HOW TO USE WASHES AND SHADES: A Step-By-Step Guide

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

If you did like enjoy this video please help support the channel and SUBSCRIBE kzbin.info 🙂 I’d love to hear what you thought of this video, was it helpful, enjoyable, easy to follow? Please let me know your thoughts by dropping a comment below 👇 Remember, for discount Warhammer minis, paints and more... be sure to check out this link: bit.ly/2Zmbd3u

[@OMGYama]

it's actually well organized and very easy to follow. Most videos jump from one thing to another to another sometimes in weird orders, you made it so people can choose the easy one or go for the more advanced techniques without having too much fluff to see/hear through.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching Glad you found it easy to follow and I hope it was useful for you

[@juanmartin3176]

Great video as always! A video on the basics of glazing would be awesome, as it looks quite complicated

[@Wardads1]

Absolutely first class vid , I have been painting models for 55 years and warhammer for 35 years and still found this an excellent addition to my knowledge base especially regarding contrast paints . Thanks mate !

[@eufrosniad994]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Thank you very much for this. It was really helpful. Something that I may have missed and wanted to ask is can I just use paint and thin it to use as a wash? Because from the information in the introduction, it felt like I can just thin the paint to varying degrees and that degree would determine potency. Is that correct, or have I misunderstood something? I apologize if this is a very newbie question, but I am only just starting on my first paint project.

[@Puleczech]

I'll be repeating everyone's praise, but I want to highlight your methodical and pedagogical approach. Especially the parts where you dive deep into the concepts and even fundamental physics on the squared paper is really something that sets you parsecs apart from absolute majority of other channels that I have run into. You actually TEACH something. Well done!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 I try and make videos I would have wanted when I was starting out, so it’s really good to hear people are finding them useful Thanks for checking out my channel

[@ejim941099]

Trash mini paint KZbinrs have over 200k subs but this is ridiculous that YOU only have 55k. I’ve never watched a complete how to paint mini from start to finish except for this vid. Holy shit, you crushed it! Music and tutorial. Congrats and you got a new sub here!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 I genuinely try and make videos I wish I had when I first started. So I’m really glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful and thank you so much for the sub. Really happy to have you onboard 👍 If you could help spread the word about the channel, perhaps more people will follow from the other channels you mentioned? 😉

[@jasonstimson6617]

Dude, I’m a gunpla guy, and I’ve been looking for actual tutorials that don’t suck, yours are incredible. Everyone talks about all these terms and using all these things, but nobody explains what or how. Specifically everyone says to use thinning and washes but nobody explains the how, the why, or the what

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, so glad you’re finding my channel useful. Please do spread the word amongst the Gunpla community that they may find my videos useful. Perhaps I should do a gunpla painting video? If I did, which model do you think would be a good one to do? 🤔

[@lugnerin2915]

​@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides The Entry Grade RX-78-2 would be a good kit to do a demonstration on. It's cheap and easy to build and paint!!

[@marcos92376]

Same man I just watched his how to thin paints video now I’m starting this one. I’ve got an entry grade in my backlog. I could never get a thorough explanation before or it always seemed to advanced. He explained it perfectly and I can’t wait to start that kit and try all this out.

[@marcos92376]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@lugnerin2915there is even a new entry grade RX-78 on P-Bandai that is supposed to be a painting model (so it’s already all white besides the inner frame & weapon). I’m pretty sure the preorder for it is still open for 5 more days and they’re supposed to ship out in march.

[@gilbertpatrucco5196]

You sir, have become my favorite resource for tips on miniature painting. The level of information and delivery is always spot on! Thank you for what you do mate!!!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you so much 🙏 As you can imagine, these videos take a lot to put together, so it’s really great to hear they’re appreciated 👍

[@Is_This_Really_Necessary]

This is definitely one of the best painting tutorials out there. The VAST majority of them are presented in a highly opinionated manner revolving around "The best way to paint this...", "the best way to painting that...", etc. Your tutorial does the complete opposite, providing very clear explanations and visual examples of the various methods of applying them to models and how they look. :)

[@the_hybred648]

By far one of the best in depth videos and I love the layout of the video

[@Thetybest]

