"Dipping vs. Washing" Topic

This may seem a dumb question, so I apologise in advance…

I've seen a lot of the discussions about dipping, and have seen a bunch of the results. What I don't understand is why this is often preferred to an acrylic wash? Doesn't that draw out details in the same way?

Personally I think the wash is a more detail oriented way to add shadows. The dip method just dips the entire figure in one tone of shade. The only control you have with it is the amount you dab off before it dries.

So I think it is a speed factor.

I think 45th division has it right on the nose, only a desire for speedier results drives people to the dip. It never looks as good as a careful wash will. Personally I hate the look of dipping, it just makes figures look dirty.

I used to use the dip technique and was pretty pleased with the results. I shifted to painting the dip on, which took slightly more time but gave me more control. In time I went to ink and Future wash because the dip smells chemical (though I wouldn't drink Future and ink either), it takes a long time to dry and eats brushes. Your mileage may vary.

I will note that the dip seals paint onto plastic figures. I have some Zvezda Teutonic Knights that have seen years of gaming. No paint has flaked off, though one horse's tail broke – with paint still on it.

If the dipping you see is making the figs 'dirty' then whoever dipped them didn't do it correctly.

Thanks,

John

Its an alternative technique. People put it down but they also put down matte vs. gloss, acrylic vs. oil, gesso vs. auto primer, etc.

If you like the results then paint your figures that way and don't let anyone get away with telling you, you did it wrong.

There is no accounting for taste!

"There is no accounting for taste"

That is true. I did not say I did not like it. It takes some practice to get the dip method to look good. It is a skill to be developed. There are also very valid points about the way the dip treats brushes. I put my shades of the dip on with a brush, because for me that works. I like the legs of my troops to be a bit dirty so I use a darker shade there. When I first used the product I used one of my normal brushes. The next morning it was stiff. I did clean the brush after use but did not realize that there was a chemical like future in it. Now I just use those same brushes I started with for any dip shading.

I use the dip (actually, applied with a brush) for mass production – for figures I want great detail on, I use a wash with different washes for various colours

I should say that when the Dip ids mentioned by me I am referencing Future with ink. Not the canned Tudor dip. I'd never go back to that.

Thanks,

John

I brush on "dip" for my zombies

I prefer washes. They give me more control than dip, but still I save a lot of time.

This has been really helpful, thanks guys!

Buy some grade school paint brushes, from Wal-Mart/Dollar Stores, for applying The Dip -- it is a solvent based chemical, so it will destroy the brushes unless they are cleaned with solvents. As they are so inexpensive (20 for a dollar), why bother!

To improve the results of The Dip, first brush on a complete coating of Pledge with Future Shine, a clear, water-based, gloss clear coat, which dries within minutes! This will yield a smoother finish, as the paint is granular, and rough, which will attract more of The Dip, all over. After applying a Future coat, The Dip will only adhere to the nooks, crannies, and folds, leaving the raised surfaces mostly untouched.

I've used both Magic Wash (Pledge with Future Shine water based acrylic + ink/acrylic paint for color), and The Dip (Minwax Polyshades Urethane Stain, solvent-based). Both work, but for darkening (black, dark brown color shading needed), The Dip seems more effective, though more caustic to use. For custom colors, like blue shading on Frost Giants, and other arctic-based monsters needing something other than brown/black shading, Magic Wash is the only answer -- it is completely customizable for color shade. For sea monsters, Magic Wash is the only answer if you want green shading, though a combination of black, and green, might be a good solution, as well. You can combine the two, if needed. They're just tools in your tool box, pull them out, and use them when/where needed. Cheers!

I'm using klear with AP strong tone ink now…works really well

Yeah, I find the more ink in the wash, the better it works.

The only time I dipped was when Woolworths (in the uk) were still around. They had a polyurethane varnish in various wood colours. Think I used dark oak as a dip.
I used in on whole bunch of 25mm vikings I had picked up really cheaply. Think I got about 80 for £10.00 GBP They were just painted in basic colours and probably with the old humbrol enamels. The dip worked well in adding shading and making them look a bit dirty!

I just started using Army Painter Dip on my Wargames Factory zombie vixens. It looks fine for tabletop gaming. I had to get over he feeling I was cheating by doing this instead of washing, which is what I do usually.

Then I realized I hate painting zombies and I wanted them done fast, but still wanted them to look decent. The dip has solved that for me.

No regrets. I save the washing for miniatures I care about. Zombie vixens don't all have to be masterpieces.