I saw this post in rec.games.miniatures.historical. I've never heard of this
before, but I'm going to have to try it.
If you do washes on your figures, you'll know the worst part are the "stains".
The paint doesn't all drop into the cracks of the figure. I suspect it has to
do with surface tension of water and its viscosity. This technique sounds very
cool, and someone else posted that it's not new; this other guy has been doing
it for years. I've never seen this, though.
Note, I haven't tried it, yet. But the technique certainly looks interesting!
Any of you have experience with this?
On 03 Sep 2000 16:07:25 GMT, in rec.games.miniatures.historical
> chicklewis@aol.com (ChickLewis) wrote:
Hello, fellow figure painters. I believe I have finally found the perfect
"wash" for miniature figures.
A few weeks ago I admired some Boxer war figures of local painter here in
Southern California. "Dow the Programmer" told me how to make his "Magic
Wash", and I have been trying it out recently. I am stoked by it. Magic Wash
blows the doors off of every other wash technique I have ever used!! And it is
so inexpensive as to be negligible!! And it is easier than most other wash
techniques!!
This will start to sound a bit hokey, but bear with me, I am definitely not
kidding around. Here is the recipe:
Buy a bottle of "FUTURE acrylic floor finish for non-wax and regular
floors" by Johnson & Son. In the U.S. it comes in big 800 ml (72 ounce) clear
plastic squeeze bottles for about $7, and was available in both supermarkets I
checked. This is more than I can probably use in a lifetime. The clear liquid
inside is slightly more viscous than water. I imagine there are similar
products in other countries, and I recommend that we identify them.
Pre-mix some of the FUTURE, one part of acrylic finish to four parts of
water. This is the Magic Wash stock. I made mine up in a liter sealable milk
bottle. Making a clear stock up ahead of time allows the small bubbles which
can result when mixed with water to subside over time.
Devote one brush to be the Magic Wash brush. I don't know if this is really
necessary, but it seems safer to me, since the formula of the FUTURE finish is
different from those of our acrylic paints.
When you are ready to use it, mix a little of the Magic Wash stock with a
small amount of your chosen pigment. Stir it with your brush, don't shake it.
I
have successfully used inks and acrylic paints as pigments.
Brush over your figures and allow to dry. It dries just about as
quickly as acrylic paints.
It sucks the pigment right down into the crevasses and keeps it there. Doesn't
let it "osmose" back up. And the high areas remain remarkably clear! I have
used black, dark brown, and light tan (for white marble).
And Magic Wash even gives a hard protective coating!! It's not too shiny, but
a final coat of dullcote often makes the figures look better to my eye.
What DON'T I like about it?
Well, I've mentioned the little bubbles, with a method for avoiding them. The
only other "problem" is that, if you tend to lick your brush while painting,
the stuff tastes TERRIBLE!! So I have given up that habit when using Magic
Wash.
I highly recommend that you try this wash. Let us all know what you think of
it.
"Men choose as their prophets those who tell them that their hopes are true."
- Lord Dunsany
ChickLewis@aol.com 3930 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 USA
day 818-718-1221
eve 818-784-8476
> Devote one brush to be the Magic Wash brush. I don't know if this is
Just a word of advice. This IS necessary. I am told that some paints
- though not all - will gum up your Future brush like nobody's
business.
Thanks for posting this tip, I may have to give this a try. Since my early
days or painting, some of the local pros were able to give me some valuable
tips regarding washes. The key seemed to be the use of a "medium", some sort
of binding agent combined with the paint to help it adhere to the miniature. I
use an art supply called "Matt Medium" which is water soluble. I've also used
dish washing liquid in a pinch. One interesting point, the Matt Medium is sold
in other varieties gloss and the like. I plan to experiment with these at some
time as well. Good luck and thanks for the tip.
Allan Goodall <awg@sympatico.ca> on 09/03/2000 02:19:59 PM
Please respond to gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
cc: (bcc: Aron Clark/AM/Avid)
Subject: (fwd) Review of a new wash technique for miniature figures
I saw this post in rec.games.miniatures.historical. I've never heard of this
before, but I'm going to have to try it.
