What are the benefits of a OIL wash vs Acrylic

[myequation]

I'm getting back into starship modeling after a 15 yr break.
rebuying supplies is fun yet bewildering at times.
So many new option and having the internet forums is fantastic.

Back in the day I used acrylic washes. I often avoided oils and paints that smelled. I really enjoy easy cleanup and no vapors

washes are a big part with the current star wars models (falcon) I'm working on, so many little details and panels,

I'm tempted to try an oil or tamiya enamel wash for the first time but before I bother spending my money what is the real benefit vs a plain acrylic easy cleanup method?

[seam-filler]

The only real advantage of oil washes is drying time. Because oils take longer to cure, you can do more in the way of blending different shades. This is not so important with hardware but can be a real boon for figures.

Otherwise, oils stinkl more than acrylics, are more difficult to claen up and (as hinted above) take a lot longer to dry.

To be honest, I have never tried enamels for washes.

[woozle]

I 'grew-up' with games workshop's school of acrylic washes in the 80s and found that there is a difference. Oil washes give a warmer finish that accentuates surface texture while acryl washes tend to pool in low areas to shade them with more contrast. For instance, doing a human figure, I like to give the highlights a light brushing of a lighter tone, then use a subtle acryl wash to darken the recessed areas, then use an oil wash to give the whole thing a warm tone that softens the differences between areas. I tend to think that oil washes really only look good on 'organic' subjects.

[myequation]

Thanks guys.
Great info and actually the answer I was looking for.

I think I will stick with acrylics.

[Marco Scheloske]

Otherwise, oils stinkl more than acrylics, are more difficult to claen up

My experience is completely different, I use ONLY oil washes meanwhile.

Why?

Well...

1.) I use a thinner that doesn`t stink ("Terpin" from the german company "Schmincke")

2.) Oil washes work way better regarding cappilary action - so it really flows by itself into panel lines or into sharp edges of details on a kit

3.) I always had problems to clean a model after an acrylic wash, but with an oil wash I simply wipe the excess stuff away with a cotton cloth. I can even do it a day after I added the wash because of the long drying time (it takes approx. a week to harden completely).

[seam-filler]

Each to his own. As I said in my earlier post I really like oil washes for figures.

Marco pointed out that oil washes tend to flow better than acrylic - which is quite true - but if you add a few drops of Dishwasher Rinse Aid to an arylic wash it lowers the surface tension and it flows a lot better.

[myequation]

Now I understand.

I can certainly see why an oil wash would be so attractive with its slow drying time.

So how would one handle the next coat or pastels? Do you wait a week for the oil wash to dry?

[Marco Scheloske]

So how would one handle the next coat or pastels? Do you wait a week for the oil wash to dry?

Well, I do.

[Kylwell]

Now I understand.

I can certainly see why an oil wash would be so attractive with its slow drying time.

So how would one handle the next coat or pastels? Do you wait a week for the oil wash to dry?

All you need is a day or so for the surface to gel, then seal with a acrylic or polyurethane clear coat (like JW etc matte finish).

[TER-OR]

I use watercolors for panel lines, it acts like oil and you can remove excess easily. I use oils for some purposes when I want to streak grime back - they're the best for that. I use inks in Future for glazes - which aren't removed. They're great for recessed areas.

[Marco Scheloske]

I use watercolors for panel lines, it acts like oil

Somehow it doesn`t for me. Much less "capilary action" (spell?), if you know what I mean.

[seam-filler]

I must admit that I can't see watercolours working very well and I've never had any success when trying it. Apart from the poor capilliary action that Marco mentioned, most paints are desinged to actually repel water which means that watercolours will tend to bead and collect in pools rather than flow nicely.

You really need something with very little surface tension, which means oils or acrylics cut with something to reduce surface tension.

[Mark Yungblut]

Here is my take on washes...

Washes are most effective when they are employed to meet a desired finish. By that, I mean that using similar and dissimilar materials can GREATLY affect how the wash acts. If you paint the base with an Acrylic, and then use an acrylic as a wash, the wash is likely to leave a slight tint on the overall surface of the base. This is true whether you use a surfactant or not. I have found that using dissimilar materials tends to quell this from happening. Therefore, I generally use an oil wash over my base that is either the acrylic color or a clear coat like Future.

The other thing that seriously effects how a wash lays is the actual surface of the paint to which it is applied. A mat surface is more likely to be "stained" by the wash than a semi or gloss surface. This can be used to the advantage of the model maker, when they want differing effects on a piece. For instance, I will gloss coat a subject and do the panel lines etc. as well as washes to bring out details (cracks and crevasses in the detail piece). I will then go back and flat coat the same piece if I am adding stains or smudges with a wash.
Here you can see how the “staining” effect can be used as an advantage in getting a desired finish. The fur was washed with layers of oils over a flat white base. The details were “picked out” with an artist’s kneadable eraser, which is very effective at removing color that has been laid down on a subject.

Fur

I tend to use Oil washes the most as I find they can be controlled to a much greater degree than other types.
I will occasionally use an acrylic wash if I want to overall darken a subject and knock back a brighter tone.
As to the water color thing, if it is not flowing then get some watercolor medium from Windsor and Newton. It is a surfactant that is specifically designed to increase the flow of watercolors and it slightly slows the drying process.

Cheers,
Mark

[myequation]

great comments and ideas.
my brain is expanding...

So what is a tamiya primer made of? They call it a synthetic lacquer.
So would an acrylic wash be its 'opposite' coat?

[TER-OR]

Get the little tubes of watercolor - transparents are best. Get some Liquitex Flo-Aid - Slo-Dri is nice, too. Use these to adjust the surface tension of the wash. If you make sure you have a good hard glosscoat on the model, you can flow in the watercolor wash. A barely dampened cotton swab will allow you to remove excess. You can always come back and add more.

If you saw the Yamato fighters I did a couple years ago, those are all acrylic washes and ink glazes. No oils.
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/other/tm_exyamato.htm

On the other tentacle, the VF-1D was oil wash.
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/mecha/tm_vf1D.htm

You can achieve great results on panel lines with either - and mix your colors carefully and remember, as Mark taught me (or reminded me of my art classes all those years ago) Payne's Gray is your best friend. Black is to be used sparingly.