The Loose Association of Wargamers

What's the difference between an ink and a wash?

I actually know the ink is "heavier" so maybe my question is how do you use them differently?

donald

A wash is a technique whereas an ink is a paint. Many washes are indistinguishable from inks. Some tend to be thicker with more pigment depending on the manufacturer.

I use wash to mean oil(or enamel) dissolved thinly in a solvent. Inks are water soluble.

So what's a filter then?

Summat my wife has in her coffee percolater

Best not to ask what a glaze is in case Purps volunteers to show you

Jeremy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:50 am A wash is a technique whereas an ink is a paint.

I always thought this was the case. Washing is basically thinning the colour medium so that it drifts more easily into the crevices of the model.

Exactly what an ink is I’m not sure, I went and checked on my paint supplies and regardless of being described as ‘paint’ or ‘ink’ (or even ‘wash’) they are all merely described as water-based acrylics.

Vallejo has inks & it has washes.
https://www.mightyape.com.au/product/va ... gKky_D_BwE

https://www.amazon.com.au/Vallejo-Colou ... 5410&psc=1

donald

I suspect it’s marketing Donald. I have both and really can’t tell the difference.

It covers both lots of customers looking for inks and washes with the same product.

Washes used to be inks...

In that when ‘wash’ (the technique) became widely known, the products you used were ‘brilliant inks’.
These come in opaque and translucent varieties.

You could tinker with the viscosity by adding a drop of pva to improve retention in recesses, or detergent to provide an all-over effect.

My impression is that ‘Washes’ (the products) are brilliant ink based proprietary mixes which have been optimised for settling in recesses, glazes are proprietary mixes optimised for an all-over coat with opaque colour, and filters are similar, but use translucent colours.

There’s probably more to it these days. Texture and whatnot.