These are the best videos for a guy who is brand new to hobby stuff. I would love a video like this for how to dry brush a mini!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching, really great to hear you’re finding the videos useful. You’ll be pleased to hear a video on drybrushing is the next topic planned for this fundamentals series of videos. So, stay tuned 👍

[@horationoseblower6336]

Aha! A telltale sign of an oil painting trained person, dipping the end of the brush in the medium to avoid fouling with paint. Good work as always

[@MrCaptainBuzz]

I'm a French guy new to the hobby, and I'd like to thank you for your amazing content, sharp advice, great examples and soothing English. Have a GREAT day!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you so much You are very welcome to the channel I’m so pleased to hear you’re finding my videos helpful 👍

[@hrabia_de_jez]

Do you consider making a video about creating your own wash from a paint?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Cool idea, let me see what I can do 👍

[@c123bthunderpig]

Excellent " tutorial" on washes, especially for people like myself who have had a long sabbatical from modeling only to return to an entirely new dimension of materials I have never seen before.. Besides getting to know how to use these , the primary problem is sourcing. I only have one hobby shop where I live and they primarily are RC but have recently added a small section for plastic model enthusiast . Fortunately they are stocking a small variety of brands of paint which are currently serving my learning curve needs. The rest of materials I'll need to locate on line sources. I also build primarily aircraft so this also narrows the field. This video is a great baseline video. Thanks for sharing.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching, really glad my videos are helping you get back into the hobby. If you need any help sourcing products, let me know and I’ll do my best to help you 👍

[@kingmeiv]

Best wash tutorial I've found by far, thank you!!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, really glad you found it useful. Please help others find it too by sharing the video and help feed KZbin’s algorithm. It really helps the channel and means I can make more of these videos 👍

[@MoMarinePrepper]

Thank you for creating all of these phenomenal videos! Damn I wish KZbin had been around in the 80’s ;)

[@mot0573]

I find your tutorials some of the best, if not the best, learning videos within the immense tide of miniature painting videos. Congratulations and thank you very much! And please, keep on!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks very much 🙏 Please help spread the word and share my videos 👍

[@abaddon7971]

Best explanation you could possibly give! Thank you for your work!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Really glad you found it useful

[@williamminsinger7130]

Incredibly useful! I've just gotten back into mini painting in the last few years thanks to stuff like speed paints after a ~10 year hiatus. This is one of the clearest tutorials on this topic I've seen. I've subscribed and will definitely watch some more of your stuff.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks very much, welcome back to the hobby. 👍 Really appreciate the sub, I’m sure you’ll really enjoy my other videos and I look forward to hear any other ideas you have for things you’d like to see 🙂

[@joelines8037]

I like how you describe everything along with the diagrams. Just doing my first custom Star Wars figure, and i dont regret taking some time to learn more about paint. Thank you for this video.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for commenting, so glad you found the video useful and good to know that you like the diagrams. I sometimes worry I’m going overboard by doing them. Hope you enjoy the rest of my channel 👍

[@DanaTYang]

Very helpful for beginners!

[@normstewart546]

Very nicely done.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you

[@Half_a_bosco]

i don't know how you do it but you always manage to make interesting and informative videos!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

That’s so great to hear, thank you 🙏

[@R.D.R.NIGHTINGALE]

Excellent content as always. This is one of the best channels on KZbin for this hobby and tutorials. Well done sir. Cheers.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Wow thank you so much 🙏 So glad to hear you’re enjoying the channel. Please help spread the word about my channel to all your hobby mates 👍

[@fitnessandinjury]

Super well done

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@zioGrave]

Excellent video, your tips are literal gold! I wish this tutorial came out when I returned to the hobby... it would have spared me a lot of trial and error trying to figure out these best practices myself! 😂

[@xgD3molition]

I bloody love seeing BStroke come up on my YT with a new video. Just finished work, about to start painting and this couldn't have been timed any better

[@hendrikworung1967]

Thanks for these guides, so far I've watched how to base paint and this noe. And now I quite understand how these paints work. Time to use these on my models. 🙏

[@IsThisThingEvenOnOrWhat]

The examples of your work you've shown throughout this video are nothing short of masterful. This is for sure my new favorite channel for miniature painting education! I think you deserve a title. May I suggest Professor Pigment?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Haha thank you so much. Really pleased to hear you’re enjoying the channel. As for a name, you can just call me Brushstroke 👍

