I have been following Kathy Millatt’s method of creating weathered wood from polystyrene plastic and I need to make a “black wash.” She uses it to bring out the grains and lumber edges by brushing on over acrylic paint. She then brushes out the blotches with paint thinner.
I have a few different oil based black paints, paint thinner, laquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol and India Ink. How should I make up this wash?
I haven’t watched many of Kathy’s videos, but I use india ink and 70 or 90% alcohol for a wash. No special mix formular, I just start with the ink, and keep adding the alcohol until it’s deluted the way I want it.
I’ve never tried paint. Maybe I’ll give it a shot. Maybe I should search for Kathy’s video on this, and check it out.
Mike.
I would be careful of the 90% alcohol, it is also a paint stripper
Hi Chip:
You might be interested in looking at this method of making styrene look like wood:
http://pacificcoastairlinerr.com/aging_wood/
Here is another one with some really good examples:
http://hon3annual.com/turning-styrene-into-wood/
These methods can be used a little or a lot (and IMHO sometimes too much). They are a little more labour intensive than just paint and a wash but you can get some pretty impressive results.
Dave
Just a thought, there is the create fx line of washes. I never used them yet. Worth mentioning.
Washes i do have is the india ink. I also have a highly thinned acrylic paint. I find it depends on the material as to how well it works. I want to make an oil based wash since oil has a tendancy to spread and sit more realistic then water based. The slower dry time gives you more time to work the effect too
A teaspoon or two of india ink to a pint of 70 percent alcohol is a common mixture.
Eric
You can make washes of any colour. I also use the 70% isopropyl alcohol wash of about 4 drops of India Ink per 250 ml of alcohol. I have made such washes with just plain white acrylic paint, grey, etc.
I haven’t watched the video(s), but my technique is to do this last thing after all other applications of base layer paint and dry-brushing. Gives that faded or deeply grooved look, depending on the wash.
Water-based paints can work well as washes if you add a drop-or-two of dish detergent - the same principle as “wet” water for ballasting.
This one has just a preliminary wash to tone-down the mortar effects…
Pollyscale wash on the oil house…
…and on the shop at Lowbanks…
…over a different colour brick…
These are different coloured Pollyscale washes over brick painted with Floquil Reefer Orange…
…and a close-up of the last one…
Hello all,
A wash is basically a shade.
If you begin with a give amount of the pigment; in this case India ink, and dilute it with the solvent; alcohol or water, until you get the final shade you want you could end up with a quart of wash.
I suggest begin with a given quantity of the solvent; I use 70% isopropyl alcohol, and then add the pigment in drops.
You can make a test card listing the amount of pigment used for a given wash. This way you can easily reproduce the same opacity.
Hope this helps.
Thanks anyway JJ, I didn’t mean I start with a bottle of ink and add drops of alcohol, until I end up with a gallon of wash. Geez!
To be specific, which I guess I need to be, I do start with a given amount of acohol, and add drops of ink until I get what I want.
Thank you.
Mike.
You can never be TOO specific and exact in these forums, if you don’t, you leave yourself wide open.
I use this method. Works like a charm.
You could just buy this product. It is expensive, but it works miracles.
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My friends and I call it “Skill In A Bottle.”
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-Kevin
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The liquid resulting from cleaning the painting tools can also make a useful wash. I had two levels, one for the initial rinse which ended up a mixture of different colors, and the second for the final cleaning. That initial rinse liquid, as long as there was a decent proportion of dark colors, often gave a convincing result.
John
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I have read this tip many times before, but it does not work for me. My used thinner always has a purple hue that does not work well for a reallistic wash.
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-Kevin
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