Has anyone tried airbrushing a wash?

Hmmm.... help me figure out your angle here? Seems like a lot of work, unless you have a huge area to work on. I have used my a/b to apply base coats and some highlights - but no - have never done it for my wash coat. What is your reasoning for the question?

Hi.
On completing a Arado 234C, the upper surface camo scheme looked too bright so I airbrushed a very fine and thin wash of thinners and black/brown enamel i.e. muck colour.
It worked. The whole scheme looked much more subtle. Also because the wash was so fluid it collected in the panel lines and crevices including slight runs along panels down the fuselage sides running into the lower blue. It looked great....very, very lucky though. Not something I'd try again except as a last resort.

I have also brushed a similar mix of wash onto just dry hand-painted splotch type camo and it also worked. The edges of the splotches softened just enough.

Another experiment I tried on a Luftwaffe desert scheme (that I might try again) was to spray the olive green first over all the upper surfaces, allow it to dry completely, then spray the sand, again over all the upper surfaces. When it was touch dry this time, using Q-tips dipped in thinners, I dabbed away the sand colour to reveal the olive green beneath in irregular spots and patches. It worked. It saved a lot of masking and the green patches had nice soft edges.

Cheers
Peter

Well, KFMagee, I've been thinking about how you apply a wash. If I'm correct, you brush on tinted thinner over the whole model. But if you're going to cover the whole model, why not use an airbrush for the job? It would go on faster, and smoother as well.

Hi:

I airbrush washes all the time and it's pretty effective, especially for applying very light washes along edges, or rows of rivets, (no brush streaks to worry about, and nothing to dab off). As long as the wash is not applied to heavily, and is controlled properly with the airbrush, (i.e. air/wash mix flow), there should not be any runs.

Obviously washes are effectively applied with brushes also, but at least for me, a quick controlled shot with the a/b works great (but keep in mind I'm from Wisconsin :-)--

Hi wewillhold,
I'm sure with a good airbrush you are spot on, but you should see the rubbishy thing I have here...the good one is in safe keeping in UK.
But the dab off method does work though. I'll try it again next time I'm doing splodgy patches and let you know.
Cheers
Peter