⚠️How to Make a *BETTER* Black Wash for Terrain - RECIPE

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Les' recipe actually called for *distilled* water, not *deionized* water like I mispoke in the video.....either way, distilled water is an option, but for terrain I really don't think you *need* it, tap water should do fine....unless you have terrible tap water. *MY RECIPE* Ingredients *Water* (Use distilled if you wish) *Flow Aid* (Liquitex or Jet Dry) Liquitex (USA) amzn.to/2ofiLC0 (Canada) amzn.to/2LqHCw1 Jet Dry (USA) amzn.to/2PHzP04 (Canada) amzn.to/2BSRXkS *Matte Medium* (USA) amzn.to/2N0aVtY (Canada) amzn.to/2N0aVtY *Acrylic Ink* Carbon Black (USA) amzn.to/2LvfiZs (Canada) amzn.to/2wlFmkV Burnt Umber (USA) amzn.to/2LviQLj (Canada) amzn.to/2wj9Sfj ^(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases) Mix flow aid into water at approximately 10 (water) to 1 (flow aid). Then mix water and matte medium at apox. 60/40 water to medium. Add ink until you achieve the desired results.

[@Angrywargamer]

Black Magic Craft I was going to say this is Les’ recipe and then I read the comment. I also think Mr. Justin from Secret weapon makes his washes similar to this process or at least used to.

[@Brickerbrack]

@@Angrywargamer The Secret Weapon washes _are_ Les Bursley's recipe.

[@GeneJordan]

I doubt de-ionized water would be a problem either. Here is the difference (source is Quora) : "Distilled water is highly purified water that does not contain any salts. ... As a result, organic substances having boiling point less than that of water and oils present in water can be present in distilled water. Deionized water is ultrapurified water containing no ions other than H+ and OH-." I take water from my dehumidifier, bring it to a boil, and let it cool. It's not the same as distilled and not even close to being deionzed, but it's clean enough for use as a painting ingredient.

[@abgitatz]

You can use bottled water, just check the label to make sure it is distilled. You can also substitute the medium for floor polish in a pinch I've been wondering how long it was going to take for you to make this video. It seems like every terrain crafter of quality does.

[@FredPaul0222]

If your making just what you need in washes tap water is fine. But if your going to shelf it for more then a month I have notice it starts to smell funky.

[@TheRunesmythe]

For those curious/interested, here's an explanation/look at the mechanics of these washes: - The reason why distilled water is recommended is because it won't stagnate on you. This is important if you plan on either mixing up a big batch of wash or you plan on storing it for long periods of time; eventually tap water will go stagnant on you, though how long that takes depends on the quality of your tap water and the environment its being stored in. That being said, if you know you're going to be using the wash immediately and you know it won't last long then distilled water isn't necessary. - The flow aid is used to break surface tension, i.e. its a surfactant; this is so you don't get tide marks (a.k.a coffee rings). If you only use water, it will tend to pool a lot more and, as a result, you'll find rings of color around the recesses but little to none in the recesses themselves. The surface tension of water prevents the pigment from settling in the recesses, and as the water evaporates the surface area shrinks, pulling the pigment out to the sides and forming those rings. - If you just mix water, flow aid and matte medium and leave it this way, you know have the equivalent of Games Workshops Lahmian Medium, i.e. acrylic medium with no pigment (if you look closely, you can see that Lahmian Medium isn't actually clear, but is slightly milky), which is great for thinning paints without diluting them, meaning you can turn pretty much any color into a wash/glaze whenever you want, or just thin your paints for more translucent layers. - I would actually recommend putting glass beads in the bottles (I also recommend this for paint bottles) as agitators. In this case, if you used the Jet Dry, it will allow you to mix up the wash without getting as much foam/soap bubbles, but even if you use flow aid instead putting agitators in is never a bad idea. When it comes to paints, this will make mixing them a good deal easier and less stressful on your hands and wrists when it comes to shaking your paints.

[@sagemcchesney4734]

Thank you that is alot of very useful info.

[@metajock]

Also, some of us have HUGE amounts of chlorine or chloramine in our water, Florida area is particularly bad. Not sure how much of a difference it makes, as I used distilled when I made mine, but better safe than sorry. Also, thanks for the bead reminder, I forgot to add them to mine when i made them.

[@jolienvsndijk]

How would the water being stagnate effect your wash?

