Wash and streaking?

f2k

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Apr 2, 2011
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I'm just looking for a bit of input here...

I'm slowly getting to grips with this whole weathering thing. And lately I've been looking at using washes to pick out panel lines and drawing them away to create a bit of streaking.

The technique seems easy enough, but I can't quite get it to look as I want to.

So I was thinking: is there a big difference between using oil- and water-based washes? I keep hearing that oil- based paints is easier to work with as it dries very slowly. Whereas the water-based washes I use (mainly Games Workshop washes and inks) tend to dry very quickly and are hard to manipulate once they're dry.

Is oil the way to go even though I hate to work with alcohol (fumes tend to give me a headache)?
 
I mainly use enamel washes and sometimes oils. I find it difficult removing the excess with acrylic washes (although I do use the games workshop washes on silver and metallics) a little tip too is to streak 'upwards' I know sounds strange but it actually makes the streaking look more realistic. The streaks fade at the end naturally. It takes some practice though ;)
 
JohnSimmons said:
I mainly use enamel washes and sometimes oils. I find it difficult removing the excess with acrylic washes (although I do use the games workshop washes on silver and metallics) a little tip too is to streak 'upwards' I know sounds strange but it actually makes the streaking look more realistic. The streaks fade at the end naturally. It takes some practice though ;)

What do you mean by "upwards"?

If we think of a wing, then I would try to streak from the front and towards the trailing edge, mimicking the natural flow of grime as the wind sweeps over the wing.

In the same way, On a tank I would streak from top to bottom, mimicking the way gravity would draw grime downwards.

As for removing, that's exactly the same issue I have. It seems that acrylic washes bond faster and harder with the surface than oil washes, even when applied over a coat of gloss varnish. I'm just not entirely sure why and what can be done to avoid it...
 
Ok I'm talking enamels here. I don't streak with washes that often I usually do a pin wash (using a 00 brush I load up the enamel wash and touch the panel line over a satin surface, using a satin surface allows the wash to flow using capillary action. Once the wash has dried I use a cotton bud damp with enamel thinners to wipe off the excess). Then I seal that wash in with another coat of clear (usually satin, or sometimes Matt if I want the streaking to 'absoarb' more). Now the streaking starts, I use a very thin brush and paint random lines (wiggly or straight lines depending on what your depicting) once they have dried (about 5 to 10 mins I sometimes speed the process up with a hair dryer) I use a flat wide brush damp, not wet with enamel thinners, I brush downwards carefully and lightly a few times in the way you want the streaking to flow and then a final stroke 'backwards' or 'upwards' to finish it off. So if it's a planes wing for example two strokes towards the tail then a final one towards the cockpit. Once happy I seal it all in with a Matt coat of acrylic. Clear as mud???? Lol sorry if I went a bit in depth.
 

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