[@SywellHome]

I’ve learnt way more in this than the subject heading I clicked on for… will definitely be checking out the content. Only downside is I’m going to have to spend more money on equipment :)

[@bobtheboozer9452]

Great timing, just getting done soon with my ultramarines from a starter box using base and layer and odd little use of nuln oil. I’m now looking into methods for the tyranids and been thinking of going down the contrast paint route for them. Thanks for such a detailed video!👌

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching Contrast route for tyranids would be perfect. They have so much awesome texture. If you go with a cream primer (something like wraithbone) and then thin your contrasts 50:50 with contrast medium you’ll get a much smoother result. If it’s a bit too light you can always add a second coat and strengthen it. But I find 90% of contrasts are too potent straight out the bottle

[@KarynJacobson]

This video was awesome I was painting two Firbolg Rangers and watching the video at the same time.I very impressed with your methods. So I used every one of them.😊

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you So great to hear you found it helpful 👍

[@Ciberboy28]

I really like the way as you explain all the process. Thank you very much for share all your knowledge with us. Big hug from Colombia

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

So nice of you Thanks for watching 👍

[@SonnyBear5]

I’ve been painting my Enginseer and I’ve finished the base layer. Waiting for my Valejo’s wash to be delivered, so this video is perfect timing. thanks!

[@klaus1516]

You make the best How to Paint Videos.Thank you so much! ❤

[@modelrestorations]

Such a great tutorial! Ive learned a lot from your series. Although I primarily do model car restorations, I am beginning to apply your techniques to the interior seats and door panels. And will be doing the motor next. Thank you for taking the time to share!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

That’s really great to hear So glad you’re finding the guides useful 👍

[@johnsteele3858]

These videos really are fantastic, so informative, easy to follow and brilliantly made. You have become my straight go too for techniques, thank you!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks so much I’m really pleased you’re enjoying the channel. Good to have you aboard 👍 Be sure and spread the word to all your hobby mates 😉

[@timmogridge1546]

This is awesome the multi wash option helped me massivley

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching Really great to hear it’s been useful for you 👍

[@blackout214214214]

Such a great how-to video! Informative and clear presentation with demonstration of technique that is not just vague and theoretical! You are fast becoming one of my go to painting tutorial channel 👍👍👍

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Really glad to hear you’re enjoying my channel and finding it useful. Please help spread the word by sharing with your hobby mates. And of course if you have suggestions for future content please let me know 👍

[@blackout214214214]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides yup! Will share it with my friends as well. I have also joined your channel as a member! It's my first time ever joining a youtube channel membership 🤣 Just want to show my appreciate at how your videos really helped to put a clearer picture of how things should look like if done properly. For future videos recommendations, definitely more tutorial videos (drybrushing, wet-blending with normal paints), how you plan your color schemes or even videos like how the undercoat might affect the colors on top, etc.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, I honestly really appreciate you supporting the channel and it's brilliant to have you onboard. It really does help "keep the lights on" for the channel. Thanks for the suggestions on content too, you'll be pleased to hear they are very much what I already have planned, so stay tuned :)

[@blackout214214214]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides no worries! Just glad I can contribute in whatever small part that I can. I have been painting casually on/off for the past few years, mostly just board game miniatures to be honest. I am aware of basics like thinning your coats, etc but never really know how to do it properly until now. Can't wait to see more of your videos and improve my painting skills while clearing my backlog at the same time! Cheers! P.s. just thought of videos that compares different paint brand/types (i.e., contrast vs army speedpaint) would be cool too!

[@the_Sleepy_Druid]

This was an amazing and informative guide, thank you for your efforts.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 Really glad you found it helpful and thanks so much for supporting the channel 🤛

[@ThMnCompwnnt]

Thank you for the video. You got a new subscriber!

[@neilheppenstall6206]

Another great video for newbies through to experienced mini painters

[@yumanai5615]

This is awesome, thank you so much

[@Nnomadd]

great tutorial, explains the reason why, thanks for this !