[@TheRunesmythe]

@@jolienvsndijk Stagnant water could cause a number of problems. The most common ones I know of are; affecting the wash's ability to adhere to the miniature; affecting the color of the wash; and causing the wash to dry with a hazy, milky finish (think of a mostly opaque white film that would obscure any colors it dried over).

[@King_Merit]

So let me get this right - if my wash is puddling and creating large dark spots instead of flowing into the cracks & recesses it means I need more flow aid?

[@JamsAlx]

Please tell me you're making your kitchen out of XPS foam and Modpodge 😆

[@amdnable]

The black wash should really make the details pop in your kitchen.

[@ayemdismantld]

lol

[@jeffreygiven4713]

@@ayemdismantld literally Laughed out loud at this.

[@Spectr1701A]

I just made a trio set of washes using your method-black, brown, and green. All inks are Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks. Here are my recipes: Wash Base • 1 oz distilled water • 10 drops rinse aid • 3/4 oz matte medium Black Wash • 40 drops Carbon Black ink • 10 drops Transparent Burnt Umber ink Brown Wash • 40 drops Transparent Burnt Umber ink • 10 drops Carbon Black ink Green Wash • 30 drops Vivid Lime Green ink • 15 drops Transparent Burnt Umber ink • 5 drops Carbon Black ink I do measure so I can reproduce the washes accurately each time I make them.

[@fenrirzen]

what can I use instead of rinse aid?

[@roberthuffman2620]

@@fenrirzen I thought the video said Liquitex mat medium (that artists use). I have looked for Mat Med. in Michaels and Hobby Lobby and it isn't readily on the shelves. Amazon or an art store would be the best source for that.

[@harveyedwards5882]

Thanks

[@devlindecutler7525]

Thanks!

[@corwinchristensen260]

A quick tip: put a glass marble in the bottom of the squeeze bottle. It will help you "swirl" the wash to mix it evenly without shaking and making foam.

[@robotparts]

I picked up the ingredients I needed at Hobby Lobby yesterday, 10-5-22. FYI, here's what I spent: Liquitex Matte Medium - 16 Ounce $18.99, Master's Touch flow medium (don't recall the price but they didn't have Liquitex brand), Acrylic Inks - 2 @ $6.99 each and plastic bottles 3-pack - $3.50. Total: approximately $47.

[@ProfessorTrain743]

Depending on how much you need, you can get matte medium from some of the acrylic paint brands in a small (17ml for Vallejo) for about $4.

[@karlb6273]

With a dropper bottle, you don’t really have to worry much about bubbles. Just give the wash a good shake and turn it upside down. Wait a few seconds and the bubbles will rise to the bottom of the bottle. What comes out of the dropper should be bubble free. Also, if you use Liquitex flow improver you will indeed get less bubbles.

[@davinci3259]

Folkart Makes a medium called floating medium and it does the same thing as Liquitex flow aid but cheaper. 8 oz is around $5 usd.

[@mrtonyadkins]

Hey Black Magic. I just wanted you too know that I was watching this video late at night before i fell asleep. I dozed off for a moment. My iPad slipped my grip just for a moment...it cracked my nose. Your video is so good I took my nosebleed and finished it...Congratulations, you are worth powering through.

[@DayGloOreo]

Here's a tip: If you use dropper bottles for washes, or do what I did and transfer all your paints to dropper bottles, add a stainless steel BB to each bottle to act as an agitator when you shake it. It cuts down on the shaking you have to do to re-mix paints that have separated.

[@mtndewbuddy]

I have been making my own wash for the past few years using a 50/50 mix of matte medium in Windex and then add your ink to flavor. And ive had a lot of good results with it on terrain and miniatures

[@lordjesseye2685]

I myself use Windex. Got the idea from Dave, at that time I think, king. Now better known as Delaney king. Don't agree with her politics, but her results speak for itself

[@King_Merit]

Just Windex, medium, & inks? No other ingredient?

[@slickschoppers]

I have a hard time believing that the blue dye (pigment, just like inks and paint) in the windex doesn't affect the color of the wash.

[@HeroesBosses]

I've walked past all these ingredients in Michaels many times. I thought "meh" Nuln Oil works fine. Then I started painting the Ruins of Osgilliath and went through almost an entire bottle on just 3 of the bits of terrain. Time to make my own black wash! Great vid :)

[@bitzbox]

I've been uses Les' recipe for years. It's so good for terrain. I like the idea of mixing in a bit of brown too

[@TimothyKing-tf6bh]

It worked perfectly. Thank you so much. Total cost was about $40 Can and I have enough black wash for decades.

