OK...I know this subject has been hashed over more times than not.....but here we go again.

I just came back from my friendly artist shop and bought tubes of Academy oil paint in Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and Mars Black, as well as thinner for them.....now I need to know how much of each to use.

I know there is no stead fast rule for this....but for those of you that are proficient with mixing washes....I am not sure what you use to mix the washes in....but say I used an airbrush bottle to mix it up in....how much paint, and how much thinner would I use? ie: if I filled the bottle with thinner....how much paint should I use.

I have heard use about a pea size for paint and fill with thinner....but fill what with thinner? I have heard it should be tinted thinner, and not thinned paint....but that really doesn't help.....its like saying thinned paint for airbrushing should be the consistancy of milk,.....but unless its white paint.....I am just not sure....LOL!!!

Anyway.....any help here would be very much appreciated!!!

BTW....the thinner I got was..Tri-Art Odourless Solvent....it says it is a mild, virtually scent free mineral spirit, ideally suited for thinning oil colors......if that means anything to anyone....I just figured it said it was mild.....it probably wouldn't ruin my paint job. Also I already know all about putting down a gloss coat over the paint job to protect the paint and make the wash flow well....so no need to go to the basics.....just need to know the basic how to mix it.

Thanks for any help you can give me!!

I can only say that I use a LOT more thinner than paint. Do you know the little tea candles that come in a small silver tin? I have an empty tin that I would guess might be close to an ounce. I take a toothpick tip and grab some oil paint with it. I would say it's smaller than a pea, maybe half as big. I mix it in until it's completely mixed. When I put it on if I don't think I have enough paint I add some more. This is a close as I can come to a 'recipe.'

Okay, my take on this.
I'll dab my brush into the top of the oil and take out about as much as half a grain of rice when I'm working on a figure. I put this into the recess at teh bottom of a take out restaurant condiment container, e.g., what duck sauce comes in when you send out for Chinese. The covers work well, too. I'll add a couple drops of thinner from an eye dropper to this and mix thoughroughly. I wipe the brush off to remove excess before I test by placin a bit of the mixture against the recycling mark or a ridge. When the paint flows nicely with capilary action while retaining it's color, I've got it right.
Depending on the effect I'm looking for, I'll either dab this along seams in clothing, bolts, panel lines, etc. or if I want to darken everything, I'll gently lay it over everything.

Remember, it's tainted thinner and not thinned paint.

One add'l word of advice... It's better to "over thin" than "under thin". If the effect is too weak, you can always go back over again. Also, practice on the underside of the vehicle before if you are really really worried!

And, btw, odorless thinner or turpenoid is perfect!

Keith

JPeiper,
When using oderless Turpenoid & Winton/Newton oil colors, the paints never semed to dissolve, leaving the wash looking grainy. I kept having to stir the wash also, because they paint and tupnoid kept separating and the paint would settle out. Have you ever had that problem, and if so, how did you correct it? I'd like to go back to turpenoid, instead of turpentine, due to the smell, but ca't sem to make it work as well.

I went to Lowes and bought 2 12 inch by 12 inch ceramic floor tiles for about a buck each and I mix 90% of my washes right on those. I put the paint on the tile and then add thinner until the translucence looks right. If I need more than I can mix on the tile I have a white plastic deal from Hobby Lobby that has 12 little bowls in a circle on it.

Bribo-

I have noticed that phenomenon when I have mixed up a wash and let it sit for a week or so. I cannot fix that problem. Even repeated re-stirring doesn't work.

However, freshly mixed washes with WN and Turpenoid go on like a dream for me anyway.

I have tried using turpentine and it is too hot. Eats up the acrylics even after a weeks dry time.

Keith

I wonder if there are different brands of turpenoid? What type do you use? I have a brand that comes in a small 6-7 ounce clear bottle, with a blue label. Don't have it in front of me to get the brand, but i think it's Weber's. What do you think?
I agree, the turpentine is much too hot, melted the glueable Tamiya tracks i wash washing.

Gosh. I think mine is Weber's too. I don't have access to it right now.

As the stuff is pretty darn expensive, I would hate to have to switch over...

I read an article yesterday (somewhere?) that also descrived the use of humbrol or revell thinner with WN. I was going to try the Humbrol. I have used Testors and it also was too hot. Although, many people on this site swear that they have not had probs with Testors.

You can also use Future as a barrier for the hotter thinners. For my figs, I give a quick spray over the oils with a Testors gloss out of the can. That has helped my confidence, anyway!

Keith

All paint and solvent mixes setlle out after a while. You could mix your wash in a closable bottle and shake it up periodically or just stir the stuff up on the palette. try to mix just enough for waht you are going ot be doing. Again, I use cheap paint thinner for all my solvent based paints and don't have a problem. I've never had a problem with oils looking grainy, however. Maybe a bad batvh of paint with too large a pigment base?

Well, here goes what may be another silly question.
I went to the art supply store yesterday, and noticed there are several different kinds of "Winsor & Newton Artist Oils". I had been buying the type called "Winton" which I just read is a cheaper grade of paint, with cheaper pigments (not cheaper, lets say less expensive). So, I wonder if all the problems I was having could be related to the paint after all? Going to get some of the better grade, and hope to try them out this weekend, in between studying for finals!
Thanks

What has worked best for me is to use an old brush ....... dip it lightly in the top of the open oil tube and then clean it in some Humbrol thinner. I save the lids of plastic coke/fanta/7up/etc bottles. I then quarter to half fill these with thinner...... depending on what i am washing. I have tried several different solvents/turpenoids and for washes, Humbrol is the best. It runs the best into the desired area, evenly and not leaving little puddles of pigment. I use oils called Lourve and never had any problems with them. I also use humbrols own paints sometimes for washes....... thinned the same.
When I started modelling about 2 years ago...... Ralph persico... or screaming eagle gave me this tip. When washing like this over humbrols you never need a clear coat. Let the paint cure for at least 72 hours and wash directly on top. After 2 years, Ive never had a problem.

Bribo: Try humbrols thinner with your "less expensive" W&N first before buying the more expensive version. They must be really poor if they dont work together with the humbrol thinner. Its cheaper than buying a whole new set of paints!