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Lesson One. the basic wash Part 1

bob letterman

Master at Arms
Staff member
Lesson one. The basic wash.

For this step, you will need;

1) Artist's Rectified turpentine.
2) Raw Umber artist's oil.
3) An old t-shirt, (Preferably white or light colored).
4) A wide, flat soft bristle brush, (Preferably a Filbert)
5 An old bottle, cleaned thoroughly.
6) A pallet, I use an old card stock with a shiny finish. (To avoid the paint absorbing into the pallet.

pic01.jpg


Then, squeeze out about a half inch of the oil onto the pallet.

pic02.jpg


Throughout this basic wash tutorial, I am going to assume that everybody watching is a complete novice, so, no, I'm not a jerk, I want to make sure I cover it for everybody! I swear, most model tutorials always seem to me that the author is more concerned with impressing his readers than teaching anything. Just sayin'

Just in case you are too young to know what "blot" means. I'm old and we used to blot ink! Blot is placing your T-shirt covered finger on the wet wash, soaking up what it does, Never wiping, pulling back, moving your finger to a clean area of the t-shirt, then blotting once more and repeating over and over and over.

Also, rectified turpentine is extremely flammable. Use caution when using it. I always pour some into an old, clean bottle that is capable of being sealed. Always seal any container of rectified turpentine when not in use. I would advise strongly against using it out of the container it comes in. I don't smoke, but I would strongly advise any of you smokers to never smoke around rectified turpentine.

Then the brush.

pic03.jpg


Then, dip the clean, dry brush into the bottle of rectified turpentine. This is a relatively fresh bottle, I used it once to paint something green. The turpentine changing colors doesn't matter at all. I usually use the same portion of turpentine for months and before I change it, it is usually almost black and opaque. That doesn't effect anything except if you are using it to thin white or yellow. In fact, you can use the multi-colored turpentine in much the way some use filters. Place the wetted brush on the strip of artist's oil and begin mixing a small portion of the strip.

pic04.jpg


When it is properly thinned, a small pool to the side should be the consistency of whole milk.

pic05.jpg


To check if the consistency is correct, paint a strip on a white surface.

pic06.jpg


Then, wipe it off. It should look like this. This is the only time you will hear me tell you to wipe anything. This is a piece of cardboard, not a model.

pic08.jpg


On your model, you should NEVER WIPE. Never. I am emphasizing that because that is exactly the first impulse for most people. In fact, here is a rule of thumb that will run through this series on weathering. NEVER RUB or WIPE ANYTHING, EVER!.

Using your index finger, poke into the T-shirt and pull remaining cloth towards you and away from the finger, creating a smooth surface on the tip of your finger.

pic07.jpg


NOW, BLOT, NOT WIPE the paint mixture off the model. Each time you blot, move your finger to a clean spot on the t-shirt. Continue blotting until most of the opaque mixture has been removed. That does not mean to totally remove it. Just remember, NEVER, EVER WIPE IT! That is where most modelers go wrong.

Here I will illustrate on my sample vehicle. Before the wash.

pic09.jpg


After painting on the wash. Note that it looks just as though you used regular paint. You cannot see through it. If your wash is translucent, then your wash is too thin. It should look like this on your model.

pic10.jpg


Then you blot away, each time, changing to a new, clean place on the t-shirt.

pic11.jpg


pic12.jpg


Here, the wash in this area is complete, next, go to another section, avoiding overlap as much as possible, but if you do a bit, no big deal!

pic13.jpg


You will notice, some of the wash left on the surface in the corners is still wet and glossy. That is how you want it to look. After a couple of days, three at the most, it will dry dead flat, become very subtle and blend well to the O.D. base coat. If it doesn't, then you have used another thinning medium than rectified turpentine.

Here are a couple of shots of a Jumbo Sherman I have only applied this wash to. No other processes, only the wash. Yours should look the same after a couple of days drying.

pic14.jpg


pic15.jpg


This is the end of the first step. If you have any questions, please ask them on this thread.

Bob
 
Hi Bob - Not a question. thanks for not leaving out any steps. Too many is preferable to not enough.

Cheers, Christian B)
 
Hi Bob - Not a question. thanks for not leaving out any steps. Too many is preferable to not enough.

Cheers, Christian B)

Christian, I believe every tutorial I have ever seen, be it on DVD, Internet, book or magazine, always assumes the reader is as experienced as they are, skips steps they believe are elementary. I hate that! :bang head :bang head :bang head

If I get off track like that, be sure and give me some crap about it. You can be my chaperone! :D :D

Bob
 
Bob: "I see a hand up in the back"

Me: stammering and clearing my throat and praying to myself that the answer was not in the required reading...