[@GeektoStudios]

This is perfectly timed. I'm about to go to the store to refresh my crafting supplies. And I haven't made a black wash yet

[@TheLastWhiteKid]

Are you still their? I could use done milk.

[@basicweech]

i know you posted this four years ago, but I really appreciate you taking the time to make it! It was super helpful for me as i'm just getting into figure painting and miniatures! I hope you're having a great day wherever you are now!

[@brettsteele7386]

I use your old wash on my mini's and they turned out just fine. I am not the best painter, in fact I am just starting out in this, but they still look just fine to my players.

[@kellyokeefe825]

This is going to save me so much money on washes for terrain....thanks for this handy recipe!

[@leerevier1003]

This stuff worked great. I was having problems with my water and ink combo... but by adding the rinse aid (I was using plain dish soap) AND the matt medium got rid of my "rings" that were drying around the low spots on my models and miniatures. I was able to order the liquitex directly thru Amazon without any problems. Thanks Black Magic Craft. I have been painting minis for years but have recently ventured into the foam type terrain. I spent years of my youth working in plaster while building model railroads...... and yes.... I am an old school D&D geek too. This site has allowed me to pick up some of my old crafting arts again.

[@MrLostpaladin]

Lester is a Legend. I learned a lot from him when i started mini painting and airbrushing. And he is the reason i got better in commission painting.

[@majorlaw1985]

Good video. Ink is definitely the way to go. Just getting back into painting. This reminded me of the first time I learned about black-washing, back in 1993. Back then we used diluted India Ink. Stuff was expensive (it's not anymore) but so strong you could get a lot of mix for your money. Dried almost instantly so you could get to painting right away. Bubbles were common so we would lightly blast with compressed air, which removed bubbles, spread the ink deeper and more randomly, and helped dry all at once. Glad to see some old school techniques still around. Thanks.

[@meraduddcethin2812]

Great video. May I suggest when making up a batch like this that you add all of the ingredients, get the mix to where you want and THEN add in the flow-aid. Means you get a lot less in the bubbling/foaming dept.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

That just might work.

[@oboylefamily1869]

Jeremy, no need to apologize for life. A vid on kitchen Reno would be neat

[@50043211]

While I probably wont use this, it still was helpful because I found out by looking for acrylic ink that they sell them for 30 bucks for 12. Which is amazing and its always nice to make your own washes how you want them.

[@Toti29]

I tried a bunch of recipes and best results were with this one. I tried with acrylic paints and inks also.

[@garysomerscherryraider]

Finally got round to making my own washes. Thanks for the tips. 👍

[@ashenwalls3558]

Yaaaas liquitex is wonderful! 😍 I actually have all of these!

[@DMNKLR_official]

I actually use this mix to thin my craft paints as well (minus the ink, of course), along with a 1:1 ratio of distilled water : paint, and oh my freaking word does it ever make it awesome. I use Flow-Aid, like Les does, though. I now also tend to use a drop of Liquitex's Slow-Dri medium as well, but only because the parchment paper I'm using tends to not wick water as well as it ought to, so the Slow-Dri helps keep it moist for longer and makes up for the issue. Only a single drop is needed of each: paint, this mix, water (and optional slow-dri if you wish/need it). It's ridonculous how far your paint will stretch with this stuff, and it doesn't even impact metallics negatively either.

[@Whistlingduckpro]

This is a great tip!

[@saralang4197]

Oh hey! Fun fact for the diy wash crowd. Liquitex uses the same pigment density to volume for their paints across the line. So the ink will be as pigment dense as their full body paints and their flo paint line. I use liquitex a lot. I buy their Basics paint usually. I know it is slightly less dense then their other lines but I have yet to notice a major enough difference in the work I do to invest in the higher density paints. I've been making washes with the water/flo aid combo with the straight up basics paint instead of the medium+ink combo. Not really noticed any major differences.

[@slickschoppers]

the pigment density is not the only factor, the pigment size also comes into play. inks have a smaller (finer) pigment. liquitex basic has a larger pigment, and as you said, also less pigment per volume. the inks work better in a wash due to the fact that they have a lot of very fine pigment in them. when changed into a wash, the larger pigment does not settle as evenly as larger pigment. That doesn't mean you can't use liquitex basics, but that is the reason that Inks work better.

