Thread: Wash / ridges / aaaahhhhrrrgggg

Hi guys, stumbeled on this site after some extensive seraching for people that knows what they are doing ;-)

I have started up modeling again after a 10 year break, so basically I am back to scratch...

My model sho guy said to do this to work the wash thing:
1 - airbrush the model
2 - Clear lacquer it
3 - mix oilpaint with thinner
4 - apply small drops with small brush and it should "just slide along the ridges and fill it in nicely"

I think I have gotten the mix right, so I know the "wash" works, and i have laquered the (many many many) experiment pieces, but i fails:

It does not flow longer than a centimeter at most, and this i have to refill the 'flow' and get blobs... The blobs are 'supposed to be oh-so-easy to remove with a wet cotton bud, this just makes the 'wash' become a bigger washed out miss-coloration where I don't want it... It's just not working for me. I have gotten the airbrushing down to a science and am very happy with it - this next step would make my model(s) really shine out, but all i am left with are pieces that looks like someone dropped a mug of coffee on top of them...

Any beginner tips'n'trix?

// Jo

If you're only looking to bring out the detail in the panel lines, I highly recommend a set of artists pencils, prior to clear coating the model. You can get them in a number of colors, typically there is one that is a fair shade darker but the same base color (like dark green vs light green). I'll just trace the panel lines.

Another technique I'll use is a basic number 2 pencil sharpened to a fine point. You can grind off a bit of the graphite and smudge it with your finger to create exhaust stains, muzzle burns from machine guns, gear stains, etc. You can do rust with brown pencils... you get the idea. If you foul up.. you can erase it with with a soft rubber eraser - nothing lost!

This all works excellent, but I've only had good results on flat paint.

Washes are a pain in the rump.