If you do washes on your figures, you'll know the worst part are the "stains".
The paint doesn't all drop into the cracks of the figure. I suspect it has to
do with surface tension of water and its viscosity. This technique sounds very
cool, and someone else posted that it's not new; this other guy has been doing
it for years. I've never seen this, though.
Note, I haven't tried it, yet. But the technique certainly looks interesting!
Any of you have experience with this?
On 03 Sep 2000 16:07:25 GMT, in rec.games.miniatures.historical
> chicklewis@aol.com (ChickLewis) wrote:
Hello, fellow figure painters. I believe I have finally found the perfect
"wash" for miniature figures.
A few weeks ago I admired some Boxer war figures of local painter here in
Southern California. "Dow the Programmer" told me how to make his "Magic
Wash", and I have been trying it out recently. I am stoked by it. Magic Wash
blows the doors off of every other wash technique I have ever used!! And it is
so inexpensive as to be negligible!! And it is easier than most other wash
techniques!!
This will start to sound a bit hokey, but bear with me, I am definitely not
kidding around. Here is the recipe:
Buy a bottle of "FUTURE acrylic floor finish for non-wax and regular
floors" by Johnson & Son. In the U.S. it comes in big 800 ml (72 ounce) clear
plastic squeeze bottles for about $7, and was available in both supermarkets I
checked. This is more than I can probably use in a lifetime. The clear liquid
inside is slightly more viscous than water. I imagine there are similar
products in other countries, and I recommend that we identify them.
Pre-mix some of the FUTURE, one part of acrylic finish to four parts of
water. This is the Magic Wash stock. I made mine up in a liter sealable milk
bottle. Making a clear stock up ahead of time allows the small bubbles which
can result when mixed with water to subside over time.
Devote one brush to be the Magic Wash brush. I don't know if this is really
necessary, but it seems safer to me, since the formula of the FUTURE finish is
different from those of our acrylic paints.
When you are ready to use it, mix a little of the Magic Wash stock with a
small amount of your chosen pigment. Stir it with your brush, don't shake it.
I
have successfully used inks and acrylic paints as pigments.
Brush over your figures and allow to dry. It dries just about as
quickly as acrylic paints.
It sucks the pigment right down into the crevasses and keeps it there. Doesn't
let it "osmose" back up. And the high areas remain remarkably clear! I have
used black, dark brown, and light tan (for white marble).
And Magic Wash even gives a hard protective coating!! It's not too shiny, but
a final coat of dullcote often makes the figures look better to my eye.
What DON'T I like about it?
Well, I've mentioned the little bubbles, with a method for avoiding them. The
only other "problem" is that, if you tend to lick your brush while painting,
the stuff tastes TERRIBLE!! So I have given up that habit when using Magic
Wash.
I highly recommend that you try this wash. Let us all know what you think of
it.
"Men choose as their prophets those who tell them that their hopes are true."
- Lord Dunsany
ChickLewis@aol.com 3930 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 USA
day 818-718-1221
eve 818-784-8476
> On Tue, 5 Sep 2000 Aron_Clark@digidesign.com wrote:
Gloss Medium makes great water for tabletop rivers and the like. Three or
four coats over a black/blue painted surface look 'wet' enough. I built
ten feet of modular river this way - I'll have to either scan them or
take pics & scan soon.
All kinds of Medium should be available in any art supply store and many craft
stores.
Brian - yh728@victoria.tc.ca -
- http://warbard.iwarp.com/games.html -
> Allan Goodall <awg@sympatico.ca> on 09/03/2000 02:19:59 PM
Magic Wash
> blows the doors off of every other wash technique I have ever used !!
And it
> is so inexpensive as to be negligible !! And it is easier than most
I have
> used black, dark brown, and light tan (for white marble).
G'day guys,
> Gloss Medium makes great water for tabletop rivers and the like. Three
Another option (though fiddlier) is to flock the river course with "fine
balast" from a model railway kit then brush on a layer of "glue mix" (about
50% wood glue... the white PVA or whatever stuff it is.... 50% water and a few
drops of blue ink). Works quite well, ripples and all. Also very cheap.
Cheers
Beth