suggestions on what colors of artist oils for wash to start with

I picked up a kit from them that wasn't too expensive,white,ochre,blue,red,burnt umber,green,yellow

The brand was winton,see if you can get a 20% coupon

You will need thinner,I went with the same brand,there are a lot of starter trays to pick from

I've bought some really cheap packs at Michaels with a 40% coupon for dirt cheap. They aren't big tubes, but last a long time. It includes many that Anthony mentioned.

i use enamel so i need to thin it with alcohol right? now iv read that to thin it with alcohol are they talking about rubbing alcohol? iv also read that some people thin with turpintine. when & why is that used?& is there pros and cons to both?

Luke, solvent-based enamel paint should be thinned with mineral spirits (aka "paint thinner").  Some thin enamels with lacquer thinner because it dries faster and maybe gives the paint a bit more "bite" for adhesion.  Likewise, brushes and spray equipment used with enamels must be cleaned with solvents such as paint thinner.  I hope that info helps. Gary

if i use paint thinner to thin my wash wont that cut into my top coat or finish? or should i use alcohol to thin my wash to go ontop of my enamel finish?

You will need a dissimilar sealing coat between your finish paint and the wash.  For example, one would use an acrylic clear coat over enamel paint before applying any solvent-based wash.   Or, one might use any of the water-based washes available.  I like the Flory washes myself (clay-based).  There's a bit of info on them here:

http://www.florymodels.co.uk/washes/

Gary

If enamel is thoroughly dry (week or so at least) one can carefully use enamel/mineral spirits washes over FLAT enamels. It tends to dull finish a bit, but if already flat paint this is okay.  Just be sparing of the amount of wash used.  Still, a sealing coat is not a bad idea for people who are just getting started with washes.

BTW, I just make the washes with regular hobby enamels and enamel thinner. It works very similar to an oil wash, and I don't have to keep duplicate colors since I already have  the enamel colors I use for washes (black, brown, earth tone).

This "washes" thing can get a bit confusing.

You  can use a variety of pigment sources (enamels, acrylics, oils, inks, etc.) each with its own diluent (paint thinner, alcohol, turpentine(oid), water, etc.)

Then you also have to consider what type of paint covers the area you are washing, enamel, acrylic, lacquer. What is placed on top of all this can also be a factor.

Some combinations work great, some combinations work great SOMETIMES.

If you use TAmiya paints, you won't need any sealer or barrier between your washes and the paint coat. They can withstand most any kind of thinner.

Get Black, White, Tan, Raw Umber or Van *** brown, and and orange to mix with the raw umber to make rust color tones, and you should be fine.

I found out the hard way that cheap artist oil blacks may not be the way to go.I got a set from Wal-Mart,and the black caused a white frosting effect.Turns out the cheap black was my problem,not the mineral spirits I am using.I was told by a club member that you will need lamp black.

hey, nothing wrong with washing with acrylics over enamels. I thin my cheap artist's acrylics with water and add abit of flat base and love the results.

Or you can do this:

www.youtube.com/watch