[@lordjesseye2685]

I started using Windex couple years ago. For terrain I use one part black paint two or even three parts Windex. Minis I use two part army painter dark wash, one part army painter light wash, three part Windex. Windex doesn't stagnate, it evaporates fast

[@TheBuefurd]

Have you ever had trouble with the paint breaking down over time? I've always heard not to use windex as an ingredient in paint additives because windex actually breaks down the bonds of acrylic paint and in the long term, the paint jobs won't last. Unlike water which acts as a proper diluent, windex is a solvent that actually dissolves the paint. This is just something i've heard from pro airbrush guys (which is why they use windex to clean their airbrushes).

[@lordjesseye2685]

@@TheBuefurd no not yet. I've actually not had anyone else have that problem either. But I'm not gonna say it hasn't or won't happen. Paint makeup from various companies different. I could see that with old ral partha paints. Loved them but look at them wrong and the paint would flake

[@shevaettle894]

A fantastic recipe, I have searched for years for a perfect recipe this is it! And a little tip try glazes they are simply colour tinted varnishes, honestly they're really useful!

[@petearmour5765]

Brilliant Videos and really really Helpful I’m coming back from a 40 year break. You Explain things really well thank you 👍

[@saralang4197]

I am really glad the acrylic ink has been working out for you! I think I commented about using them for something else on one of your videos before? Ive been using the inks not only on washes but to darken up the modpodge base coat as well. Been thinking about expanding on making more washes in other colors to add some pops of color for terrain and minis

[@pixiedustandchaos5722]

Thank you for this video, but more so thank you for explaining what Acrylic medium is in layman's terms! It really helped!

[@Zorpazorp]

I swear to god I watch this like every build hahaha

[@CronosVids]

I finally got round to watching this video. I've been thinking of making washes. Got a pretty good idea on the how to now, only need to get my hands on some inks.

[@merek5380]

You know i didn't have any ink on me but I used apple barrel black paint and roughly followed your instructions for everything. With everything eyeballed it turned out great.

[@AlexBabcock-hw9iz]

Hope the kitchen is coming along nicely, roll for mates aggro level. When you got finished with that Brown wash and hadn't put the cap on I was waiting for you to knock it over made it intense great vid.

[@steveclarke6257]

If you want to make this mix more touch resilliant, you can add "clear wax floor polish" what used to be Johnson's Clear

[@heyo49]

Matte medium works great for water effects. I mix it with a little bit of ink or paint to make puddles/swamps etc.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Hey O - That’s a neat little trick. I wonder if simple PVA would work instead of matt medium which is quite expensive. Must give it a go. - Daylight come an’ me wanna go home.

[@Descenter1976]

Black Magic Craft, When did you last play D&D? Do you ever, or are you just making models? If you ever use and play with your models, what about making a video of that? Would love to see you and some of your friends play a long D&D campaign with all this epic stuff you have made.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I DM a game every 3 to 4 weeks, and I’m in another game that usually plays every 2-3 weeks. Filming games *properly* requires a crew and more equipment than the channel can currently afford.

[@Descenter1976]

I have seen a married couple making roleplaying videos, with only 2 cameras and (I think 2 mics) That was awesome except they used very cheap cameras and very low lighting, so it did not look so good. I also know that it would be way below your standars. But still its was great to watch, So with a tiny bit of effort I think you have the next Critical Role like setting. I think It would make alot of new subscribers to your channel. (if you made a poll, saying, "Would you like to se us play?" well, I think you know the answer to that... Nevertheless THANKS for one of the best KZbin channels! Haven't started to build anything yet, but i have bought cheap paint, brushes, rollers, a inch/cm cutting mat, and a few other things, I only need the possible to finde foam.... (Im from Denmark, and I still need to go to the varies home building shops to look for myself, but on the internet I can't fint it in Denmark.... I will send you the store name for you list if I find it)

[@JMcMillen]

@@Descenter1976 I think you are overestimating how much fun it would be to just watch any random groups D&D session. One of the reasons Critical Role works is that everybody in front of the camera is a professional voice actor (and in at least one case, an on screen actress). They know how to get into character, and do it well. Just think of all the cringe worth examples of LARPers, Ren Fair folk, and even tabletop games that try to get into character... and do it badly. Or those players that never get into character and just meta game their way through everything. Plus, there are already a number of similar shows already gaining large audiences, many by people who already had established social media presences, so they had a built in following to draw from. People only have so much time to watch that stuff, so they will tend to gravitate to people they know, and stuff that's already well received. Not that I'm saying that watching BMC's D&D games might not be entertaining, but it's a lot of work to make it worth watching, with no guarantee that enough people will.