[@MrEyescream]

I wished i found this video a few weeks earlier when is started painting. Even tho the "how do washes work" part was a confusing way to describe viscosity and surface tension

[@igq91]

Thank you sir.🙏🏼

[@tobiasakerlund1660]

Great video! My understanding of the term "slapchop" is that it is a combination of zenithal and drybrush where you after the zenithal highlights additionally highlight all the edges with drybrushing before applying the washes.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

That could well be my misunderstanding then. 🙂 I took it to be drybrushing of a zenithal effect before staining it with washes and contrast style paints.

[@Alan-pn8nu]

Superb videos. Thorough, clearly explained and great background music. Thanks a lot for the effort.

[@Firedrake-f4g]

You know, back in the day, instead of shades and washes I used to paint the chainmail black and dry brush with an appropriately dark metallic silvery colour. For plate armour I mixed black in with the silver to get a dark finish and the lightly brush with the same silver over the top, you know. Didn't spend as much on paints either.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Absolutely, and I often still use that method myself, depending on the model. It gives a great result and is one of the methods I'm going to be including in my dry brushing video. Washes are great when you want to be more focused on a particular area and drybrushing might be too messy for surrounding details. They can also provide options for tinting and blending too. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :)

[@peter_hauer]

Great video explaining this and excellent video presentation. This looks really professional!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, really glad you enjoyed the video. 🙏

[@joewalsh1031]

Very good video, thank you for this!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

My pleasure!

[@JoeyC777]

Super helpful and thorough.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you. Glad you think so :)

[@WhatareyouPaintingnow]

Absolutely fantastic work Brushtroke! Very methodical unlike us... who are very scatter brain - Cal & Sunny

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks guys 👍

[@bloodsalt]

Bro this video was awesome! Really enjoyed it, and your style of teaching is fantastic. Thankyou!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you, so glad you’re enjoying my channel 👍👍

[@shockers12512]

thank you for all the hard work. a lot of time and effort goes into these videos. please take care of yourself also great video please keep that graph paper background. the music you have in the background is great. id say also tell us not to panic.

[@tomcole4825]

Thanks!

[@MrBeefy-og7nw]

Really good video. You have a new subscriber. I've been playing with using speedpaints. One thing that I find interesting is after it dries you can go back later with a wet brush and blend it to surrounding areas making smoother transitions.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching and even more so for subscribing. Really great to have you onboard Yeah, speed paints do seem to have a characteristic in that they can be "reactivated" for a period after they've dried but not fully cured. I first discovered this when I accidently disturbed a layer as I was trying to go over it with another colour. It something I need to experiment with a bit more before I commit to it being a good thing or a bad thing. I like your take on it being useful for blending though, I'll certainly play around with that for sure. Thanks for the tip

[@MrBeefy-og7nw]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Absolutely! 👍

[@Marshal976]

Another great video, thanks!!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching. 🙂

[@farbnuro]

well explained top weather so now a video would be missing where you explain how you can make your own washes/shades

[@zsoltlang2144]

I just use game color ink as I'm new to painting and its an ez solution 4 me to not have thic paint

[@minifun]

Thinning the wash is important. Especially with small scale camo 20mm WW2 Camoflage.

[@legiox217]

Oh wow this is awesome, as soon as I saw you applying a controlled wash with a nice brush I knew I was in the right place. In case I missed it in the video, do you have a recommendation for a high quality "all over" wash brush, similar to a medium citadel shade? I know the brush isn't as important as how its used when it comes to that, but I just know there must be a better one out there :D THANKS! Great work brother

[@Caladors]

MMMM look at the way that he does that horse thing, that's smooth, 🍑 smooth Brushstoke... that's what we call him

[@Ste0121]

Another great video!! Can you do a video on the zenithal technique please

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Keep an eye out for my video on drybrushing I’m going to be talking about zenithal some more in that and showing how to create it using drybrushing

[@bemindful924]

Another wonderful instruction/asmr video. Question though, can you paint figures in great detail with just one brand? Citadel for instance? Or is it recommended to sometimes have a different brand of wash/ink/shade for an optimum result due to the different brand being slighty better for specific jobs?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks for watching That's a fair question, the simple answer is "absolutely" The longer answer is, there's really no rules to any of this. Lots of people like a particular brand and will use nothing but those paints. Others (like me) just like trying different things and seeing how they'll turn out. So, I'm forever collecting a new paint, or wanting to try a different brand. After a while you will find that all brands have their "gems" and "duds" of their ranges. For example, I absolutely LOVE Two Thin Coats White Star and hate GW's whites. But then I equally love Scale75's Flat Black. It's so unlike anyone else's black, with it's ultra matte finish, but many people would hate that. So, really it's all about You do You. I recommend trying different stuff just because it's fun to discover new things. But certainly dont ever feel there's anything wrong with just using one brand. We're truly spoilt with the quality of paint available now, that amazing minis are possible with any of the major brands. :) Happy painting

