Shading Skin, skintones in general.

[TheDungeonDelver]

Okay, I have a couple of different washes (well, one's a wash, and another's an ink).

 

I have an old Pro Paint stock no. 19106 Flesh Ink.  I also have an MSP9253 Flesh Wash.

 

What's the best way to utilize each?

[Dontfear]

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating.  If you want it to look good, don't use them.  flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

[Kormydigar]

Most flesh washes and inks are too harsh to applied directly without dilution. They can still be of use when thinned  down with matte medium and water and used as a glaze to smooth transitions between color gradients. I'm talking thin enough that after applying a coat, you can barely tell there was a change. Will explain more later, gotta go.

[Heisler]

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating.  If you want it to look good, don't use them.  flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

 

I totally disagree with this statement. Inks and washes are just another weapon in the arsenal. Used properly they can really make skin tones pop.

[Loim]

You can also use them as glazes. Applied very strategically they can add some interesting colors to skin (or other surfaces for that matter).

[Dontfear]

 

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating.  If you want it to look good, don't use them.  flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

 

I totally disagree with this statement. Inks and washes are just another weapon in the arsenal. Used properly they can really make skin tones pop.

 

 

See I think using washes and inks by what they say on the bottle is ceding artistic control to the paint manufacturer.  You can get good results from them but I believe many use washes and inks as a crutch rather than thinking about what they do.  Much like people paint skin with colors that have skin or flesh in the name without thinking about it.  I suppose like all things it depends on what you want to achieve.  

[Ludo]

Washes have and inks have their place. While I've been learning to blend, I see no reason to spend hours on a portion of a mini that is only going to be used for tabletop. When I want to practice and improve my technique, I blend. When I want to knock out a set of Duergar in a few hours, I wash.

 

I will second the comment that you should not let the name dictate the use. Flesh washes work well wood shadows, sandstone and many other things. And flesh isn't always "flesh" toned.  

[Arc 724]

This conversation is encourage me to work more with colors an blending this to use glazing so much. Thank you all.

[skippen]

 

 

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating.  If you want it to look good, don't use them.  flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

 

I totally disagree with this statement. Inks and washes are just another weapon in the arsenal. Used properly they can really make skin tones pop.

 

 

See I think using washes and inks by what they say on the bottle is ceding artistic control to the paint manufacturer.  You can get good results from them but I believe many use washes and inks as a crutch rather than thinking about what they do.  Much like people paint skin with colors that have skin or flesh in the name without thinking about it.  I suppose like all things it depends on what you want to achieve.  

 

 

I have to disagree with this as well.  Washes/glazes are just another tool, and how YOU use it, is artistic control.  If you are, perhaps, dipping a figure, that's another matter, but lots of folks, really good ones, use glazes/washes.  It is the artist not the tool that affects the outcome of the wash.

[MonkeySloth]

 

 

 

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating.  If you want it to look good, don't use them.  flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

 

I totally disagree with this statement. Inks and washes are just another weapon in the arsenal. Used properly they can really make skin tones pop.

 

 

See I think using washes and inks by what they say on the bottle is ceding artistic control to the paint manufacturer.  You can get good results from them but I believe many use washes and inks as a crutch rather than thinking about what they do.  Much like people paint skin with colors that have skin or flesh in the name without thinking about it.  I suppose like all things it depends on what you want to achieve.  

 

 

I have to disagree with this as well.  Washes/glazes are just another tool, and how YOU use it, is artistic control.  If you are, perhaps, dipping a figure, that's another matter, but lots of folks, really good ones, use glazes/washes.  It is the artist not the tool that affects the outcome of the wash.

 

 

I'm in agreement with Heisler and Skippen.  

 

All that really matters is if the person is happy with what they're producing.  If they want to advance and learn how to paint skin without a wash I'll agree that they shouldn't start using said wash again until after they've gotten comfortable with other methods.  it only becomes a crutch when it's holding back progression when progression is what someone wants.

 

I love P3's flesh wash and will use it every time I have a mook or unit for a game to paint up as I can do skin really quick with them which is all I care about.  At the same time I know I could use the stuff the paint some kick but skin tones--because I have--all it takes is more time (as with anything in this hobby) but that's because I took the time to learn how to paint without washes because it's something I personally wanted to do.

[ced1106]

There's also the "controlled wash", in which you apply a wash but pull it with the brush, rather than the ol' "slop and glop". You can also use a wash much like a base coat, directly on primer, followed by paint. Or apply multiple thin controlled washes, effectively layering and glazing. Premade washes can also be used to simultaneously mix and thin paints. For more control, you can also first apply a little water to the area you want to wash, then apply wash to it.

Edited June 5, 2015 by ced1106

[Dontfear]

Don't misunderstand, I primarily use washes and glazes.  I use them for everything.  That is why I have such trouble answering the question "what color is that?"  I rarely use a "flesh" color to paint flesh and I never use a flesh wash.  We allow the names on the bottle to dictate how we paint.  That is the practice I am criticizing here.  The assumption that flesh colors and flesh washes achieve the most fleshlike surface because that is what it says on the bottle.  If you like it, do it.  Just don't pigeon hole yourself into only using those.  you are leaning on conventions of representation to convey your idea, which can be artistically useful but make sure those conventions are serving you and not the other way around.  

[dsmiles]

 

 

 

 

for fast results, water them down a little and slop em onto skin surfaces after base coating. If you want it to look good, don't use them. flesh washes and inks can be great for making dirty looking metallic surfaces though.

I totally disagree with this statement. Inks and washes are just another weapon in the arsenal. Used properly they can really make skin tones pop.

See I think using washes and inks by what they say on the bottle is ceding artistic control to the paint manufacturer. You can get good results from them but I believe many use washes and inks as a crutch rather than thinking about what they do. Much like people paint skin with colors that have skin or flesh in the name without thinking about it. I suppose like all things it depends on what you want to achieve.

I have Citadel's flesh wash. I basically use it to line my flesh areas instead of black or brown.

[Kormydigar]

I found the Citadel flesh wash a bit to shiny to use straight out of the pot. Mixing it with a matte medium and water solution took the shine out, and made it last longer too.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

The majority of people in the hobby are painting figures to get on the tabletop. Not everyone approaches it as art in and of itself but as a means to an end. So the  manufacturers label things in a way that sells their product because the consumer knows what the color works for.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Sergeant_Crunch