"One question. How do we dab out the applied wash from the nooks and crannies that are too small (tight) for me to get my fat finger into? For instance, in and around the pioneer tools on the back of your truck, or in and around boogies, road wheels and such. Do we get what we can and let the rest go like in the corner of the truck bed, or dab with something (smaller) like a q-tip or pencil eraser covered with the t-shirt?

Also, I'm knocking myself out trying to paint out the wood handles of the tools with "just the right" shade of weathered wood. I assume we are going over them with the wash. Should I let it go for now and touch them up later?

Thanks. Bill
 
Bob,

Thanks for taking this slowly.

Will you be covering, in some future episode, aircraft weathering? Most things I read assume a whole lot of knowledge I don't have, yet.
 
Bob,

Thanks for taking this slowly.

Will you be covering, in some future episode, aircraft weathering? Most things I read assume a whole lot of knowledge I don't have, yet.

That has been the plan. I hope to do that. There is a slight difference in washing a plane and a tank. Next post.

Bob
 
Bob: "I see a hand up in the back"

Me: stammering and clearing my throat and praying to myself that the answer was not in the required reading...

"One question. How do we dab out the applied wash from the nooks and crannies that are too small (tight) for me to get my fat finger into? For instance, in and around the pioneer tools on the back of your truck, or in and around boogies, road wheels and such. Do we get what we can and let the rest go like in the corner of the truck bed, or dab with something (smaller) like a q-tip or pencil eraser covered with the t-shirt?

Also, I'm knocking myself out trying to paint out the wood handles of the tools with "just the right" shade of weathered wood. I assume we are going over them with the wash. Should I let it go for now and touch them up later?

Thanks. Bill

No need to stammer here, that is what I'm here for! I hope to encourage questions!

Actually, I haven't covered that yet. When I do the tools, probably today, I will illustrate how to do that. This system allows a great deal of flexibility and also tolerates mistakes well. As we go along, you will understand what that means. Also, I have a system to make wood grain which I will get to later for various types of wood handles and other items made of wood in this thread. I intend to take the Diamond T all the way to completion and I will also demonstrate weathering aircraft and tank tracks and other items not covered on the truck. The build icon, the M-32 B1, is weathered up to a point. I will be using it to illustrate some aspects of this system down the road. I'll have to find an O.D. aircraft kit to use for that aspect.

I do have a tutorial posted on my masters thread on how to simulate various kinds of wood if you want to check it out now.

https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/bob-letterman

Then scroll down to "Simulating various kinds of wood".

Bob
 
Hi Bob

OK so there was my number one fault - DAB don't wipe.

I have a question. I know this is on OD but I can see that the same principles will apply to almost any color. My question is do we need to use an difrent color main wash for other colors.

For instance:

1. German grey
2. Euro camo's
3. Russian green
4. German late war Camo's
5. Modern Desert
6. Whitewashed winterised armor

Also maybe if you can elaborate on next steps what difrent colors should be used instead of the one you are using will be great.
 
Hi Bob

OK so there was my number one fault - DAB don't wipe.

I have a question. I know this is on OD but I can see that the same principles will apply to almost any color. My question is do we need to use an difrent color main wash for other colors.

For instance:

1. German grey
2. Euro camo's
3. Russian green
4. German late war Camo's
5. Modern Desert
6. Whitewashed winterised armor

Also maybe if you can elaborate on next steps what difrent colors should be used instead of the one you are using will be great.

Well, just so you know that when you dab, you don't move the cloth on the model. It is like a blot. You push your cloth wrapped index finger against the wash and it will absorb a portion of it. Then you lift your finger off the model, move your finger to another part of the cloth and repeat. This serves a dual purpose in that wiping will remove base coat if not hardened thoroughly, the blotting is less likely to do that. Wiping causes streaks and an ugly finish.

Yes the same principle and artist's oil raw umber will work on all those colors, especially on German gray and Russian green. The other color schemes would require a slightly different application and I don't advise using it on winter white at all. It can be, but has to be applied in the same manner as when weathering an aircraft.

O.D. German Grey and Russian green are basically one size fits all. You can use exactly the same oil and system for the wash as with the olive drab. The difference comes in when the dry brushing begins. The remainder of the color schemes can be weathered with the same system and raw umber color, but the application is different. I will try to cover those as we go along.

Bob
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

We had just finished a portion of the bed in part one. In part two, we will finish washing the remainder of the chassis.

Something I would like to add here is the magical way in which rectified turpentine interacts with artist's oils. If your blend is correct, you don't have to be careful. Just coat the base coat and worry later how to get it off. With this system, you need not be concerned with getting it all off. When it dries, you will be surprised at how it softens, blends and lightens in shade.