[@bemindful924]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Thank you for the elaborate response! Clearly Im still a novice but I'm curious to learn what it takes to grow a dislike for a specific kind of paint from a certain brand. Is it the colorshade, the quality or how it interacts with paints? Maybe you need more layers of one brand to make it remotely acceptable, rendering it too expensive to use, etc.

[@koz1138]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides”GW’s white paints are bad” might be the closest thing this hobby has to a universally-held opinion.

[@jacawandersmok9043]

greate video; now i fulyy understnad contrast paints; i undarasdad shdae elrel but contras was a bit confusing

[@NicolasHelleringer]

Amazing video ! ... Again !

[@Euler-s2v]

Very nice video. Which brand for washes and shades would you recommend? I heard good things about the GW nuln oil but GW stuff is kinda on the pricey end. Thanks in advance.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you GW washes are very good and they’ve recently improved their recipe, but that does seem to have put the price up. They’ve even reduced the size of their pots too 😞 Army Painter washes are also very good and they have colours many other ranges don’t. Their price is a lot more reasonable too. Their downside is they do tend to dry with a glossy finish and require a thin coat of a matte varnish to knock it back. Hope that helps a bit

[@chrisupton3592]

Great video, I love how much depth you go into to give a real understanding of how and why things behave as they do. Having said that, I'm ALWAYS confused when I see someone shading large areas and somehow still ending up with a lovely matt finish. When I try that my miniatures come out a little but shiny, which I don't like. As a result I pretty much always limit myself to recess shading, or tidying things back up with a more base paint. Am I doing something wrong?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Firstly, thanks for watching and I’m glad you enjoyed it. So, I’m terms of shiny results when using washes. It’s down to an ingredient they have in them which make them flow off raised areas. The biggest culprit for them drying super glossy is not being shaken enough before applying. If they’re not fully mixed, that agent in them will settle on the top. A bit like an oil slick and when it dries it give it a glossy look. Some colours of washes / contrast / speed paints etc are just awkward and will always dry with a slight gloss. For those, all you can do is accept it and apply a light coat of a matte varnish and carry on. If you have an airbrush. A great tip is to spray a light coating of Lahmian Medium over the top, as that will dull down the shine without being too overpowering to the rest of you mini

[@chrisupton3592]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Awesome, thanks so much for the reply! I will definitely try those tips out. Well, the shaking and varnishing first as I don't have an airbrush and find the idea of it a bit daunting. In fact if you want any suggestions for future topics, I'd love to see one on airbrushing to explain why and how to do it! 🙂

[@chrisupton3592]

Update: shaking the pot has made a huge difference - its actually changed the way I paint! I still get the odd shiny bit, but vastly reduced. And as you recommended, a bit of matt varnish clears them up too. Thank you!!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@chrisupton3592 nice one Really glad it’s helped you 👍

[@iancoggeshall9057]

Washes are my bane. I do a pretty good job on painting and then always end up choosing the wrong wash/shade. Any tips on how to use specific color washes for specific colors of base coats (i.e. don’t use black wash with black paint or something like that).

[@WilliamChoochootrain]

Patiently awaiting your plague marine guide 😔

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

hey man It IS coming... unfortunately I seem to have angered Papa Nurgle in some way and I'm laid up in bed with Covid right now Hope to be back on my feet in a couple of days though

[@WilliamChoochootrain]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Oh damn, rest well, wish you a speedy recovery!

[@meep-4272]

Can you do this washes technique with thinning normal acrylic paint? Or repeat the constrat effect with normal paint? Still waiting for my washes paint set to come so I'm looking for alternative ways.

[@vinhiem6962]

How do you attach your models with bases to your painting sticks? Do you use some kind of putty or maybe magnets? I've been considering putting magnets on my figures to do my work and for later convenience, but I worry that my models will get pulled together if they get close to each other. I feel like this might be extra worrying with slotta models like the second goblin in this video since the magnets wouldn't be centered.

