Sometime back I asked a question about acrylic washes, and you guys kindly answered me with some very good advice. I have another question that I would like for some of you to elaborate on.

Is spraying a coat of clear sealer (ie) "Future or Dullcoat" ontop of Tamiya or any other acrylics a "set in stone rule" that needs to be done before an oil wash is applied to a model for the best results in the weathering process .. Or .. can oil washes be successfully applied on top of acrylics .. without the clear coat .. with good results, as long as the acrylic bottom coat has fully cured?

Also if the oil wash can indeed be applied over the acrylic bottom coat without the acrylics "lifting up" is there a positive difference in the effects of doing the wash proceedure this way?

I'm hoping that someone can tell me about this who has already had experience with it, either good or bad. It seems like I read somewhere that some modelers do their washes without a clear coat and the final camo finish after everything cured had more of a softer and realistic "hue" if that makes sense

Please don't hesitate to chime in and let me know if what I am asking is doable or not. It's just something that I was thinking about trying, but I was hoping that I could get a better idea of how to actually pull it off, if it can be done.

Thanks

It can be done if the Tamiya is properly cured,Tamiya is tough stuff.

I usually decal before I wash and weather,so that would require a gloss coat or a protective coat,to protect the decals.Also the pinwashes requie a gloss coat.So in these cases the clear coat would be on already,if you follow me.

I do it all the time. Paint thinner or mineral spirits are mild enough.

Ok,.. that is what I was wondering about, I had heard that it was possible to do it this way. And I also read that the texture and look of the final paint job was exceptionally good.

Would you know where I could see some examples of finished subjects that were done with this method?

Thanks

Greg

I use Mona Lisa Odorless mineral spirits directly over Tamiya acrylics without a protective layer (e.g., Future). ZERO problem.

I had used oil with turpenoid over Tamiya acrylic paint on a Firefly.
The result is good but compare to what oil over clear coded Vallejo acrylic, I would prefer the second.

It may have something to do with the mono-color firefly. The effect is good but over dark yellow with clear, the effect is better.

All of my models are done with the oil washes applied right over the acrylic base coats (usually Tamiya).

Occasionally, I wind up with a spot of Future over the acrylic where I've put a decal, but I only apply Future to the decal location and not the entire model. In order to restore uniformity to the finish over these areas, I do apply Testors Dull Coat.

Here are some examples. You'll have to page through the builds to find the posts on finishing, but they're all painted using the same basic techniques, and none of them have been clear-coated over the base acrylics prior to the oil washes (general or pin) or oil-dot color modulation.

Armorama::Riich Models Universal Carrier Build

Armorama::M13/40 Early Production Kit Bash

Armorama::Model Victoria Gilera LTE 500 Motorcycle

Armorama::StuG IV Early to Late Conversion

Armorama::Panther G Sep '44 Production

(There's also a detailed build blog here on Armorama for this model.)

Armorama::Canadian Firefly "Operation Tractable"

(There's also a detailed build blog here on Armorama for this model.)

I do pre-wet the areas I'm putting the oil washes or color modulation with clean mineral spirits which I feel helps with getting smooth transitions with the washes. The flat / matt finishes can sometimes "grab" the pigments in the washes and make them hard to smooth out and pre-wetting the area with mineral spirits helps to eliminate this effect.

I think there are fairly detailed explanations and descriptions of the finishing processes used with each model, but if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask.

Happy modeling!

Hi Mike, I haven't been on the site for a couple of months, and I refered back to my previous posts and I found the reply that you posted to me about painting tools. You had infact mentioned in that reply that you didn't use a top coat on your paint jobs. I was very impressed with the texture, and the effect that you got on the StuG that you were working on at that time.

I want to try this method that you use, I think that it gives the subject an extremely "realistic" look. I will be spraying the base color and camo pattern on a model that I am working on in the next few days as time allows. And after I get done with that part and it cures for a day or so, I think I am going to try this out.

If you don't mind, when I get ready to do the weathering steps, I'd like to get back in touch with you and ask you some questions that are more step by step so that I don't screw the whole darned thing up

Thanks for all of the help!

Greg