acrylic Artist Ink.

I did a little bit of experimentation and it SEEMS that the results I'm getting the with the VGIs are maybe lighter than they would be with say the Daler Rowney brand. So, I'm thinking that Vallejo has some kind of recipe going on here maybe with some matte medium already mixed in possibly resulting in a less "condensed" ink perhaps?

But, I haven't mixed up my own washes/glazes before, so I really don't know what I'm doing. Right now I'm leaning towards just getting some Daler Rowney Inks and following Les' recipe exactly so I can be confident of the results, but since I already have a few Vallejo's I thought I'd ask if anyone has used them for this, and how they are mixing it up?

I've searched fairly broadly trying to find some info on this, but it seems there's not a lot of discussion on this brand of ink.

I have some Liquitex Glaze Medium and Matte Medium, as well as both of the Vallejo brand.

I know one option is to "just try different mixes" but I'm just trying to save some time and materials. That is, if anyone has used this successfully and wouldn't mind sharing.

Also, I'm a little puzzled as to what brands of artist inks are "pigment" based and which are "dye" based. For some glazing techniques I have in mind, I want to be able to apply tinting to certain areas, so I'm thinking a "dye based" ink would be better for that?

Any insight would be very much appreciated!

 

[MAXXxxx]

VGC Inks are already prethinned. Think of them as the result with the wash-recipe.

So no need for further mixes (with the exception of when using them, then of course you'd need to thin them with your preferred medium (water/thinner/XY medium)).

But to be completely honest I don't find them really good for washes. The GW ones are much better in that regard.

Most of the time I use them only for glazes if at all. While I love the VMC transparents, I have problems with the whole VGC line (including the VGC inks) so I tend to avoid them if I can.

 

[Einion]

I have some Liquitex Glaze Medium and Matte Medium, as well as both of the Vallejo brand.

I know one option is to "just try different mixes" but I'm just trying to save some time and materials.

Liquitex's Glaze Medium is a perfectly good starting point for making your own wash/glaze mix, come to that so is matt medium.

Regardless of how good any existing formula is, because your tastes or requirements might be quite particular you could well end up using a formula of your own instead - even people who use one of the popular recipes will thin with water for certain applications, and that alone counts as a different formula. So it really can be unique to each person when you get right down to it.

As far as saving materials go, I appreciate where you're coming from but I think you can spare the few drops a number of comparisons would take And seriously, the experimentation could teach you some important things; even tries that turn out rubbish can be important lessons.

Also, I'm a little puzzled as to what brands of artist inks are "pigment" based and which are "dye" based.

If there are any colours that are opaque, the range is pigment-based (the maker will usually make a point of referring to this in the product literature anyway). The inks that are truly transparent across the board are the dye-based ones.

For some glazing techniques I have in mind, I want to be able to apply tinting to certain areas, so I'm thinking a "dye based" ink would be better for that?

They'd be good for it but not necessarily essential - some pigments are more than transparent enough.

Einion

 

[Bloodhowl]

Hey Guys -

I'm looking to create some washes and glazes with some Vallejo Game Inks.

I've seen recipes for creating washes. In "Les' Wash Recipe" for example he calls for Daler Rowney brand Acrylic Artist Ink.



I did a little bit of experimentation and it SEEMS that the results I'm getting the with the VGIs are maybe lighter than they would be with say the Daler Rowney brand. So, I'm thinking that Vallejo has some kind of recipe going on here maybe with some matte medium already mixed in possibly resulting in a less "condensed" ink perhaps?

But, I haven't mixed up my own washes/glazes before, so I really don't know what I'm doing. Right now I'm leaning towards just getting some Daler Rowney Inks and following Les' recipe exactly so I can be confident of the results, but since I already have a few Vallejo's I thought I'd ask if anyone has used them for this, and how they are mixing it up?

I've searched fairly broadly trying to find some info on this, but it seems there's not a lot of discussion on this brand of ink.

I have some Liquitex Glaze Medium and Matte Medium, as well as both of the Vallejo brand.