[@slickschoppers]

@@Descenter1976 I think I saw that same roleplaying video. Is he a plumber, and the wife has a broken sink and no money to pay him????

[@TotzkieGG]

This is the first video I watched from you, subscribed because of this video.

[@geektome4781]

I was really into BattleTech many years ago and, on the BattleTech miniature painting forums, I learned to add Future Floor Finish to the water and paint (ink) as a flow aid.

[@geektome4781]

Future Floor Finish doesn’t bubble. It does cause the wash to dry glossy, but it’ll get the poly spray finish anyway. And for proper credit, the BattleTech painting forums is on the CamoSpecs website.

[@gk2011]

So I just hit up my Hobby lobby to get stuff to make it. I found out 2 things 1. Amazon has better prices, but Hobby Lobby had a 40% off 1 item coupon that my Cachier was nice enough to have me Google. 2. They have the Ink at about the Amazon price + they also had a bunch of super discounted inks that I'm assuming were being discontinued. Most were to "Flashy" but I found a decent Blue ink, Tan, and Green that I'll have extra now that were only like $2 each! Definitely worth just walking around looking for Deals!

[@MattHolstein]

Les is the legend! It's so heartbreaking he doesn't make vids hardly at all anymore.

[@garyjenson8262]

Recently I had to wash and bind some rubble. I did a 30/30/30 paint to alchohol to pva. I was worried it would be glossy it wasn't maybe because I used alcohol. Oh you can use glycerin instead of soap. It does the same but doesn't foam. It's next to the constipation meds at the pharmacy it's about 5 bucks for enough to last a lifetime. The alcohol does the same; as alcohol has less surface tension, plus it dries faster. Still your wash is great I've used that recipe to make many contrast paints.

[@baba6strings]

just a suggestion, but you could probably try pledge floor care/ future in making washes..i plan on trying in to make some in the future! awesome videos keep'm coming!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I actually do that when I want to make small batch glazes of random colours while mini painting. It works very well, just pledge and paint mixed right on the pallet.

[@sgt-slag]

Cheap ($6+ for a 27 oz. bottle, at Wal-Mart: www.walmart.com/ip/Pledge-Floor-Gloss-Original-27-fl-oz/15136693). Works superbly, for making washes -- formally known as, the "Magic Wash Technique," from the 1990's, or earlier. After your acrylic paint dries, completely (wait 1-2 hours, minimum), you can give it a full-strength coat of Pledge Floor Gloss (they've changed the name several times, in the past few years, this is it's current name), to smooth the microscopically rough, acrylic paint surface. This will smooth it, microscopically, quite a bit, allowing subsequent washes to flow more evenly, and not stick everywhere, darkening every square micro-meter of the model. It is quick, easy, and affordable. It works with water-based inks, as well. Cheers!

[@markushodel173]

Perfect video. I made today my first black, brown and green washes.

[@anthonybreedlove1552]

I know this is an older video but I'd recommend putting these items on your Essentials list. I just ordered some via the links in the desc, I hope that you still get some kick back from Amazon from those.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

They ARE on my essential equip page :)

[@anthonybreedlove1552]

@@BlackMagicCraftOfficial I just realized this when looking for flocking on there and came back to do the ol' "loljk" on this comment to see you already replied back.

[@nicholasconway9961]

just getting started in making terrain and i am loving your videos. thanking my fellow gamers are enjoying the new additions to the table

[@lbush8261]

Thank you soooo much !!! Found everything I needed with no issues. Can’t wait to try this technique

[@MK-je7im]

Excellent video and thanks for sharing, just bought some amazon tools over your link as well. Keep up the great work, greetings from Alberta 🇨🇦

[@shaundad16]

For anyone who finds this video, pure glycerin isn’t that expensive and won’t bubble. Great video and happy crafting.

[@petersaczko6192]

Unfortunately glycerine doesn't evaporate which means that it stays in the medium matrix once the water evaporates leaving a tacky feeling surface when dry. Glycerine is also used in industry and cooking to retard the evaporation of water due to the charges on the molecule attracting water through hydrogen bonds so it might take longer to dry.

[@patrickkeller2193]

I use pure vegetable glycerin from the e-pipe store as a cheep and effective flow aid. Also when you mix matte medium with black ink, you essentially create black paint, so you can just use that instead.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

The whole point of the ink is to avoid the large chalky pigmentation you get in paint. Yes you can use paint, I did in my old recipe, but I found I got much better results with inks.

