Hi everyone....Gareson here(new to Armorama forum!).
I would like to draw on the obvious expertise here for a little help...

I attempted an oil wash on a tank model using a method I have seen all over the internet..
Here was my approach:
-painted tank with acrylics(airbrushed & brush)
-applied a solid glosscoat(acrylic/Vallejo) to the tank via airbrush
-made an oil wash using tube oil paint(Windsor & Newton) Umber & Turpenoid(thinner)
-let the oil wash dry for 24 hours...LOVED THE EFFECT!
-applied a matte coat(acyrlic/Vallejo) via airbrush

However, I noticed that even after a couple of Matte Coats(used Vallejo) that the oil wash in the recesses and panel lines was still shiney/glossy.
I then proceeded to spray the model with Testor's Dullcoat which I was sure would knock out the shine...but it is stil there(in the recesses where the wash settled especially but the whole model has a satin sheen now as well). I even applied a second coat of Testor's with little change.

It is almost as if the "gloss" of the oil wash in the panel lines is locked beneath my matte coats(if that makes any sense).

These models may be a lost cause at this point(as they have about 4 layers total of matte coat on them at this point)...but I'd love not to repeat whatever mistake I made in the future.

Any suggestions?

William,

I've seen this before with that dullcote so i switched products.

Try using Testors Flat Clear Acryl, thinned with 91% rubbing alcohol at about a 50/50 ratio. Then, add 1 drop of Tamiya X21 Flat Base, mix and spray on. It dries within a few minutes to a dead flat finish. I've been using this method for almost 15 years with no problems. Use only one drop of that Flat Base. Too much and you'll get a white dusty effect.

Steve

Is it an issue of the matte coats I used not dulling the oil wash? In the past I've knocked out acrylic gloss coats with Testors dull coat and Vallejo Matte Varnish with 100% success.

Instead of using the turpenoid for thinner for the oil, use standard mineral spirits you get at the hardware store. This will thin down the paint and dry flat. The chemical comp of the turpinoid makes it hard to cover. Have Funn!!

When making your wash, put the tube oil paint on a piece of cardboard. Leave it for a few min and you'll see that a lot of the oils are leached out and into the cardboard. That will help with the drying time, and with some of the shine issues.

I also use the store brand Mineral Spirits from my local chain hardware store. Never had a issue using it for years on end.

I give the wash days to dry before sealing it with Dullcoat. I thin the Dullcoat 50/50 with Lacquer thinner. Again, the store brand. Just have plenty of ventilation.

I've never had any issues with it not completely leaving a flat finish, and I've been using it for more then 40 years.

Joel

+1 on all of Joel's comments. Use ordinary mineral spirits next time as a thinner.

Linseed and/or sunflower seed oil is the carrier and binder in artist oil paints. These oils almost always dry with a sheen, and how much oil there is in the paint or wash determines how long they take to dry. Leaching some out on cardboard before you use the paints can help speed up the drying time.

Thinning the oil paint into a wash doesn't get rid of any of those oils. Sometimes it just takes a few days for them to dry.

If you over coat them, then you've put a barrier over them that actually slows down their drying time. If that overcoat is an acrylic, this will be even worse. An enamel or lacquer (Dull Coat) overcoat will also slow down the drying time, just not as much.

In either case, the oils will dry out eventually. Once they do, another flat coat will usually fix any residual sheen.

Be patient and give it some time - maybe a week or so now with the multiple overcoats - and then try another Dull Coat thinned like Joel suggests.

Next time, judge the drying by how much sheen there is on the model. Most (but not all) of the time, the oil washes will dry either flat or almost flat. If there's still a significant sheen, give it more drying time. Sometimes, even when fully dry, there will still be a sheen. In those cases, the flat over coat on DRY oils will eliminate it. If it doesn't, then the oils were not completely dry.

(BTW: This is hard to judge on a model that has been gloss over coated before the washes. I don't do this. I just apply my oil-dot color modulation, general washes, and pin washes directly over the acrylic base coats.

This is a different technique and requires slightly different application methods, but is too long to go into here. However, it does make judging the drying of the oils easier.)

HTH,

As far as mineral spirits are concerned, I'd like to add use standard mineral spirits, not odorless. In my experience, the odorless does not hold the oil paint in suspension as well, causing the mix to settle out almost immediately. If you have to use odorless, the best process I've found is after leeching the oil out on cardboard, dip a brush in the mineral spirits and load it with paint from the cardboard and dab dots of paint on the model then wipe it down with a clean brush dipped in mineral spirits. This method isn't ideal for a pin wash but great for overall washes.

I had a feeling I picked the right forum for help...you guys are awesome!

I look forward to participating here in the future...thanks to all for the insights and if there are any more I certainly welcome them!