To Wash or Not to Wash?

[KamenRiderNecro]

I'm this side of done with my Reckoner, and all that has to be done is to paint and attach his arms, as well as his eyes & stacks/exhaust pipes. But herein lies a question; to simulate the thick layer of ashes all over him due to Ashen Veil, I did nothing but dry brush his colors on over a base coat of Thamar Black to achieve a more "faded" look due to those ashes--do I want to use washes at all to add depth to the shadows, or do I want to leave him as is? I'm inclined to leave him as is, but wanted an outside opinion or two before continuing with that part. Thanks in advance!

[The_Wretch]

Could we get some pictures perhaps?

[KamenRiderNecro]

Hmm, that would rather help! Here's a couple, and the streak of black on the back is accidental:

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy278/KamenRiderNecro/ReckonerWIP01.jpg

http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy278/KamenRiderNecro/ReckonerWIP02.jpg

[The_Wretch]

Hrm. I would think it would make it look grey or even off-white. I can't tell whether you dry-brushed the darker color on or the lighter-color. Kind of like this picture to a lesser extreme: http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/EH/Manning/webpage/ash_car.gif

Were you dry brushing the darker or lighter color on? I'm assuming the lighter. It's not reading as "covered in ash" to me right now but I also don't think a wash would help it much. =/. Hrm. That's quite a predicament. Maybe you could get some of the terrain-snow and dust your model in it. >.>. That would look cool I think.


Edit: Some more references:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/car_ash_w3d.jpg
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01913/ash-covered-car_1913842i.jpg
http://www.thebackshed.com/forum/uploads/VK4AYQ/2011-06-23_004136_ash_on_car.jpg

[KamenRiderNecro]

Hrm. I would think it would make it look grey or even off-white. I can't tell whether you dry-brushed the darker color on or the lighter-color. Kind of like this picture to a lesser extreme: http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/EH/Manning/webpage/ash_car.gif

Were you dry brushing the darker or lighter color on? I'm assuming the lighter. It's not reading as "covered in ash" to me right now but I also don't think a wash would help it much. =/. Hrm. That's quite a predicament. Maybe you could get some of the terrain-snow and dust your model in it. >.>. That would look cool I think.


Edit: Some more references:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/car_ash_w3d.jpg
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01913/ash-covered-car_1913842i.jpg
http://www.thebackshed.com/forum/uploads/VK4AYQ/2011-06-23_004136_ash_on_car.jpg

I dry brushed up from a black undercoat starting with RMS Blackened Steel, which is the standard color for my Protectorate 'jacks, then worked my way up from Citadel's Boltgun Metal to Chainmail to Mithril Silver for top highlights. Golden looking bits were RMS Ancient Bronze to Tarnished Brass to Antique Gold. The goal was to make the colors look more muted than my other 'jacks, and while that was achieved, I'm curious as to how maybe I could duplicate this effect with paint, as I'm not too inclined to do the dusting with flock thing. I have a clue, but more input would be needed...

[Magister of Menoth]

I would still wash as it will add more depth to your dry brushing. Then, go over the edges with a fine brush and highlight to accentuate the details.

[KamenRiderNecro]

I would still wash as it will add more depth to your dry brushing. Then, go over the edges with a fine brush and highlight to accentuate the details.

Thanks for the input, but my curiosity is piqued because of the other fellow; how would you try and simulate what I am shooting for, here?

[desertwarlock]

@ Kamen
You could be extremely bold and spot spray a grey primer over it from high above the model. Though I would test the coverage on something else first.
It may be that you have to do the wash as usual to bring out the detail more but use a lighter wash and then apply the ash effects. I always try out new techniques that have a likelyhood of blowing up in my face on test models; ever since the 'pink fuzzy slippers on eThagrosh incident'.

[Magister of Menoth]

Thanks for the input, but my curiosity is piqued because of the other fellow; how would you try and simulate what I am shooting for, here?
After a good wash and highlight, seal with clear coat to protect your work. Then, with a stiple brush pointing straight down, stiple areas it can reach. Use multiple layers of diluted black, gray, then while. Be careful not to smear the stiple. Also, use more black, then progressively lessen with each color (less gray and least white). I always use 40K figs to experiment with painting style before I touch my WM models.

The reason why I say seal before you stiple because that give you a change to wipe wet paint off if you accidentally smear your stiple. Good luck!

[KamenRiderNecro]

After a good wash and highlight, seal with clear coat to protect your work. Then, with a stipple brush pointing straight down, stiple areas it can reach. Use multiple layers of diluted black, gray, then while. Be careful not to smear the stiple. Also, use more black, then progressively lessen with each color (less gray and least white). I always use 40K figs to experiment with painting style before I touch my WM models.

The reason why I say seal before you stipple because that give you a change to wipe wet paint off if you accidentally smear your stipple. Good luck!

Ya know, I was eyeballing a Citadel stippling brush a ways back. Perhaps I ought to have snagged it! Do you mean lessen the amount of black as I go? Your wording is a bit confusing.

[Magister of Menoth]

Sorry. I meant to say - using diluted black, stiple the areas the brush can reach this would give you an idea where the ash would fall naturally. Then with the diluted gray, stiple over the black but leave some of the black still showing. Lastly, stiple over with diluted white (or lighter gray) over less area with alot of gray still sowing.

So, Black is the deep layer or what I call the shadows. Gray is the mid layer which should have majority of the stipled area or the actual ash settling. The White/Lighter Gray will be the highest layer and should be tiny highlights on the ash. So, in theory, the White would have less of an area of the deep or mid layers.

I recommend to look at photos with stippling to see how it is supposed to look (I do not have any). Also, I recommend the diluting paints enough as when they dry, they should be semi-transparent. Diluting is also a drawback as it leaves the paint susceptable to smearing or "running" if diluted too much.

Dusting with spray paint is the other option but if you put too much or if you make a mistake, there is no going back. Some people say drybrush the ash on but IMO, it would not look like a natural ash fall. On that note, also look at photos of ashfall to see how the real life ash looks.

[The_Wretch]

The stippling thing and the spray from above sound like they could work great. I think he's saying to first stiple black, then less black/grey then grey then light grey, then white, more or less.

[Magister of Menoth]

Talking about dusting, I wonder what it would look like if you take a sieve, dust the figure with baking powder or weathering pigment before you clear seal. Then you will get a true ash fall.