[@patrickkeller2193]

Ah yeah right, ink often has smaller pigments, depends on the paint and the ink though.

[@zombielandiii2711]

@@patrickkeller2193 Hello Patrick. O sant to ask if I may... Can I use any kind of ink? I have black ink to refill my printer and I want to save money. Thank you very much.

[@patrickkeller2193]

@@zombielandiii2711 I don't actually know, just like paint, there are a number of different liquids that could have been used to make that ink, some of them may react with acryl.

[@murdockscott]

I dig it! Looks better than what I have been mixing for myself for sure. Thanks!

[@kurtkyre]

This is a really nice wash! Used it on the repaint of my tiles and stuff.

[@spencerwhipple625]

I'd agree that for terrain washes Jet Dry is fine - a note though; the Liquitex flow aid will bubble when shaken too. - love it for minis, but I don't think it has any advantages over JD for terrain. I might suggest checking out flow medium rather than matte medium, or in combination. Gives some extra runniness. Lastly I've taken to adding a small amount of alcohol to my terrain washes. Extra flow, plus it helps sterilize the mix so that if I don't use it all quickly it doesn't go bad.

[@jamesback8024]

My Wash: Distilled Water 60% Apple Barrel Black Paint 40% + Apple barrel Brown Paint - A few drops PineSol - about a teaspoon A few drops ModPodge Matt Test and Thin if needed: Makes 1 8oz Bottle

[@TheSylvanKnight]

I tried this recipe earlier this week. The Jet Dry Finish did not mix well with the Liquatex Matte Medium, and produced ugly clumps of acrylic in the mix! I'm going to try substituting Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver to see if I get a better result.

[@amberfoster3285]

Thanks for the tip. I made a black wash and it turned out great.

[@metajock]

I've been using Les' washes ever since he posted the recipes on Daka Daka years ago. I make them just as he instructs and I get great results from them. (So sad he ran into all those problems, getting banned because *that other company* didn't like competition. At least all that got sorted out.)

[@Fox01313]

Looks great & needing something like this for a ton of GW terrain for kill team. Thanks!

[@BigManko]

I will share some nice washes (Maybe you can guess the inspiration) which are really cheap to make and scale really well: Every recipe is for about 10 ml and uses Liquitex Professional Inks. They apply well and don't use any flow aid, that keeps bubbling and foaming while brushing them on to a minium. # **Nlun Oil** * 8 ml Water * 2 ml Matte Medium * 10 Dr. Burnt Umber * 15 Dr. Raw Umber * 2 Dr. Carbon Black * 2 Dr. Raw Sienna # **Leikrand Fleshshade** * 8 ml Water * 2 ml Matte Medium * 13 Dr. Red Oxide * 5 Dr. Vivid Red Orange * 5 Dr. Raw Sienna * 2 Dr. Yellow Orange Azo # **1992 Violet** * 8 ml Water * 1 ml Matte Medium * 6 Dr. Deep Violet * 5 Dr. Q. Magenta * 1 Dr. D. Purple Have fun!

[@MartyKane217]

Hell yeah, Les' wash has been my standard for years.

[@scottcuilty4154]

I had some ink laying around and decided to make a black wash with a few months ago. Definitely works better than black paint.

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

Lovely. I really like the look of the brown one. I think I would get a bit more use out of that than my usual black with a bit of coffee.

[@tysoncolley8110]

I added WAY less of the jet dry for best results. The first time I made this I followed your recipe and it was unusable because of the bubbles. It was impossible to mix it everything up because the bubbles were just insane. Jet dry appears to be way more concentrated than the W&N flow aid I have, so I assume all paint brand flow aids are less concentrated. So I cut the Jet dry to about 80 to 1, maybe even more and it works great.

[@dalepretorius2008]

Bro..this recipe is wicked. No more nuln oil and agrax earth shade prices. Thx!

[@garnermcculloch2778]

Finally got around to making a batch of the new and improved wash, turned out great! Thanks for recipe, cheers! On another note, I used regular tap water for my first batch of wash, and after a few months it went stagnant and started stinking pretty bad.

[@hiredgoon13]

I use the same base, without the ink, for my paint thinner. And for washing I use a black and very dark gray ink which looks very nice on minis.

[@MegaKemper]

Love videos like this - very useful. Keep us updated on the kitchen remodel too - would enjoy seeing the progress.

