"How do you use Devlan Mud wash?" Topic

I picked up some of this a while ago after seeing it mentioned around the traps. It looks to be quite versatile and I'm curious as to how afficionados use it.

First up, do you dilute it, and if so, with what? Would you add it to Future/Klear, for example?

Second, at what stage do you use it? As a wash over the undercoat, during the painting itself to deepen particular colours, or as a kind of 'dip' afterwards?

What are its good points and its not-so-good points?

To give you a reference point, I'm thinking of using it with 6mm WWII and 15mm Ancients and (perhaps) 1/72 ACW.

Any and all input much appreciated, and any links to illustrative pics would also be handy!

Cheers,
Aaron

I use it undiluted to shade the basecoat. Great stuff.

I use it for 6mm all the time, along with the Badab Black. I can then spraypaint an olive drab base coat, apply the wash and get a different look. I just finished some Cold War micro this way, Polish armour got the Devlan Mud and brown drybrush, Russians got Badab Black and green drybrush, Canadians got Devlan Mud, finished the 3 colour cam and then green drybrush. I'm very happy with all 3, considering I was able to start with the same basecoat.

I don't have any pics though, and I don't know how to download them to TMP anyway.

Brian

Block on the base colours, allow to dry completely, then slop it on undiluted with an old brush.

link

To answer your questions, I use it every which way I can, diluted, undiluted, after the primer, after all detail work is done, etc. I dilute it with either water or Matte medium – liquid Matte medium to be precise. The "future/klear" dilution makes the wash turn a bit too glossy, unless you intend to finish them in a gloss or satin finish. As is, it dries matte very well.

I mix it 50/50 with Ogre skin wash or whatever that colour is and then use it straight.

I use most of the GW wash rane, great stuff and really speeds up painting (before that I'd mix up a wash with paint, water, and a few drops of flow improver, and would do 3 light washes, to increase transparency and fade).

I don't use Delvian (or Badab Black) as a "cure all" wash, and use other colors where necessary. So Delvian is mostly used to wash medium browns, badab for dark grays or dark browns/greens, etc. I use Gryphonne Sienna/Delvian Mud mix for leather, which works great. OTOH, I never wash reds or medium greens, or any other light colors in either (whether its 28mm or 15mm for that matter), and use the other colors as I see fit…

Damon.

I use it undiluted as a wash over basic uniform colours – brown, tan or yellow – then I paint highlights/white over it

Use it all the time – as Damon notes, I also use other washes for other colours

The GW washes are brilliant in that you can just use them right out of the pot. They are pretty hard to mess up – use it liberally on the model – as it dries is will flow into the recesses, but also overall mute the original colors.

This means you can go back and highlight with your base color as well.

-Johnny

I have started using it over a mid brown primer. Prime the figures (humbrol Matt 62 or any mid brown paint or spray), wash with Declan mud. Then paint using the washed primer coat as base coat for whites, creams, yellows , reds and Caucasian flesh. Leave un-painted for leather and wood work.

Halved painting time on my 28mm Romans. I think technique would work very well for post 1900 uniforms as well.

I use it a lot on horses. I block in the main colour, paint the bridle etc then wash. I highlight afterwards. For some colour coats I'll use sepia or occasionally black instead.
I also often use it on fur cloaks etc, esp if I undercoated in white. It gets into the spots that the paint doesn't want to reach.

Thanks very much, all!

I think I'll start off slow with a wash on some Numidian skirmish types, then move on to trying it as a 'dip' on some spares. Glad to hear that it works well with horses too, as I have a fair few to work through.

Am also keen to see how it goes on 6mm armour, but not sure how soon that'll happen…

Thanks again,

Cheers,
Aaron

I use it straight as a flesh wash…
And to do some shading for greens (i.e. army green).

I've never bothered to think outside the box using ideas here such as:

diluting/thinning
mixing with other stuff (future, etc)
or whatever

But I use it to shade just about everything that is a dark or dull color to start with.

Thanks again, folks. First experiment is up on the olde blog…

link

Cheers,
Aaron

I failed to respond correctly the first time:

How don't you use Devlan Mud?

Ratbone – it tastes terrible, if you ask me. I don't use it as a chaser.