No, not me - my model!
I have painted a DUKW i am building using humbrol enamals (matt). i am going to apply a wash to this,i have never done it before, eek.
I am going to use water colour paint for this. Should i mix the paint with water or thinners to create the wash?
Is it ok to apply the wash straight on to the model or should i coat it with something first?

I have done a search but still unsure so sorry if this question has been asked before

thanks chris

Coat the model with a gloss enamel first. Then take some raw umber and mix it with thinner. make it about 1 paint to every 5 thinner.

Chris it deosnt matter how many times a question is asked ,there will always be someone here to answer your questions what ever they are,
i normally use acrylics for armour nowadays but from what i used to do ,is an enamel paintjob then i used to use a varnish a satin or a gloss to protect the finish then apply the wash using thinned oil paint ,
you shouldnt have any problems with watercolour spoiling the paint job on enamel ,so i would just varnish ,then after drying apply the water colour wash using water only as a thining agent , i believe some of the guys add some car screnwash or washing detergent to help it flow ,of course these days Future Floor polish or Johnsons Klear is a great varnish ,hope i helped ?

Chris, if you are using watercolors, then your thinner would be water. Applying over a gloss coat helps them flow better in the the recesses. And welcome to the site.

Actually, your wash should be about a 10:1 ratio, thinner to paint. You want tainted thinner, not thinned paint. If you use acrylics for the wash, add a drop of dishwashing detergent (liquid) to the wash. This eases surface tension and allows the wash to flow into cracks and crevices where it belongs.

wai,t ive had a hard time with washes, until i replaced my thinner by futur lol, once you give it a coat, instead of having a 10:1 ratio of thinner to paint, have a 5 part futur, 4 part thinner ( alcohol) to 1 part paint

works good for me

Frank

What the other guys said. I don't like the effects I've gotten with most acrylics as washes, though I've never tried thios with Andrea/Vallejo. Steve's ratio above is about what I use. When applying the wash don't scrub it in, try not to get excess amounts expecting to wipe the excess off later. don't apply it all over the model. Take a very fine brush and dip it in the wash. Dab it where you want shadows, at panel line intersections. Capilary action will draw it out. You can be more generous on grill areas to give the impression of depth. When dry, if it looks too light, apply another wash. Make sure you've done whatever camo scheme you're going to use and make sure all your decals are applied. You want them to be blended in withthe ame weathering as the rest of the model.
Be forewarned, the first wash is often not overly successful. It's a harsh learning curve.
Good luck with it. Poast some pics when you're done.

I wont give advise on acrylic washes as I use oils or humbrols for washes.
If you let your humbrol paint dry for at least 48 hours, you can wash with thinned humbrols ...without a varnish layer. Paint some over the decals though! I use humbrols own thinner as its very mild and works well. Use the dirty thinner instead of thinned paint approach. Over thin you first wash actually, and repeat if you need more. Build it up, instead of trying to add too much at first.


Very true and goes the same when trying new thinners. Why not just wash the bottom hull only and see what happens. Let this dry and it will give you the confidence to try it on the rest of the vehicle afterwards. If somethng goes wrong, the hull bottom can be touched up again easily and less noticeably!

Thanks for the info. i will definatly give it ago but i will try on the bottom of the model first. i think i have a old jeep somewhere, i will practise on that if i can find it.

Always a good plan when trying something new ! good luck mate !