What do you recommend for black washes?

[Ace-Garageguy]

I've been using this stuff...   ...but it dries shiny, doesn't adhere very well, and doesn't cover well either.

It does the job fine in some applications, like making an engine block look oily, but it bites for doing wheels, grilles, etc. because of the shine.

It's about useless for doing panel lines, and though it looked GREAT after I'd used it to black some chrome gauges that I then cleared with PVA for lenses, it literally fell off a few days later.

I know a lot of you guys use black washes. Any suggestions (from actual experience, please)?

 

 

[SfanGoch]

Model Master Acryl Flat Black or Vallejo Model Color 70.950 (169) work well. Both dry dead flat.

  

Edited March 11, 2018 by SfanGoch

[Foxer]

I haven't found any product or paint, all brands of flat and types (enamel etc.) that has satisfied me.

I use an India Ink wash of about 10 or 20% that does the job for me. I do tend to be heavy with it so this really stands out. I'm pretty sure I used water to dilute, possibly some flow adjuster or soap. I have one of many bottles I mixed and tried and the one that works stays in front but, of course. never wrote down the exact formula. It's a generous bottle so will last me quite awhile.

[espo]

Tamiya's X-19 Smoke has a flat finish  but it is on the thin side much like The Detailer Black-it-Out.

[Toner283]

14 minutes ago, espo said:

Tamiya's X-19 Smoke has a flat finish  but it is on the thin side much like The Detailer Black-it-Out.

Tamiya smoke I have found works excellent to spray a light coat over chrome to make it more realistic and less toy-like.

As far as black wash, I use tamiya flat black or semi gloss black as needed, thinned by about a third with the tamiya thinner.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 Thank you ALL very much. Most helpful.  

[John Pol]

I use Tamiya's  panel liner it comes in black and couple other colors to do what you want to do

[High octane]

I just picked up the Model Master Black detail Wash, but haven't tried it yet. I have been using the Detailer, but the panel lines didn't come out well on a recent build and I'm wondering if the wash has gone bad or there was a reaction to the paint?

[SfanGoch]

Could be as simple as the product sucks.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Ceramcoat acrylic craft paint.

I use it a lot for detailing & washes, especially grilles & panel lines.

 

Steve

[Snake45]

I made my own using Tamiya Acrylic Flat Black and 92% alcohol. I haven't used it much, but when I have, it's worked great. 

[russosborne]

Snake, about what ratio do you mix those?

I used to use the Detailer stuff, but agree it doesn't do a good job, so I gave up.

Thanks,

Russ

[russosborne]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Ceramcoat acrylic craft paint.

I use it a lot for detailing & washes, especially grilles & panel lines.

 

Steve

Steve, are you using it straight out of the bottle or are you diluting it?

Thanks,

Russ

[935k3]

Tamiya's ne panel line paints flow really well and look nice. They are enamel based and cleanup with mineral spirits.

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, russosborne said:

Steve, are you using it straight out of the bottle or are you diluting it?

Thanks,

Russ

It usually requires some thinning, but being as I use it almost exclusively for detailing this sort of thing, When I get a new bottle, I will pour off a little paint & add some water & then just keep it that way.

There are several very nice qualities about this paint that I won't bore you with here, but one of the best is that a bottle will last you forever if you keep it well.

I have bottles of Ceramcoat craft paint that I'm sure that I have had for more than 20 years, & they will most likely last me for 20 more!

 

Steve

[Zoom Zoom]

12 hours ago, 935k3 said:

Tamiya's ne panel line paints flow really well and look nice. They are enamel based and cleanup with mineral spirits.

 

I really like these. They're quite good, and dry flat...no gloss. They mix well too. I threw away the Black Detailer years ago, truly terrible product.

[El Roberto]

I make my own using odorless thinner and artist oil paint.  Just make it super thin. 

[Bainford]

I didn't realise the Tamiya washed came in colours other than black. I'll have to pick up some grey and brown. I've been using the Tamiya black panel line wash for some things. It does flow well, but I find it is too heavy for some applications.

I typically use Tamiya flat black or semi-gloss black thinned A LOT with isopropyl alcohol, maybe 8:1 give or take, but I find the pigment particle size is too large when thinned to that degree, especially with the flat black. I'm still looking for a very finely pigmented paint that is suitable for black washing, that is not a gloss paint. I know some people use thinned black inks, and I'm thinking of investigating some of these.

[Snake45]

20 hours ago, russosborne said:

Snake, about what ratio do you mix those?

I used to use the Detailer stuff, but agree it doesn't do a good job, so I gave up.

Thanks,

Russ

Ratio, what's that? I just poured some Tamiya black in an old Testor bottle, then added alcohol till the stuff was real thin. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

8 hours ago, Bainford said:

I didn't realise the Tamiya washed came in colours other than black. I'll have to pick up some grey and brown. I've been using the Tamiya black panel line wash for some things. It does flow well, but I find it is too heavy for some applications.

I typically use Tamiya flat black or semi-gloss black thinned A LOT with isopropyl alcohol, maybe 8:1 give or take, but I find the pigment particle size is too large when thinned to that degree, especially with the flat black. I'm still looking for a very finely pigmented paint that is suitable for black washing, that is not a gloss paint. I know some people use thinned black inks, and I'm thinking of investigating some of these.

Try some of these.

You have very little to lose!

They cost about $2.00 to $3.00 each, & they last forever.

Thin with water.

 

Steve

 

 

 

[Top.Secret]

I've had the same bottle of 'The Detailer' blackwash for the past 15 years haha.  The results I got weren't that good but I never thought to look for something else because I thought it was just me lacking in skill lol.  I assumed it was something everyone used like BMF and you just had to get better with it.  After seeing all the bad opinions here about this product I guess it partly had to do with the product heh.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Top.Secret

[Matt Bacon]

If you have a gaming shop nearby, Citadel’s washes... Nuln Oil (black) in particular... are very good, and come in assorted colours which can be used for more subtle panel lines on coloured vehicles...

best,

M.