MU 18 - Review - Secret Weapon Washes

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Hiho,

as Secret Weapon still supports the jungle for another month i want to tell you something more about their nice products as i did a while ago. I was a little bit distractet of many things lately  (workshop, vacation, visitors, etc.) - so i pick up the wooden bamboo drum stick again to ... yeah, hit the drums :D

This time i want to tell you about the Secret Weapon Washes and the experience i've made using them. First of all i want to say thanks to Battlefield-Berlin again for making this review possible in its coverage.

Before i start i want to hit you with my morning music - i know i am evil and always think about music and got to share it - hope you are not bored, but anyhow:



My first impression of the Secret Weapon Washes was like wow, they got really a great amount of different ones, seems like there is a tone for every particular need in the future. Very impressive and one that really can make your painting easier. Just have a look on all those washes i got, their funny names and the very often fitting color connected to them ... some might appear twice as this is a amateur photo stream during the review ...

Okay, Baby Poop was hard to open but i won't tell you much more about this strange moment i enjoyed. As far as i know there are already some new ones coming from Secret Weapon. The mixture of the washes and its content were studied and mainly founded by Les Bursley from Awesome Paintjob and Secret Weapon is the retailer, if i got this thing right. Please correct me via comment as i am not really into the story behind the washes.

Now let me come to some explanations as there was also something i had to learn of using these washes. As washes from other brands used to have the same effect mostly just with different colours the Secret Weapon Washes are really specialist stuff as every Wash has a different value of its conet, for example more or less pigments. This unique mixtures provide different result and you should know what to use them for. I've checked it by painting which in my oppinion is the best thing to do research and gain experience. For example those with less pigments work fine to do some soft color switch, to bring in some of your colour wished to change the final look of a colour or bring in some good looking changes in your tone. Pretty gently, pretty soft. Those with a high amount of pigments in it will change your colour fast and strong, mostly with one layer. I will now pick out one of the describtions from the overlook at Secret Weapon to show you what i mean - you can check all of the describtions here to get a better insight in the different washes. Here is the example of soft and and heavy body black wash:

Soft Body Black Wash 

Soft Body Black is a low pigment black wash designed to provide soft shading without distorting the colour of the model. Each bottle contains approx. 20ml of water-based matte acrylic wash. Ideally suited for one coat brush application and clog free airbrush usage.

Heavy Body BlackWash 

Heavy Body Black is a high pigment black wash, with 3x the pigment of the "Soft Body Black" wash, designed to provide maximum shading. Each bottle contains approx. 20ml of water-based matte acrylic wash. Ideally suited for one coat brush application and clog free airbrush usage.

This is truely the magic behind these washes: to know what they are made for and to use them for the right areas. So it is not only buying and using the washes, it is also checking their options first. I took a moment to realize this and failed and errored with some washes as i was not satisfied with the result first - but that was my fault as i did not inform myself. Now coming to my experiences i've made. I got to say sorry that i don't introduce every wash i got, that would really burst the jungle volumes but i let you know with some words what i think.

 

 

 

These Washes are a perfect match for every painter i would say. You really get a lot of ammunition in such a big color variety that you are not often need to mix your own colors. Whatever surface you got painted already - there will be a wash that fits. I really like to work with most of them, some left a shiny layer where i did not expect it, but that was my fault as not all of them are described as matte. So you can also work with the effects they create to get different textures, for example a soft shiny worn leather.

As said you really have to read the describtions and find out for yourself what is the best use of one color, not only limited to the SW Washes ;)

A thing i did not really like was the shaking part, but mainly because i often am too lazy. Just kidding - you really got to shake them strong, mainly those high pigmented ones as after a while without using them the pigments will go down to the bottles bottom and you can't use the wash well.

 

 

 

For the use on display miniatures as i often create i somehow feel i got too many of those washes already and can't often choose which one to take. So i am still in the process of collecting my experience. I am honest and say that i use them for really specific areas, not like for what a wash was mainly created: the fast gaming miniatures process. There you often hit your model straight with the wash on a simple color basecoat. I did not test this yet as i don't really have a lot of gaming stuff going on. As i've heard by Secret Weapon and on other Painting Sites the washes do a pretty good job there and a have a good opacity. You can find an example of some of the washes just hit once upon a white primer and this works pretty fine i think - check it out here:

 

 

Another big plus of those washes is their price of 2.99 $ (around 2,10 €) - which is superb for 20 ml i would say. Also the bottles remind of Vallejo Colours and make it easier to do some drop counting while painting. If you are intrested in just testing them get yours at Secret Weapon, in Germany at Battlefield Berlin or other retailers at your place, BUT read the describtions of the single washes to avoid sad moments of wrong usage. Happy Painting to you all and feel free to comment if i said soemthing wrong or if you just want to say "Hi" :)

 

Now linked up to the MU-AREA

 

I am not yet finished with my own testings and trying to gain experience and i hope that day will never come :D