When using oils, there is rarely any waste. The strip of raw umber I placed on the pallet yesterday is still there and still usable. Just add some more rectified turps and you are back in business!

picA01.jpg


We will start to complete not only the bed, but the entire remainder of the chassis. Note the oils have already dried except for the edges and is dead flat.

picA02.jpg


AS I have already marked the vehicle with dry transfers, the wash covers those as well. They will emerge as you blot away the wash.

picA03.jpg


As previously said, cover everything and worry about removing it in tight quarters later.

picA04.jpg


Removing the wash. I use the finger in the t-shirt to blot away the large, flat areas, also, anywhere you can get to with that method. Another way to get into tiny places is with a clean, dry brush. Jab or blot, don't wipe! Then clean the brush with the t-shirt and repeat.

picA05.jpg


To access small areas, use a q-tip wrapped into the shirt. The q-tip alone will leave fibers that you don't need!

picA06.jpg


picA07.jpg


The following three pics are various stages of the truck being washed. The beautiful thing about this rectified turpentine and oil mixture is that if you can't reach it with the q-tip wrapped in the cloth or the dry brush, don't worry about it! When it dries, it will soften, lighten and blend. I know your first attempt will make you panic because it will look very dark in some areas. Just set it aside to dry for 2 or 3 days. If you have used those two mediums, you will be pleased with the results when dry.

picA08.jpg


picA09.jpg


picA10.jpg


I had washed the cab previously and after drying, I used 1/48 scale Waldron aircraft dials, data plates and gauges to detail the dash board. They are so tiny, they are unreadable with the naked eye and lend a sense of realism.

picA11.jpg


Here I have the basic vehicle washed completely. Now, I'll set it aside to dry for a couple of days.

picA12.jpg


Now, I will wash the remainder of the parts in the same manner as the vehicle itself and set aside to dry.

picA13.jpg


Here are the wheels that I painted the tires with Vallejo dark rubber previously, now washed and ready to dry.

picA14.jpg


Next lesson we will begin washing the canvas parts and painting the .50 cal. machine gun and preparing to begin dry brushing.

Bob
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Ah...finally someone painting armor without it all assembled! But that's a pretty complicated build, blotting over a Sherman or a halftrack would not be that bad.

Thanks Dad!
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Ah...finally someone painting armor without it all assembled! But that's a pretty complicated build, blotting over a Sherman or a halftrack would not be that bad.

Thanks Dad!

The complexity of the model is what made me decide to use it. If you could do the Diamond T, a Sherman would be a walk in the park. At this point, the model is at it's worst in appearance. That is the point. It is critical that when they use the wash and when finished, it looks bad, that they just suck it up, set it aside and have patience. When it dries, they will sigh with relief. Then the fun stuff begins!

I paint armor with a lot of parts not yet attached. That's just me. Maybe because I started out as an aircraft modeler. They can assemble all they wish and this will still work. I have just always done it this way and you know what they say about about old dogs and new tricks!

Bob
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Yes! This is exactly what I was wondering about. So sorry for jumping the gun earlier.

Working on a donor just to be on the safe side,

Bill
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Yes! This is exactly what I was wondering about. So sorry for jumping the gun earlier.

Working on a donor just to be on the safe side,

Bill

Hey Bill,

I would encourage using an O.D. model or part of a model to experiment with this wash. The color will lighten when dry. Then I'll lighten it more in key areas. When key areas are lightened, the entire vehicle will appear to be lightened. I used the exact same process on the icon Sherman below.

4shot.jpg
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Thanks again for the input.

The donor is an old (built in 1981 and I’m pretty sure it is dry and cured by this point) green T-62. I just had to try putting that wash mixture on something else before it hit the Sherman. I did it this morning and while it looked pretty dark at the time (Yikes!), it has already dried and is much lighter, softer, and blended (as you said it would) with a very pleasing effect. I think I’m ready to apply it to the M4 (I’ll start on the bottom).

Cheers, Bill
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2

Yes! This is exactly what I was wondering about. So sorry for jumping the gun earlier.

Working on a donor just to be on the safe side,

Bill

Hey Bill,

I would encourage using an O.D. model or part of a model to experiment with this wash. The color will lighten when dry. Then I'll lighten it more in key areas. When key areas are lightened, the entire vehicle will appear to be lightened. I used the exact same process on the icon Sherman below.

4shot.jpg


:popcorn :Hiay :dude
and what a great looking paint job it is too.
I'm loving these classes. Great move Bob.

Ian.
 
Lesson Two The basic wash part 2


:popcorn :Hiay :dude
and what a great looking paint job it is too.
I'm loving these classes. Great move Bob.

Ian.[/quote]

Thanks Ian,

Great to hear from you Mate!

Bob
 
Thanks for covering this from top to bottom Bob- because i AM a novice! SA Dave did ask my question about using this on different paints- though I'm curious about enamel silvers like the Model Master paints, could this turpentine/ oil wash hurt THEM? Curious because silver is such a touchy color to mess with . Thanks for the inform here- alot of help! CR
 
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