A wash with oils for the first time.

zokissima

Member since
July 2003
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

A wash with oils for the first time.

Posted by zokissima on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 7:03 AM

Hi all
Up to now, I've been using Grumbacher artists acrylics (they come in a tube) for my armor washes. However, more and more I see the professionals using oil-based paints. SO this weekend, I made a trip to Michael's and bought three tubes of oil paint; black, raw umber, and something siena, can't remember the exact name.
Anyways, my questions:
1) What can I thin the paints with to use as a wash? I've heard that turpentine works well. Also, what can I use to clean my brushes with afterwards? I've heard of white spirits, but frankly I have no idea what they are, so if anyone can elaborate on that, it'd be appreciated, and what the advantages of one over the other are.

2)When I lay down the wash, I'm assuming that the thinner will evaporate quikcly (relatively) and leave the paint in the recesses. Since oil paint dries slower, will I be able to blend in this paint after it's on the model?

Thanks!

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rjkplasticmod

Member since
February 2003
From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State

Posted by rjkplasticmod on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 8:01 AM

Mineral spirits is what I use to thin oils for washes. You can find Mineral Spirits anywhere they sell lacquer thinner or turpentine. You could also use turpentine, but I don't like the odor or the sticky feel of it. I clean my brushes with lacquer thinner, but don't use that as a thinner for a wash, it's much too hot & may damage the paint job. Oils do dry slower, so you have time to do some blending, but washes are more thinner than pigment so they still dry relatively quikly.

Regards, Rick

RICK

At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...

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waikong

Member since
December 2002
From: NYC, USA

Posted by waikong on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 8:48 AM

I use low order mineral spirits as both a thinner and as a brush cleaner. The smell of Laquer is just too strong for me.

My website: http://waihobbies.wkhc.net

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mass tactical

Member since
February 2003

Posted by mass tactical on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 11:11 AM

the use of mineral spirits with your oil colors. Make sure that you use a cured gloss coat (Future) prior to using your oil wash. This wash will not penetrate Future so it's easy to wipe off.

Mike M

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 11:27 AM

echoing Goldens post. Make sure you gloss coat it before the wash or you will darken all of the colors

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zokissima

Member since
July 2003
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Posted by zokissima on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 12:54 PM

Thanks for the info. I called Home Depot, and they carry it in quarts and gallons, so one purchase should last me a while.

As to the gloss coat, I'm going WAY against the norm here, but I've never applied gloss coats prior to my washes, as they're usually localized to recesses, joins, and not overall washes. I'll try the standard fare first ,then if it's no good, I'll try the gloss on first.

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ABARNE

Member since
February 2003
From: Southern California, USA

Posted by ABARNE on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 2:00 PM

I would avoid using turpentine as a thinner. I recently applied a turpentine based wash to my T-34, and it ate away at the finish something fierce. In a the areas under the sponsons, where I was more liberal in application, it orange peeled through a couple well cured coats of Future over a couple more well cured coats of enamel. In other areas where I gave it a light pplication, it still kind of lifted and roughened the Future. Fortunately, it's a tank and a T-34 at that, so I'll be able to hide most of it and refer to the rest as "wartime production workmanship".

For my turrent which I washed separate from the hull, I used regular enamel thinner. It worked great with the oil paints, and did not eat through the Future.

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tho9900

Member since
July 2004
From: SETX. USA

Posted by tho9900 on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 6:27 PM

Yeah the future over the paint is a must if you don't want it to affect the undercoat... also it allows a little better surface to get the wash into tiny crevices etc without it sticking to the paint..

there is a couple of good articles about it on swanny's website. swannysmodels.com - one on future as an overcoat and one on weathering techniques...

---edit---

what they listed to thin oils with works well, I use "Turpentine subsitute" mine is called Turpinate and I have heard of Turpatine as well... no smell, not oily and it does the job... you can get them at Hobby Lobby and Michaels... they also have water soluable oils at michaels but I haven't tried them yet, bought a tube but it didn't say water soluable on the tube so I dont know which one it is!

---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!

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saltydog

Member since
July 2003
From: Lower Alabama

Posted by saltydog on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 10:04 PM

i agree, mineral spirits is the best to thin and apply a wash with. turpentine is only a couple notches below lacquer thinner on the "hot" scale, so i'd stick with mineral spirits. later.

Chris

The Origins of Murphy's Law: "In the begginning there was nothing, and it exploded."!!! _________ chris

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 9, 2005 2:47 AM

I have found Humbrol Enamel thinners to be really good for an oil wash. It seems to be very mild, wicks along the panel lines really well and i've never had it damage an acrylic gloss coat of Pledge One Go (Aussie Future). I have heard that lighter fluid works very well also but I have never tried it. Zokissima, you may find that a gloss coat will help by allowing the capillary action drawing the wash along the panel lines to work better, plus if some wash gets where you don't want it I think it will be easier to clean up without leaving marks etc.

Cheers...Snowy

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abutt2

Member since
February 2004
From: NW Connecticut

Posted by abutt2 on Wednesday, February 9, 2005 9:52 AM

I went to Naptha as the thinner for oil washes because of the high evaporation rate. I don't use a gloss coat under because I don't wipe the wash. I float it on well thinned, adding pigment as needed, and move it around with a brush. I found a bunch of small plastic cups with covers at the super market. They fit so tightly the oil paint is often OK to use even after several days. Fun trying a "negative" wash like I did on my german- gray finish on my Tiger I. I used yellow ochre and it gave a wonderful dusty look to the tank.

Bud

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