Recess vs All-Over Shading: Which to Use?

When it comes to shading, there are two basic approaches, and the one you choose sets how the model will look from the start. Short answer: both add depth with a wash (shade paint); the difference is simply where you put the paint. All-over shading spreads the dark paint over the whole surface, which is fast but mutes your colour. Recess shading puts that same paint only into the cracks and lines, so the raised areas stay clean and bright. In short, pick all-over for speed and recess for cleanliness.

You can settle the choice with a single question: is this model going on the table or in a cabinet? Tabletop armies and batch painting love all-over, because speed comes first. Character models, display pieces and clean schemes want recess. Most experienced painters give a simpler real answer, though: combine the two.

What are recess and all-over shading, and what are they for?

Let's start with what they share, because both actually work on the same physics: a low-surface-tension dark paint (a wash or shade) flows into the recesses, pools there and creates shadow. The only difference is where you put that paint on the model.

All-over shading spreads the dark paint across the entire surface. The shade flows into the recesses on its own, and the thin film left behind tones the whole surface down a notch. So everything gets shaded in a single move.

Recess shading, by contrast, puts that same paint only where it belongs: the grooves, panel lines, cuts and undersides. The raised, upper surfaces are left clean and saturated. Its finest form is the pin wash, where you run shade into individual lines with a fine brush, with almost no overspill.

So where does each earn its place:

• All-over: Tabletop armies, speed-first jobs, and textured surfaces such as fur, chain and wood that want shadow everywhere anyway.
• Recess: Character models, display pieces, armour panels, and colour schemes that need to stay clean and bright.

What is the difference between recess and all-over?

The easiest way to grasp the difference is to picture two pans of a scale: speed and ease on one side, cleanliness and control on the other. You may start with the same wash, but where you place it changes the result completely.

On speed, all-over wins. One pass shades the whole model, so you spend only minutes per figure. Recess asks you to touch each recess separately, which means real time per figure.

On cleanliness and colour, the table flips and recess wins. Because all-over darkens the raised areas too, the colour mutes; the model can read "grey" or "dirty," and on light colours the brightness can die entirely. With recess the raised areas are left untouched, so saturation survives and the result is display-ready.

Skill differs as well. All-over is beginner-friendly, while recess wants a bit more experience. A pin wash in particular needs patience and steady brush control.

How does it work?

Once you grasp the logic, both techniques feel simpler, because the basis is the same: the wash flows to the lowest point of the surface through gravity and capillary action. The real difference is in brush discipline. With all-over you brush the wash everywhere and let the excess run into the recesses on its own. With recess the brush touches only the target, the recess itself.

There is one trick that boosts recess control dramatically: use an enamel or oil wash instead of an acrylic one. These have higher surface tension and can be wiped back with white spirit (a thinner-like solvent), so any wash that creeps onto a raised edge can be lifted with a dry brush or a cotton bud. The cleanest recess result usually comes from a trio: first a gloss varnish to slick the surface, then an enamel wash, then a white-spirit wipe of the overspill.

To hold the whole idea in one line: an all-over wash makes a model fast and readable, while a recess wash makes it clean. Professionals tend to use both; the question is not which is better, but which is right for this model.

How do you do it step by step?

The good news is that the workflow for both is short. Which you pick depends on the model's purpose, but the smart route is usually the hybrid that combines them.

For all-over shading:

1. Let the basecoat (base colour) dry completely first, or the paints will blend.
2. Load a medium soft brush with plenty of wash, then unload the excess on the side so the surface does not flood.
3. Spread the wash evenly over the whole relevant surface and let it run into the recesses.
4. Wick away any heavy pools sitting in corners with the tip of a dry brush.
5. Once dry, go back over the raised areas with a lighter tone (re-highlight, that is, re-lighting the raised areas); this step undoes the grey effect.

For recess shading (pin wash):

1. Optionally pull a thin gloss varnish over the surface first; the wash then flows and wipes more easily.
2. Load a fine-tipped brush with a small amount of wash.
3. Touch the brush tip only to the recess and let capillary action carry the paint along the line by itself.
4. Fix any overspill onto a raised edge straight away: with a damp brush for acrylic, a white-spirit bud for enamel.
5. Once dry, deepen the very deepest recesses with a second pass if needed.

Which paints and brushes do you need?