I know one option is to "just try different mixes" but I'm just trying to save some time and materials. That is, if anyone has used this successfully and wouldn't mind sharing.

Also, I'm a little puzzled as to what brands of artist inks are "pigment" based and which are "dye" based. For some glazing techniques I have in mind, I want to be able to apply tinting to certain areas, so I'm thinking a "dye based" ink would be better for that?

Any insight would be very much appreciated!

I have plenty of the materials to make up Les' Washes, but I don't remember what colors I have off hand. If you let me know what colors you are looking to mix, I can mix up one or two for you to try and compare to the Vallejo, if you like.

 

[Flagg]

Thanks all for the feedback so far. Bloodhowl, that is an incredibly generous offer, but I can't ask you to go to the trouble.

I'll fiddle with the VGIs and see if I can come up with decent recipes for a wash and a glaze. @MAXXxxx: I dunno, they are thin, but the VGI seem pretty vibrant out of the bottle.

One thing I'm scratching my head a bit is having a uniform "subject" to test different recipes on. I could prime up a bunch of "test" minis, but then I have to strip them later, and then I don't really have a reference sample later on of the "winning" recipe.

So, what I was thinking is maybe some kind of pebbled or textured "sticker" of some sort that I could prime, then test out the recipes, then cut off a piece of this and adhere it to the storage bottle after the wash or glaze is mixed up. I think something textured will be important so I can observe the pooling and flow properties of each mix.

But, I'm kinda drawing a blank on that. I wandered through Home Depot the other day to get some ideas, but nothing popped out. (I tried a textured drawer liner, but that didn't work out very well). Best I can think of is like a non-slip bathtub sticker (can't find locally, will need to get online I guess), but something more like a 1" round for uniformity would be ideal.

Any other ideas guys?

 

[Bloodhowl]

Thanks all for the feedback so far. Bloodhowl, that is an incredibly generous offer, but I can't ask you to go to the trouble.

Any other ideas guys?

On the washes, it would be no trouble. Takes all of about 2 minutes to mix up.

For surfaces to test your mixes, try textured Sheet Styrene like below:
View attachment 18865

It should be large enough for you to section it off and try multiple mix ratios.

It's usually used in model railroading or scale modelling for making buildings. Look for Plastruct or Evergreen products at Hobby Shops that stock Model Railroad supplies. You can also order online from:
http://www.plastruct.com/ (you have to download the catalog to see the products, pg 56 for patterned sheets. Click on the sunburst thing above the picture of the catalog cover on the home page to download eh full pdf version. )

http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/index.htm

 

[Flagg]

Quick update on this...

Thanks for the Plastruct suggestion Bloodhowl. I looked around locally and couldn't find a place that carried it or other textured styrene. Was gonna order some online, but found an alternate...

At Michael's or Joann's (sorry don't remember which one!) I found some textured paper/cardstock that worked out pretty well.

It was in the scrapbooking section. Texture is deep enough to give an idea as to the flow properties of whatever mix/recipe.

View attachment 19088


The stickers on the back say "The Paper Company" in Lincoln Park NJ. The one on the left is "Coarl Mica EMB 8.5x11", the right "Franchise Basketball 8.5x11". Unfortunately I could not find a working website for this company. Supposedly it is http://www.anwcrestwood.com/ but that's non-functional (at the moment anyway).

Anyway, these I sprayed a few light coats of white primer first, then tested the washes/glazes. Worked well.

 

[Eaker]

View attachment 19088


The stickers on the back say "The Paper Company" in Lincoln Park NJ. The one on the left is "Coarl Mica EMB 8.5x11", the right "Franchise Basketball 8.5x11". Unfortunately I could not find a working website for this company. Supposedly it is http://www.anwcrestwood.com/ but that's non-functional (at the moment anyway)

Thank You! I have been looking for something like this for months (make that years). Figures as soon as I visit the coolmini forums and join I find it! Amazing!!!:doh: