Washing

THIS time washing does not mean "putting in water with detergent". (As opposed to this post)

It means applying a very diluted paint or ink or oil paint to a painted model, to create subtle (or not so subtle) effects on it. Mostly the desired effect is dirty or aged from frequent use. On a tank, for instance, you may want to apply dust, dirt, mud, molten snow, ... On the model of an old car, you may want to add rust, oil, ...

A wash is only the beginning. Sometimes, actual mud (or various kinds of pigments) is mixed with glue and/or paint and applied to the model. I'll get around to pigments one day, but that's probably in the far future.

Today, I just started with a Vallejo black wash, which is highly diluted in itself, but I diluted it a little more. I applied it to the Puma interior with a soft brush. Once it was all covered, I used a cotton swab to remove it in places where there was too much.

The result is far from perfect, but ok for a first tryout. Once the top half of the Puma is assembled, I just want to give an impression of a dirty floor when you're looking through the turret opening.