[@Bigboy_smooth]

New to the hobby,so games-workshops contrast paints are washes?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Yes, but the definition I set out in the video, I think it’s fair to say they are washes. They just happen to be extra potent so as to stain the top surface too. Once thinned down they function just the same as “normal” washes. Basically makes them really versatile but I don’t think anyone ever tells people they don’t just have to be used straight from the bottle and slapped all over the model

[@Fatboyni]

Silly question can you mix speed paints like you can do normal paints? As in you only have a starter set so you do not have all the colours you need at hand.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Not a silly question. That’s a really good question. The answer is yes. Yes you can mix speed paints together with other speed paints to make different colours and tones. Just make sure you only mix same brands together, as speed / contrast style paints have very particular chemical makeups and they don’t react well to being imbalanced. And you can’t mix speed paints with normal acrylics for this reason too. Thanks for watching 👍

[@Fatboyni]

Many thanks for the speedy reply. Just wondered as I am old school been 30 years since I last painted and was thinking of getting back into painting again.

[@hvafoohfwhorneman]

is it not possible to attain the same result with normal paints if thinned correctly...?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Great question. So, yes it is absolutely possible to produce similar results with normal paints, however, these paints are specifically formulated and developed to be easier to use and more effective in achieving that result. I find washes, contrasts, inks etc to be invaluable tools in my painting process. If you’ve not tried one yet, I would highly recommend you do. Of course, they don’t suit everyone and many people prefer to paint with just normal paints. It’s all about finding what works best for you and how you want to paint 🙂

[@iancoggeshall9057]

How do you know if your wash is low or high potency? Some of the washes I use can leave almost a matte finish which in turn ruins the final product.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

The best and most reliable answer is to test it. I either apply it to a patch of paint I have on my glove already from painting the mini or you can have a scrap mini / piece of sprue etc primed so that you can try paints before applying them to your mini. Testing is by far the most important step in painting. Why risk putting anything on your mini without being 100% sure how it's going to behave first?

[@BoardOfView]

Can I apply the citadel shade over the miniature without the prime? The miniature is raw. Without color or anything. Just how the game came.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

No All minis need to be primed before you apply any paints to them. Otherwise the paint won’t bond and will rub off

[@noctiscreo793]

This is great. But how do you fix a mistake made on an area that has been painted with contrast paints? Repainting white and re-applying the contrast paint leaves tea-stains/rings. Thinning down the contrast seems to work better but still not ideal.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

So mistakes can be tricky but what you need to do is repaint the most logical section back to the base colour and then reapply the contrast. You can’t just try and do a patch because, like you say, it’ll look out of place. You need to do an area which has obvious edges. This can be an armour panel, or shirt sleeve that sort of thing. It’s frustrating but if there’s no way of covering up the mistake with battle damage or weathering it really is the only option Hope that helps a bit

[@noctiscreo793]

​@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides That does help a lot thank you I'll give it a go.

[@Cranklotus]

what color of wash would you put on a redish orange?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

I’d say you should be looking at a brown or perhaps a sepia wash. I’d do a test with a brown first

[@Cranklotus]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides You the best! thank you!

[@southpaw5483]

In your experience, may you recommend a "wash" (or technique) that does NOT stain, but primarily shades the recesses and leaves the highlights/base alone? Your thoughts are welcomed.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Great question. I would say if you’re looking something which is a pure recess shade then you need to look at a different technique and that would be oil washing. I didn’t cover it in this video because I feel it warrants a video all its own. The process is to thin down oil paints using a solvent. Then you can apply the wash all over the model or be precise, it’s up to you. The cool thing with oil washing though, is you can remove the staining from higher areas or anywhere you don’t want it, many hours afterwards, simply by using a Qtip and a touch of solvent. The downside of oil washes though, are they do take a long time to dry and they will need sealing before painting over the top or gaming with the model. Hope that helps, and thanks for giving me another video topic 👍

[@southpaw5483]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Thank you. Appreciate your time, education, and support.