[@blackgaurdsmash]

Can you store the mix in Tupperware with the lids so you can just dip the terrain in? That would be instead of bottles? Slightly agitate the Tupperware and then be good to go for large amounts of tiles?

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I don’t see why not

[@dmknight08]

By the time you’ve bought the products in your links to mix, you could by a 400ml can of professional pre-mixed wash or shading fluid. Personally, just to save money on making washes, which is the reason I looked at recipes in the first place, you can use other products for the same effects. Most people with a dish washer have Jet Dry so that’s a good start. Distilled water is easy enough to get and cheap too. But as for the matte medium, I found that my airbrush paint thinner liquid does an amazing job as it also aids the blending of mixing of the above fluids. Technically any mild paint thinner (non-lacquer thinner) would work fine. So instead of purchasing an 8pz bottle of Liquitex brand, you could go for a 16-32 Oz of thinner, solvent or mineral spirits for the same price. Now with ink; again he recommends Liquitex which is over $8 for a tiny 1oz bottle. But besides acrylic ink, you can also purchase much larger bottles of dyes for a lot less than that 1oz Liquitex bottle. You can use Copic marker refills which are condensed and after mixing thinner/water and “jet dry”, it should yield a large quantity of wash dye for less than the Liquitex ink. Copic is a much higher quality ink and it is an alcohol based ink which actually produces better blending capabilities (hint: adding more alcohol allows it to blend even better!). Pigments and colorants can also be used for an even larger palette options. Sure, these will all have somewhat different mixing procedures to create similar results, but the real win here is that you get a lot more product to work with for what you’d be spending on the products in the video description. This way you can play around with recipes to you heart’s content and messing up a batch is no big deal. And finally, you have more product to make other colored washes with and you’d only need to purchase ink, dye or pigment for awhile as you’ll have ample of the other ingredients left over, or just make really large batches of your favorite colors and store them away until you need them again. I’m wondering if this guy gets a cut of sales off the Liquitex links? You’d think that he’d list a few options rather than just the overpriced Liquitex. Perhaps it is all he uses, but just to let everyone know that Liquitex’s quality is not so great as to avoid just purchasing a bottle or can of professionally mixed washes through Vallejo, Reaper or The Army Painter. Their quality is impossible for Liquitex to match and overall they are cheaper than mixing this recipe from the video as well as a huge time and mess saver since they’ve done the work for you. They also offer a wide variety of strengths and colors in their pre-made washes which will be consistent every time you purchase a new container. If you just want to make your own washes then go for the cheaper, higher volume products so that you get your money’s worth at least.

[@roberthuffman2620]

GREAT! But something you didn't go into, was the consistency of hobby paint washes. They seem to have an almost oily consistency which flows into the cracks. I have found most Liquitex mediums and additives to be either too thick or not covering enough (as let's say Vallejo/Citidel paints). Before I go out and buy all these ingredients, does the ink and matte medium act like like those pre-made wash-paints? I would love to see a video of you comparing store bought washes and homemade recipes.

[@puckett2k2009]

Thanks for the update on the wash. I will try it soon as I'm way behind on painting my minis and my wild western town. Wash me luck!

[@scottsarcanecraft379]

Awesome vid. Just used your method to make my own black wash and it turned out great. Thank you!

[@johnthefox6239]

For my black washes i like to use red in it since it pops more and in areas with fire a strait red wash is great.

[@scottlidstone1902]

Thanks for this... recipe works great. Made some "Non-ln Oil" and "Anthrax Dirtshade"

[@sebastianklapdor1492]

Thank you for this outstanding tutorial! I was able to adopt this for the available ingredients in my area. I have to get different color inks now because I think I have only gotten started. Cheers

[@X.davidWilliams]

Huzzah! I like his mix too, this is a much better update to your recipe good sir. Stay safe

[@pinchopaxtonsgreatestminds9591]

I didn't have Liquitex Matte Medium so I used Vallejo Mecha Matt Varnish instead. The experiment looks good!

[@lucasallen8079]

Followed these instructions to a T. Expected to have a nice black wash for terrain. Gasped in horror when I realized I’d used an ink that was not black, but in fact a very dark purple. Damn. Back to Michael’s it is.

[@kristoff7049]

Ooooo I only just found your old wash video... thankfully found this one... time to get making...

