What protecting coat should I use before wash?

A thin coat or two of Future should do the trick, but always make sure your base colour is not too fresh..! Wait a few days to let it dry.

However, Future will give you a certain shine, and might mean re-spraying the whole model with a flat varnish later, in a way dulling the weathering effects you have been trying to achieve. (for instance petrol stains might not look as matt as the camouflage... and bare metal revealed by chipped paint will look much duller too..)

This is whay I find it SO MUCH EASIER to use water-based artist paints (in tubes) to do my washes. There's no reaction with underlaying enamels or acrylics, does not require any 'sealant' before, not after, and can easily be washed away (when I'm not happy with the look!)

djmodels-
Do you think water-based artist's paints (I assume we're talking acrylics) work better for washes than acrylic modeler's paint (e.g. PollyScale, Tamiya)?
I've been using PollyScale and have discovered that when cleaning up the wash, I sometimes get water marks.

No, there's a difference between artist acrylics and artist watercolours... You'll find both in craft/artist shops. Famous brands are Windsor & Newton, Cotman, Blockx, Daler-Rowney (they also have spirit based artist colours of course).

Acrylics are made with alcohol while I'm talking about water-based paints. Washes made with acrylics, be them the one I'm refering to or with Tamiya, Pollyscale, Humbrol,.. are more difficult to remove once dry.

Add a drop of vinegar in your acrylic or watercolour, and it will help reducing the watermarks. Add also a drop of washing-up liquid to reduce the water' surface tension and have a wash that flows everywhere.

I have found that it is a good idea to use a different formula clearcoat to prevent the wash from damaging the color coat or interacting with the clear. Using an acrylic clearcoat before washing will definitely help.

Hi guys:

Thank you so much for your answer, I will try to use furture to add a coat to it. And is that the acrylic clear paint(I use tamiya) to cover my enamel paint base, then I use enamel paint to perform wash will not affect the base? Thanks for your reply!!

From Hell-Judge, a AFV lover.

I've read about Future being a good protective coat, but I can't find out from my old FSM mags. how to apply. Do I spray or brush, and do I dilute it with what?

an old modeler!

In reply to POMAHOB, romanoff, Future can be sprayed or brushed, does not need to be diluted, and cleans up with isopropyl alcohol, or acrylic thinner.

Thanks, jcarlberg, now I can finish my "Puma".

FUTURE[:0] always protect that nice paint job and weathering (especially with pastels) with Future. You can't go wrong.

Try this. Spray the model with Future Wax and let dry for a day. The next step is to prepare the wash (10 parts of thiner 2 parts paint 2 parts dish detergent). 10 drops of paint thiner 2 drops dark paint 2 drops dish detergent soap. The paint should be dark gray or black. Mix it well. Then, take a small brush and dip in wash ( Not to mush!) then aply it to lines on the model. after the wash dries, wipe down with a damp cloth. For landing gear, use a small paint brush and lightly touch the area were you want the wash. The wash should move down the crevesess. PLEASE, try this on a old model and get some practice. This method worked for me but only after lots of practice. good luck!

Al