[@qzl9]

I will say, the transparents and the washes from Pro Acryl are not the same product. Pro Acryl have a whole Wash line.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

And you are absolutely right 👍 At the time of recording I didn’t have any PA washes, but the transparent shown served a purpose in that they can still be used as a wash. They just need to be considered in terms of their potency and adjusted as discussed in the video. In their case, they are a bit more of an ink really and great for glazing but with the benefit of some medium you can give them the “wash” properties.

[@igorkirdeika4765]

As soon as I applied the wash it ruins the paint. I'm starting with the GW Age of Sigmar kit and that earthshade make the minis very dark. Do you think I can dilude it using GreenStuffWorld Acrilic medium? Cant find the proper medium to buy where I live.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

If a wash is having too strong an effect, then yes you should for sure thin it down. Ideally you want to thin a wash with the medium from the same brand because each manufacturer has their own paint chemistry and their medium will be perfectly matched to their paints and washes. Not all acrylic mediums are the same, just as not all acrylic paints are the same. For thinning agrax earthshade you are wanting to use Lahmian Medium from GW. If you let me know where you're located, I can try and find you some options for where you can get some.

[@igorkirdeika4765]

Thanks a lot for your attention! I'm from Brazil, is very difficult to find GW stuff. AK, and GSW are the only viable options...Thanks a lot for your reply all your channel is very good and clear to the point! Keep rocking the excellent work!

[@kevinboyle538]

Ridiculous gloves

[@nathan15620]

You're wrong. Changing gravity isn't a recipe for disaster, it just requires a more deliberate approach. As the medium thickens you can walk the pigment around for a more purposeful result. Obviously every dimension you add increases time and effort, but you're missing a weird angle to use washes intuitively. This expands in tone and timbre as you move to other mediums outside the safety of acrylic media.

[@darkstranger777]

This is one of the best educational videos I've seen in a long time. Your presentation is simple and straightforward and your personality is smooth and easy to listen to. No goofy nonsense 👍

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Really glad you enjoyed the video. Please help promote my channel by sharing with your hobby mates 👍

[@jhoodfysh]

Very well done James. The level of detail and theory you provided is adequate without being overwhelming. Well done, Gratz.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks John, really glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful :)

[@eugenius8946]

as a new warhammer fan with some prexisting art background, you dont know how much of a relief these videos are for me. ive always tried to take the route of figuring it all out for myself, which evidently bites me in the ass because im making mistakes and not knowing how or why. my life is made so much easier by these videos that just cut to the chase and explain tecniques and fancy terms that previously made me feel like a bit of a helpless outsider. it lets me enjoy the hobby more as i hone my painting skills to know theres someone out there willing to so selflessly teach others. especially when its easy to give in to the shame and give up on something out of not knowing what everyone else seems to already understand. thanks dude youre a godsend

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 It is so good to hear my videos are of real help to people. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this and hope you continue to enjoy my channel 👍

[@mattcooper1664]

Have enjoyed and liked. I know this vid is specific to washing etc but you don't touch on other qualities that some ranges promise. Quickshade for example. Isn't it meant to be formulated so that pigment is drawn toward thicker pools as it dries providing a gradient? You do say use the correct medium and those special properties are correctly a subject of a more specific vid. Not questioning your knowledge! Just sounding off as the internet demands. Excellent content as always

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks man Yes, as you say this video is really meant to help people start using washes and point out that the “new” types of paints, contrast, speed etc are really just thick washes. I didn’t mention specific characteristics of each brand because I didn’t want it to turn into a review video but just stay as an overview. It’s the hardest part of making videos like this, deciding what to cover and where to stop. On the plus side, it does mean there’s always room for another video 😉 Cheers for watching, appreciate it

[@JivagoCHV]

the most complete tutorial about washes i have seen, thank you sir!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you 🙏 Really glad you found the guide useful

[@Albireo8]

Very interesting. Thanks. Subscribed!

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks very much, welcome to the channel. You are extremely welcome! 👍

[@stevebohn4439]

You also could have painted the chainmail grey and dry brushed silver onto it but that's not the point of the video. Great job on the mini.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

100% yes And don’t be surprised if exactly that features in a How to Drybrush video 😉 Thanks for watching 🙂

[@the-bzs]

Great guide! Do you know how strong are Vallejo washes? Do i need to use Thinner Medium?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you The answer to your question unfortunately is it depends on what you’re wanting to do with them. Generally I find them good shaders and light staining. So middle strength I guess you could say. Some colours will always be stronger than others. So, my rule of thumb is always give it a test first over the paint colour you want to use it on. My hand is usually caked in paint anyway so it’s pretty easy to test a wash over the colour I need. If you do have this then just paint a base or something and then test the wash on that. If it’s too strong, add a touch of medium and test again. Then you know exactly how it’s going to be have before you risk it on you mini 👍

[@the-bzs]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides, thanks a lot, that really helped me!

