Washes

It doesn't matter whether you are a professional mini painter or just starting out, building terrain washes have become an essential tool. Some washes have greater value than others depending on which part of this hobby you focus on. If you are painting minis you require a wash, such as that purchased from professional manufacturers like Citadel or Army Painter to behave exactly as you expect, and with consistency. However, when building terrain you can be a bit more relaxed in your approach, as similarly to cooking, recipes differ dependent on ingredients.

As a grumpy Scot & very much 'not' a professional mini painter, I have a tendency to make my own black or brown washes. I find that both these colors apply to mini painting & terrain building equally & far more than alterative colors.

There are a lot of YouTube videos, & yet another Blog, out there dedicating themselves to the 'perfect wash' but it simply doesn't exist. What works for one, won't work for another for a multitude of reasons. So my intention here is to share with you what I have found works, for me. But more importantly for you to experiment with different ingredients, ratios & brands to get the best results for you.

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So here is what you need to know! The ingredients are as follows:

🔹Water

🔹Flow Aid

🔹Acrylic Medium

🔹Acrylic Ink

Water: Some will advocate for only using distilled water & yes, if you are a professional mini painter than I wouldn't disagree. However for building terrain, tap water will do fine unless you live in an area with water that has a high mineral content. Personally, I boil any water I am going to use & cool it in a water filter jug in the fridge.

Flow Aid: Many suggest using Dish Washing Detergent (Washing Up Liquid or Dish Soap) & this will work, but Rinse Aid is specifically formulated to break water tension allowing water to easily & cleanly drain from dishes during the drying stage of a Dishwasher cycle. Both contain the active chemical compounds (surfactants) for breaking surface tension & if you are on a budget, both are great options.

The other option for a flow aid is purchasing a professional standard medium like Liquitex Professional Flow Aid Additive. (If using this option follow the instructions, for example Liquitex recommends 1 part Flow Aid to 20 parts water).

Acrylic Medium: I don't see this recommended often but it helps with adhesion & is nothing more than paint without pigment. It also comes in a variety of finishes: matt, satin or gloss, which helps the overall look of your terrain.

Acrylic Ink: I use this over acrylic paint for a couple of reasons. Acrylic paint often has flakes of pigment in it, and these flakes can ruin a paint job & are not of the quality used in acrylics inks. The pigment in inks is far stronger leaving a much more desirable result.

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The Method:

🔹Mix the water & Flow Aid (just a couple of drops of Flow Aid is all you need).

🔹Add the Acrylic Medium to the water mix (roughly 1:1 - 2:3)

🔹Introduce the ink slowly, a few drops at a time (test & add more if needed)

Personally, I mix the water & Flow Aid in a bowl, with some sort of stirring device, to avoid as much bubbling as possible (especially if using Dish Soap), then add the Matte Medium. Adding the ink incrementally is the best course of action so as to refine your results according to your needs. I test the wash either on a primed mini or using a primed homemade texture pallet.

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Now I am sure you are eager to read which products I actually use:

🔹Water is water & I have already mentioned how I treat it

🔹Liquitex Professional Flow Aid Additive

🔹Liquitex Professional Matte Medium

🔹Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink (Carbon Black / Transpatent Burnt Umber)

I use Liquitex products as I have extensive experience in painting canvases. When painting paintings I use Golden Fluid Acrylic Paints for actually painting the images, but when I started years ago I used Liquitex Professional products & I still use them to this day for sketch work, priming & general experimentation, leading toward the final piece. I also use their products for dilution & varnishing. They make a great range of products to suit all needs & experiences.

This why I encourage you to take the information I have given you & experiment! We all have different preferences & the range of products available to us, but the principle is still the same.

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You can also add some PVE Glue to the mix to create more of the Dip Wash. Midwinter Minis has made an excellent video regarding this. I have used it in the past & found it very good for larger models like Imperial Knights. I used it as a first pass on metallics during subassembly. I also have used it for basing. Here is the recipe: