New to oil weathering and having a recurring problem: they dry grainy on the surface.
In videos and tutorials, oil washes seem to mix easily, end up at the perfect viscosity and “suck in” around details, and dry with an even color. Not me.
When doing an overall wash of the “slather on, let dry, and wipe off” variety it’s not an issue since most of it’s wiped off. But when trying to lightly tint a panel etc, it’ll go on nice and even but dry like this.
Personally I’ve never heard of that company but I would suggest sticking to the well known brands if you can. Second- using cardboard to soak up the carrier oils is usually a good idea. I don’t ever use oils without doing that. In addition I would suggest getting a very mild thinner as the cheaper, hardware store stuff is usually too ‘hot’ for modelling- the Abteilung one is fine. Also make sure you have the right finish on your model prior to using oils. Matt varnish will allow oils to cling to the surface making it easier to make it quite dirty and to change the appearance of sections/panels. But it will make pin washing difficult as the paint will not flow into details and around details very well. Satin or gloss varnish is better for that sort of work.
I have the Master’s Touch series, and I’ve never really used them because of the colors they provide. However, I would expect that, because of the price, the pigments are not fine enough for our needs. I’d be happy to test mine and see if the same problem occurs if you’d like.
Two thumbs up for Abteilung, works great and dries matt. I’ve also heard nothing but praise about W&N, so I’m thinking either would be a great upgrade.
I agree with Karl, cardboard works wonders (especially with drying time) and the correct thinner is important. I’m thinking that you probably got these oils from Hobby Lobby, so I would suggest grabbing artist’s white spirit from W&N, not super expensive and it’ll last you a while.
Another thing you could try is not thinning all of the oil paint (like a wash) to tint a panel, just make a small glaze after putting the oils on your palette/cardboard.
I have two tubes of Masters Touch Naples Yellow is OK for drybrushing and Ultra Marine. The UM sucked as described in the linked review.
In my limited experience and opinion Masters Crutch is inferior for washes & drybrushing to every color of Winsor Newton oil paint I’ve used (~20 colors).
Not a paint I’d buy again unless there wasn’t another choice.
Agree with others. Whatever medium of wash/filter you are using - acrylic or oil - superfine pigments are absolutely necessary. I use W&N mostly and have not had this issue.
Oils are really valuable with work like this so I would encourage you to try with a better quality oil before giving up.
Oh I’m definitely not giving up! Oils are too perfect of a medium with too much potential to quit this easily.
Did a little more research and yeah, seems Masters Touch gets little love. Although it does seem like W&N can give the same effect if Liquin is not used. Makes me wonder if Abteilung would be my best bet.
Took this screenshot that shows exactly what my washes look like when they dry. But the picture is of W&N.
To any new modelers reading: this is the danger in YouTube videos of great modelers in action. They make it seem so easy and don’t always show all the steps. It’s not deceitful, just boring to watch so they speed things up.
Watching PLASMO’s videos, you’d think all you need is oil and thinner and boom….you get his results.
@Spitfire i use master touch oils from hobby lobby. I think what happened on your model was something called “color mapping” but essentially it pulls up the under tones. I remedied this by using a gloss varnish and letting it set. Other things i do is i do a thinned layer of mineral spirits over the area i apply paints.he using the master touch but it was definitely trial and error. Sometimes those marks look great on things like AFV’s when you want heavy wear and tear.
When describing or demonstrating a technique, often the thing that is missing is the detailed how to. Proportions, ratios, amount of pressure, time, etc. are not covered enough and it becomes an exercise in experimentation when you first try a new technique. The YouTube video or article only gives you privy to what is possible and roughly how the effect was achieved. I started using washes and found there was a learning curve. The first time I did a larger section and left it on too long before I tried to clean and blend. I was left with an effect I didn’t like and couldn’t fix. So I did smaller sections and started blending and cleaning much more quickly. I had more control and a better result. So when you do something new you still have a learning curve.
Another big vote for Windor Newton - I still have some tubes I purchased back in the early 90’s. I have found that Abteilung oils are also very good. (I mainly use WN, just because I’m more familar with them.) Also, and I’m not sure if this was addressed strongly enough - buy a quality thinner - NOT hardware store turpintine. There are a number of appropriate odorless white spirit thinners available, Windsor Newton make a few different “mediums” to thin their paints with too. But some of these may substantially slow down drying time. WN also have a high end (aka expensive) range of paints: their “Artists’ Oil Colour” line. If you have the money, go for it, they’re great; but their “Winton Oil Colour” is perfectly fine.
I haven’t really touched my oils since I bought them years ago so I went and checked what I had: all W&N except for a tube of Master’s Mush burnt sienna. And of all the tubes (11 colors total) only the Mush was leaking and appeared off.
So consider this another vote for Winsor & Newton.
That liquin looks like a cool option. I use Windsor newton and Mona Lisa thinner. I used to use cheap oils and hardware store thinner and got awful results. Windsor newton are expensive but for our purposes will last forever. I mixed up a tamiya sized jar of wash with around a pea size of oils
I got the smallest W & N tubes I could find. They last a long time. Also as others have suggested, i just cut the oil paint with a bit of Testors enamel thinner as needed. Only used small areas were I’ve highlighted with dark oil washes. PS Loving your Mustang and paint work!
Thanks for the great conversation and tips here, and my apologies for disappearing. Shortly after my last post we went to the hospital to welcome our new baby into this world, so….things have been a bit hectic!
Looks like I need to get W&N and I do intend to do so. However I can’t invest in a full suite right now so I’m pressing on with Masters Touch. Plus, as one commenter observed, he uses them without issue.
I’m hesitant to blame the tool before the user.
I’m more inclined to believe my entire approach is wrong. Studying the technique, it looks like you don’t just slather it on and get perfection. You have to work and keep working it as it dries, carefully crafting the finish. It’s not a crude tool.
Trying that, I got this effect on the green (right wing only).
Getting there. Still grainy. But closer. I wet the surface with solvent, applied the wash in “dabs” on the surface, and kept working it as it dried, touching any spots that threatened to turn grainy. Then a cotton bud helped even things out after it was mostly dry.
The sand will get its own treatment.
@Gregory_J_Copplin i have two coats of clear on this between the base coat and these oils, but that does sound like an interesting effect.
I did an M47 entirely in oils. Not a drop of paint. Takes a long time to do, but well worth the work. The application is to the point that you barely have no oils on the brush… a brush that is cut short so you can ‘dab’ and ‘swirl’ to your discretion without causing hard borders.
Crutch is inferior for washes & drybrushing to every color of Winsor Newton oil paint I’ve used (~20 colors).
