backonthecase

Hey guys and girls. Advice required if possible please,

I purchased my very first tube of oil paint (burnt sienna) the other day and decided to have a go at the ubiquous washes. I was working sort of blind, but I got the back catalogue of my TMMIs out and started reading up.

First I tried a filter wash, dabbing little dots of paint on the surface and then sweeping them with a flat brush wet with turps. This worked ok but the subtlety was a bit unnoticable as it was a solid coloured item I experimented with (a humble Tamiya oil drum) and I've heard that this technique is mainly used on light surfaces or to break up hard-edged camouflage. Fairrrrrly successful methinks, I'll let you judge when I eventually get pics on here.

Secondly I applied a more localised wash to the relief lettering and the cap on the top of the drum. For this I just stuck a blob of paint about a few mm across in the cap of a film cannister (an EVER invaluable modelling accessory!!) and mixed in loads of turps, then sloshed this with a small-medium brush into the bit where the lettering is, in the cap-hole and a bit of a run like there's been Diesel poured out of it rather clumsily. It looked fairly effective, but I've nothing in the flesh to compare it with.

I will get some pictures on here as soon as I can. However, from what I've said above, can anyone see anything blindingly obvious that I'm doing wrong, or not doing at all, or a potentially better way of doing it? I'm also looking for more specific information as well, such as what colour washes to use with different coloured base colours, proportions of turps to paint, what colours work best to simulate different "dirt" etc...

It's the first time I've tried this so I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks in advance.
Stuart

squiffythewombat

well i use burnt sienna on figures to add depth to their faces, i mix it with turps but dont know what ratio. I basically add very small amounts of paint to turps in a mixing tray untill the consistancy looks about right! This took about 5-10 total screw ups to get right and i ruin a good few figures getting there. its jsut pratice really to be honest!

If you want a nice dirt effect, nothing beats the real thing! Wack it in a blender, then in the oven for awhile and bobs your dirty uncle!


(also you can mix it with pva/turps and spray and all sorts!)

backonthecase

Cool chappy. Thanks for that - got a grey oil paint as well now and plannin to use it to create an oily griminess on a star wars model when I get it painted. I've heard the same about dirt - the best apparently fine silt from the kerb edge cos of the scale effect. Lookin forward to gettin some more models built and gettin a chance to weather/muck about with effects!

Love the signature line by the way hehehe!!

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Bunkerbarge

I can just imagine the look on the wifes face as I stick a nice big dollop of garden mud in her blender!! She complains when I wash my hands at the kitchen sink!!!

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