Violet Wash

The quickest road to a shadow

A ready-made wash is for many people the thing after which a model looks like a model for the first time. The thin violet fluid spreads over the surface, flows into the grooves and folds by capillary action and once dry leaves a darker tone there, while the raised places stay light. Volume thus arises that would take far longer to build with a brush. Violet in particular suits red and blue areas, canvas and pale skin, where it acts more naturally than a universal brown.

Who this is a good first step for

This is one of the few items that can be recommended even to a complete newcomer. It needs no compressor, no expensive brushes and no experience of transitions; a base color, one medium brush and a little patience are enough. A more experienced painter, in turn, uses it in a targeted way, only in selected places, or thinned with water for a finer effect. The one thing really needed is to watch the amount: a surplus will stand in a puddle and once dry will form a stain with a sharp edge.

Working with a wash

The bottle is shaken before use, because the pigment settles to the bottom very willingly. It is applied onto a well-dried paint, ideally a matte one, on which the fluid holds better. The surplus is soaked up with the corner of a paper towel or with a dry brush. The effect can be graded by repetition, but always only after the previous coat has dried completely. On fine areas it is advisable to thin the wash; for deep grooves, on the contrary, it is left at its original thickness. The material is not suitable for large areas in an airbrush, as this is a technique led by brush.