Homemade washes

[forest wyvern]

Greetings everyone, I’m trying to make a large quantity of wash for vehicles and terrain.

I’m using:

• Sennelier Acrylic Ink
• Windsor & Newton Matt Medium
• water
• a drop of dish washing liquid

I’m trying various quantites of each and failing miserably. The last iteration is somewhere around 2 parts matt medium, 2 parts water, 1 part ink.

However, this is what’s happening see images. It pools way to much without glazing the surface, which isn’t ideal but it’s controlable (left side of the PBC) or it glazes the surface without pooling (like in the Rhino) and it’s very difficult to control what happens with slight variations of water.

I have made a similar recipe in the past, i was going for a very pigmented wash to mimic oil/enamel as best as possible when dry, super matte and looking like it was Streaking Grime’d.

Could it be the Ink brand that sucks? Am I using the wrong medium? Any rule of thumb for ratios? Or am I just after a look I must definitely use oils for?

[proper coyote]

Are you using dish detergent or a surfactant like jet dry? I'm not sure detergent has the same kind of surfactant properties. The art store product equivalent is flow improver.

[forest wyvern]

I was using dish detergent, it used to work well when I used it for the black ink, which the only difference is the brand from the brown ink

[steady rain]

If it pools away too much, you probably have too much detergent. Maybe try to dilute your detergent first in a small container (dilute quite a lot, like one drop dish washing liquid in 10-20mL water). Then add it to your mix one drop at a time to better control the ratio. You probably need just a tiny amount. See how it behaves on a dry palette (or on a primed plastic stuff) when you slowly add some more to find the right spot.

[warm steppe]

For small wash when I want it to color or stain I do a single drop of dish soap then dap like half of it out with my finger. Very scientific.

I do a single drop worth of paint and then drip water from fingers until mix is right. It's very seat of the pants but with a fat belly brush a little wash goes a long way.

Whole drop of dish soap will make it schlurp and pool, which is nice at times so you can play with it. I also sometimes deliberately whip it to make bubbles that pop and dry. Gives a great gross effect (see ogre's pocked icky skin in avatar)