[@johnkelley9877]

This was very helpful and I learned quite a bit from it. Your channel has helped me a lot in returning to brush painting my models. Washes have worked very well for me and do a lot to add interest and realism to any model. Thanks for sharing this and I am looking forward to your next tutorial.

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thanks a lot for watching Really glad you found it helpful

[@fabricedao1036]

Great video. I am not a painter but i am impress !

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Perhaps my videos can convince you to give painting a try? It’s a great hobby 🙂

[@YTwatchingstuff]

Hey there, I'd love to see a "basics" video on dry brushing. Have I missed one where you cover this?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Drybrushing is actually going to be the next video in this series I’m working on it at the moment Unfortunately these fundamental videos take a lot of work to put together. Probably why people like them I guess Bear with me, it’s coming soon 👍

[@YTwatchingstuff]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides awesomeness, look forward to it! They're worth it!

[@tomhassomethoughts]

"Test your wash before you use it" WHERE WAS THIS ADVICE WHEN I NEEDED IT LAST NIGHT

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Aw man, im sorry. Probably made worse by the fact this video has been here since Thursday, so the answer is it was here all along. 😢 However, on the bright side, lessons learnt the hard way will be with you forever. Stick with it man, you’re doing great 🤛

[@tomhassomethoughts]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides ah but I did follow the other Great Painting Advice: try a new technique on something cheap you don't care about that much

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@tomhassomethoughts ah! That’s alright then Nice one 🤛

[@thomaskelly7256]

This is the best and most informative source of info on washes that I've ever seen.

[@CTimmerman]

Same. Summing up the different names and explaining the difference between a regular not very staining wash and a staining wash aka ink or speed/contrast paint helped me.

[@southpaw5483]

Pro Acryl also has a specific product called "washes" in addition to the "transparents"...

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

They do, you are absolutely right. In the original edit that was stated but I got a bit carried away and now it does come across as if they only do transparents, which is not true. Sorry, my bad. 👍

[@southpaw5483]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides No problem. Your time, effort, and sharing is appreciated; I am a newbie, so your tutorials and education are welcomed. For the specific "pin washing", I have tried the Tamiya Panel Liners (enamel based);

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@southpaw5483 nice one, thank you Yeah, pin washing (I think I may have mistakenly said pin shade in the video) Is generally an oil based method and one I will for sure cover in a video on oil / enamel washes It’s so hard to know where to draw the line with this vids. There’s so much I want to cover but people won’t sit through a 4 hour video. So, trying to break it into chunks can be tricky Thanks for watching though, so glad you’re finding them useful

[@Hades13]

After I applaied some wash and shad it became very glossy (I didn't use gloss shade from GW). What I did wrong? Thank you to everyone who will answer.

[@friscoray2]

Your tutorials are excellent. Thank you! Would love to see a complete video on an Ork armored model using a weathered technique with blue as the primary color. 🙏

[@yamenlasyho9718]

Found this video very helpful and love it, do you have the exact model of the knight and horse you were painting or which brand it is from? Thank you

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Thank you Really glad you enjoyed the video. The horse being painted in the video is this model, probably not what you were expecting though ;) kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6qnoISFo7iHd5I Hope it helps

[@yamenlasyho9718]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides Do you have the knight in armor also?

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

Do you mean the one with the blue and white striped britches? Or the red armoured chaos knight?

[@yamenlasyho9718]

@@BrushstrokePaintingGuides I mean the knight with the blue and white pants, the first example you, used. Thank you

[@BrushstrokePaintingGuides]

@@yamenlasyho9718 ah, cool. So there’s no specific video for that mini. As I painted it just for this video. The mini is from Zealot miniatures and from their Litchmyre Dungeon range zealotminiatures.com/product/mercenary-with-halberd/