[@DaniGirl6]

Nice video. I think you can get even better results with a different surfactant. Distilled and deionized water are both good choices because the surfactant will bind to the minerals in hard water making it less effective so more has to be used. To me, Rinse Aid is not a great choice because of the blue dye. For a black wash it isn't very noticeable but for other washes it can tint the color. Rinse aid also has Sodium polycarboxylate in it which I personally think causes the paint to not bind as well. I also worry about the citric acid in Rinse Aid and the effect that would have in color change or paint deteriorating over the years, particularly in non black colors. A surfactant like "Alcohol ethoxylate" would be better since it doesn't have dyes or other things designed for capturing particles. Or a ready mix like "MM3 Surface Tension Breaker" is also a great choice and is very common in most fine art stores and likely the store that sells the ink you used. Try to support the local fine art stores, they know paint better than most hobby stores do and can help you the most with learning diy paint techniques like this one and more which are really common in the fine art painting world. Yet for some reason seems to mystify people in the miniature painting world.

[@DaniGirl6]

BTW, the Liquitex flow medium is glazing medium with a surfactant already added and Rinse aid isn't a replacement. When just using Rinse aid or the surfactants I suggested, you would still want to add an acrylic medium so it keeps its binding longevity. Normally found as glazing medium. It is basically acrylic paint without pigment added to it. This allows you to thin/spread out the pigment particles more to get the transparent effect on the high spots and still retain enough medium to keep the binding strength. What you might find is washes that only have Rinse aid/surfactant and no additional medium added will flake easier. Any dry brushing on top or high lights after washing will be on top of that weaker acrylic layer and can flake. Or if a varnish is applied after, crack. I am talking after probably a year or two. Not a big deal for some I know, but still thought I would share.

[@sagemcchesney4734]

Thank you. I've been looking for a good and not to hard to make wash and this looks really good.

[@m.l.6486]

Thank for your Video. Again I am happy for these helpful tips. One question... would you mind making a showcase video of your another building e.g. the townhouses? In ep. 48 you can see these beautiful building in the background and I would really like to get some tips as I never constructed any medieval houses. Greeting from Germany. ;-)

[@geekfreak69]

Fabulous tutorial and the two washes are incredible

[@DaceyR]

Love the idea of using JD for terrain wash. I'm going to have to mix some up. I've been using Les' recipe for my minis for awhile and loved it, but didn't want to make a batch big enough for terrain.

[@SchnitzelKnight]

I tried making a bottle just like that but mine just turned out Grey, not sure what I did wrong

[@whatskraken3886]

you have a much better dollar store than I do...

[@ilasdad2875]

I lived in Canada for a couple years, Dollarama is one of the many things I miss. I haven’t found a place in the states that even comes close.

[@AVspectre]

As a Canadian I will say our dollar stores are pretty great. :) You always end up spending more than you planned but I find they often have a very decent hobby/crafting section.

[@whatskraken3886]

@@AVspectre i live in red deer, so it's not the lack of candian-ness.

[@add2ndedition663]

Just add matte medium to Flint Michigan water and you should be good to go.

[@____________838]

Do you want to summon Nurgle, because that’s how you summon Nurgle.

[@add2ndedition663]

@@____________838 haha

[@guillaumelavoie1544]

I'm kind of sad that I cannot like a video more than once ! Thank you for the recipe !!

[@kmrutter]

I do similar washes but replace the water with Isopropyl Alcohol to speed up the dry process. Try it and see if you like it - or not.

[@Mikey__R]

For model painting, I have some water, flow improver and medium ready mixed up so I can add the ink that I need to make the wash that I need. I'm new to terrain building, I'm currently in the Lets Make Lots Of Hills phase, and I've been using watered down paint to wash my plaster rocks. I've tied lots of techniques to paint up my rocks, and honestly, I found that adding medium didn't help.

[@chrisgui5936]

Awesome! I had most of this stuff lying around except for the inks, but I just subbed in some testor's gloss paint. I'm 3d printing an OpenForge dungeon and didn't want to use all my nuln oil. Thanks for the vid!

[@mr78K]

Great video thanks! I had a question about the medium itself I picked a bottle at my local dollar store of what I thought was regular acrylic medium, but is instead pouring medium. I don't know if I can use it instead as I never used either. From what I understand pouring medium is supposed to fluidify acrylics, so on paper it doesn't sound bad for the washes purpose. Right?

[@daveford5683]

You were building kitchen terrain!

[@IAMGiftbearer]

Great idea! I plan to use this on mixed media art!

[@jillfriedmann7641]

Great recipe! Your videos are awesome! I’m learning so much!