The right materials make the job, especially recess, half as hard. Here is what you actually want:

• Acrylic wash/shade. Citadel's Shade range (such as Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade) and Army Painter's Warpaints washes are a good start for both all-over and recess.
• Enamel or oil wash. Ideal for control in recess and pin washing. Being wipeable with white spirit is the big advantage.
• Two brush types. A medium soft round for all-over, and a fine-tipped (00 or 0) detail brush for recess.
• Gloss varnish and white spirit. These two keep the enamel recess workflow clean.
• Cotton buds and a dry brush. For lifting overspill and wicking away heavy pools.

Do not get stuck on acrylic versus enamel: if you are starting out, begin with an acrylic shade, then move to enamel when you want more control in recess.

The most common mistakes

Shading looks simple, but a few classic traps spoil a model fast. The usual ones go like this:

• Stacking wash on wash with all-over. You darken the model a little more with each coat, and past a point everything turns muddy. Start with a single thin layer instead.
• Forgetting to re-highlight after all-over. Skip re-lighting the raised areas and the model stays grey and flat. This is exactly the step that undoes the grey effect.
• Not fixing overspill in recess. A wash that creeps onto a raised edge looks messy instantly, so do not wait for it to dry; lift it at once.
• Choosing the technique by habit, not purpose. Automatically all-over-washing every model, or trying to recess everything, are both wrong. The model's purpose makes the call.

Pro tips

After a little practice, the ways to combine the two for a result that is both fast and clean open up on their own. Here are a few proven ones:

• Make the hybrid your default. Set the overall tone with a light all-over wash first, then drop deep shadow into selected recesses with recess or pin washing. That way speed and cleanliness arrive together.
• Always re-highlight after all-over. Running a single lighter tone over the raised areas lifts a tabletop model up a level in minutes.
• Clean enamel recess with white spirit. The gloss varnish, enamel wash and white-spirit wipe trio gives the cleanest, most reversible recess result.
• Match the wash to the colour. A blue/grey wash reads more natural on cool schemes and a brown wash on warm, earthy ones; a black wash can kill everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is recess shading or all-over shading better?

Neither is simply "better"; it all depends on the goal. All-over is fast and ideal for tabletop and batch painting, but it mutes colour. Recess is cleaner, more realistic and display-ready, but slower. That is why recess suits character and cabinet models, while all-over suits army painting. The best result usually comes from combining the two.

Why does my model look grey after all-over shading?

Because the wash darkens not just the recesses but the raised surfaces too; saturation drops and the model looks dull. The fix is to re-highlight: once dry, go back over the raised areas with the basecoat colour or a shade lighter. That step undoes the greyness and gives the model its volume back.

What is a pin wash and is it different from recess?

A pin wash is the finest form of recess shading. Instead of spreading a broad wash, you place shade into individual lines and recesses with a fine-tipped brush, almost spotting it in. So it barely touches the raised edges. It is the cleanest, most controlled version of recess, but also the one that demands the most patience.

Should I use an acrylic or enamel wash for recess shading?

If you are starting out, an acrylic shade (like Nuln Oil) works and is cheap. When you want more control and reversibility, move to an enamel or oil wash; being able to wipe overspill with white spirit is a big advantage in pin washing. Just remember to seal the surface with varnish before using enamel.

Should I apply the wash over the basecoat or later?

Always after the basecoat is fully dry. Wash over a wet base colour and the paints blend and stain. If you want a gloss varnish for recess, that also goes on after the basecoat dries, and the wash follows only once the varnish has cured.

When does the hybrid method make sense?

Almost always. A light all-over wash first gives the overall tone and the speed; then recess or pin washing into selected recesses adds depth. That combination marries the speed of all-over with the cleanliness of recess and gives the most balanced result on both army and semi-display models.

Key takeaway and next step

Let's hold it in one line: all-over makes a model fast and readable, recess makes it clean, and mastery is knowing when and how to combine them. Reach for all-over plus re-highlight when you want speed, recess or pin wash when you want cleanliness, and the hybrid for the most balanced result.

Learning the neighbouring techniques makes all of this easier. For the basics, see Washing, Shading & Pin Wash and Basecoating; to undo the greyness, Edge Highlighting and Drybrushing; to soften transitions, Glazing; for fast schemes, Contrast & Speedpaint Systems.

Both jobs get harder without the right wash, brush and varnish. Our shop stocks the paints, brushes & hobby supplies you need, so browse the shelves and finish your next model both fast and clean.