I’m going to try something I have t done before. I am going to use an India ink wash. I have painted up some plaster rock castings a nice color gray and now I want to add the ink wash. I can use some suggestions here from alcohol to ink Mix (I’ll be using 90% alcohol) and application methods. I was thinking of using a pipette. Would a brush be better?
Brushes are better. I use 3 mixes. The basic "recipe" I use for each is from South River Model Works kits. All of their plan/direction booklets start off w/ tools and supplies. They always include the ink-wash make-up which I list below.. Same mix they recommend for their craftsman models. I use 70% alcohol just to keep the attack strength down in the event I have to "wash" on sensitive plastic. Light wash: Made for subtle details where you want to be careful in not overdoing the ink coloring.. mix one (1) teaspoon of wash to one (1) pint of alcohol. Medium wash: Good for weathering wood or structures where you want to still maintain some "new" look. two (2) to two and a half (2.5) teaspoons of india ink to one (1) pint of alcohol. Heavy wash: For stone and rock castings. Three (3) to four (4) teaspoons of india ink to one (1) pint of alcohol. ( I use 4 teaspoons) I just start w/ new 1 pint jugs of 70% alcohol and throw in the ink. I constantly keep a light, medium, and heavy wash available. Take a large Sharpie and mark the sides with "L", "M", "H", ink-wash respectively. Also, if you are using a brush and really want to "darken" don't shake up before using. After it has been sitting, dip the brush down the bottom and get the black crud for extra heavy doses when you need it. This is especially effective when using the "heavy" batch. Make up the 3 batches and play around w/ some scrap. You'll get the hang of it. Be patient with it. Once you put it on, make sure you let it dry. If worked in too vigorously (especially if you use 90%) you could mess up your paint job. It looks REALLY good when wet, then as it drys, it will fade a little. You can always add more on top. Just let each layer dry and don't work it too much while wet. Let it seek its own level into the crevices of the details.
Only thing I would add is I have not tried pipettes w/ the ink. For very small areas where a pipette may be useful, I have just used a very small brush. Good luck!
I've used India Ink washes for a long time. Use India Ink and 70% alcohol mix. There are several different colors of India Ink. Black , brown, etc etc. Not only used it on rock castings, but to tone down plastic structure's BRIGHTNESS and weather rolling stock. I usually just flood a surface and let it air dry. The world is NOT as bright as many things appear on a layout. Use an India Ink wash.simulate dust and dirt buildup.
be careful with your choice of india ink ... there are some brands that when thinned, exhibit a distinct blueish cast, not a true black
