Blackwashing??

hey everyone...

Im working on my R34 and im just about done. i only have some of the minor details left, like the panel lines and some decals. i heard about some people blackwashing teh panel lines. what is blackwashing, and how do you do it?? i am completely lost, i tried searching for it but i came up with no answers. thanx for your help.

Have a read here:

http://www.tamiya.com/english/howto/car1/tip3.htm

Also,

Try here:

http://www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/tutorial.asp?TutorialID=7&CurPage=1

thanx a lot guys... i think im going to try it on my skyline... does ne one know if i can thin acrylics with water?? im using normal tamiya acrylics. thanx

i use rubbing alcohol to thin my acrylics. it thins the paint very nicely and also sticks to surfaces much better then water thinned paint, but it dries really fast.

however for blackwashing (where you will want capilary action which alcohol doesnt have) your best bet is probably to use distilled water. tap water wont mix with acrylics very well because of the high mineral content.

For Tamiya acrylics I will only recommend using Tamiya acrylic thinner, I haven't found anything else that works really well with them.

For Tamiya acrylics I will only recommend using Tamiya acrylic thinner, I haven't found anything else that works really well with them.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/iagree.gif

thanx guys, im going to keep all that in mind when i do my panel lines.

The easiest way i found to do panel lines is to use black "gouache" paint, which is like watercolour but in a tube and already mixed. If you paint it all over the panel lines, dont worry about being neat, as the beauty of this paint is that its always water soluable, even if you left it for like 10 years. Then, with a damp cotton-bud (ear cleaner thingy) you can wipe off the excess leaving paint just in the groove where you want it. Plus you dont have to worry about messing up you nice shiny paint as you can always wash it off.

wow... that sounds really kool... where can i get something like that?? how much does it cost? thanx

you can get gouache paint from any art store, its made by people like Daler Rowney or Windsor+Newton. You can either get it in single tubes for about £2 (depending hoe big the tube is) or sets of around 7 colours for about £10, but you probably only need black.
It looks like this:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/663947P1010042.jpg

Its definatley easier than trying to dribble thinned paint into the grooves!