Short answer: A wash is a dark, very thin paint that flows by capillary action into a model's recesses to create instant shadow and depth. In other words, it is what you reach for when a flat-looking model needs to read better; you apply it after the basecoat is dry and before highlights. It is also the fastest and most forgiving way to add contrast.
Say you are new to painting and your model just will not come alive, it looks flat. The reason is almost always missing shadow. This is exactly where a wash earns its keep: it drops dark tone into the recesses without hours of blending and pushes the detail forward. Citadel Shade (Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade), Army Painter Quickshade Washes and Reaper Liner are made for precisely this. In this guide I walk you through the three kinds of wash, why they work, the acrylic and enamel workflows, and the traps people fall into.
What are washing, shading and pin wash, and what do they do?
Let us start with the basics. Washes and shades are dark, very fluid paints that pool into a model's recesses, lines and detail gaps to form shadow on their own. Because they have low surface tension, they refuse to cling to flat surfaces; they slide off raised areas and collect in the hollows. What you get, then, is instant depth, shadow and crisp detail.
The best part is this: even a beginner-painted model becomes dramatically more readable after a single wash. Faces, folds, armour panels and mechanical detail suddenly stand out. That is why the wash is the backbone of tabletop painting, and it often pairs with Drybrushing to form the core of a fast workflow.
What are the types of wash?
There are three core ways to apply a wash, and your choice changes the result from start to finish:
- All-over wash: The wash goes over the whole area. This is the fastest method and counts as the tabletop standard. It both pools in the recesses and lightly tints the surface, which is why it can sometimes leave an unwanted grey cast.
- Recess shading: Here the wash is applied only into the recesses and lines, under control. The raised surfaces stay clean, so you get a cleaner, more display-ready finish. To see the two side by side, check out the Recess vs All-Over Shading guide.
- Pin wash: This is the most precise form of recess shading. With a fine brush tip you touch the wash only to the lines and panel seams, and capillary action runs the paint along the line on its own. That makes it ideal for armour and mechanical panels.
How does a wash work?
It all comes down to surface tension. The wash's low surface tension lets the liquid avoid clinging to flat surfaces and flow into the recess instead. One distinction is worth knowing: acrylic washes work with water, while enamel and oil washes work with a solvent (white spirit).
Here it helps to hear from an expert. As Stahly from Tale of Painters points out, enamel and oil washes have far higher surface tension than acrylic washes, so they flow into recesses much more readily. And because you can wipe the dried excess away with white spirit, they are also easier to correct.
Enamel and oil washes flow into the recesses more easily and let you undo a mistake with white spirit, which makes them especially appealing for pin washing.
In short, if you want control, solvent-based washes give you an undo button, whereas an acrylic wash is permanent once it dries. For any of this to behave properly, the model also needs to be clean, so do not skip Cleaning, Mold Lines & Degreasing.
How do you do it step by step (acrylic all-over wash)?
Since this is the method you will use most, let us begin here. Before you start, make sure the basecoat is dry and matt:
- First, let the basecoat dry completely; be patient before going over it.
- Next, stir the wash thoroughly, because the pigment may have settled to the bottom of the pot. Thin it slightly if needed, or add a medium or flow improver.
- Load a reasonable amount onto the brush, apply it, and watch it run into the recesses.
- If it pools or stains on raised areas, lift the excess with a clean, damp brush. This is called a controlled wash.
- Finally, leave it to dry. An acrylic wash goes matt as it dries and the shadow settles in.
If you want to get the base colour right before washing, reading Basecoating and Thinning Paint: Two Thin Coats first makes the job much easier.
How do you do a pin wash step by step (enamel/oil)?
When it comes to mechanical panels, vehicles and large armour plates, a pin wash gives the cleanest shadow of all. With a solvent-based wash, work like this:
- First, gloss-varnish the surface, so the wash flows more cleanly and wipes off more easily later.
- With a fine brush, touch the wash only to the seam and panel lines, then watch capillary action spread it.
- Once dry, wipe the excess away with a brush or cotton swab dipped in white spirit.
- Finally, finish with matt varnish; the shine goes and the mechanical feel returns.
Which paints and brushes?
The right materials do half the work, so it pays to know what to pick up:
- Acrylic washes: Citadel Shade (Nuln Oil black, Agrax Earthshade brown), Army Painter Quickshade Washes, Reaper Liner. Water-based, fast and ideal for beginners.
- Enamel/oil washes: AK, Ammo, 502 Abteilung. Best for pin washing and control, and correctable with white spirit.
- Brushes: A medium brush that holds water well for all-over work; a fine-tipped detail brush for pin washing. Keep separate synthetic brushes for solvent washes.
- Helpers: Flow improver/medium (boosts flow), gloss and matt varnish, white spirit, and cotton swabs for cleanup.
What are the most common mistakes?
A wash looks simple, but a few traps can ruin a whole model. Here are the ones people hit most often:
- Too much wash, washing everything: The model looks dirty and grey. On light colours especially, all the brightness dies. Remember: a wash is a shadow tool, not a colour.
- Not correcting pooling on raised areas: Left alone, it dries into stains and tide marks.
- Using the wash without stirring: The pigment stays at the bottom, so you get a weak, inconsistent result.
- Trying to pin wash with an acrylic wash on a matt surface: It will not flow, it will not follow the line, and it stains, because pin washing wants a gloss surface.
Pro tips
A few habits turn the wash from a grey killer into a depth weapon:
- After an all-over wash, re-highlight the raised areas lightly. This undoes the grey cast the wash leaves and revives the contrast. To take it further, see Edge Highlighting.
- Try coloured washes: a blue wash on blue armour, or a brown wash on red, gives a far more natural shadow than a grey or black wash.
- Learning an enamel/oil wash for pin washing is worth it, because the control and ease of correction are high.
- If you want to blend the wash with transparent transitions, you can soften the tones with glazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I wash first or drybrush first?
Usually wash first, then drybrush. That is because the wash drops dark shadow into the recesses; the drybrush then adds light tone to the raised edges and completes the contrast. Some fast methods like slapchop reverse the order, but the classic flow is wash followed by drybrush or a re-highlight.
Why does my wash stay shiny once dry?
Usually too much wash pooled, or the paint went on too thick. An acrylic wash should dry as a thin film and go matt. If you do not lift the excess with a clean damp brush, shiny rings remain. Stirring the product well and thinning thick spots solves most of this.
Can I use Nuln Oil on every colour?
It is versatile but not universal. Black-toned Nuln Oil works beautifully on dark and neutral colours; on light and warm colours, by contrast, it can make the surface look grey and dirty. For skin, yellows and reds, brown or coloured washes give a more natural shadow.
What is the difference between an all-over wash and a pin wash?
An all-over wash goes over the whole surface, is fast and leaves light tinting. A pin wash, on the other hand, is touched only into the lines and seams with a fine brush, leaving raised areas completely clean. In short, all-over is for speed; pin wash is for cleanliness and control.
How should I thin a wash?
Most ready-made washes are already the right consistency straight from the pot, so unnecessary thinning ruins the flow. If it is too dense, add a little water or a wash medium. To boost flow while keeping the tone, use a flow improver or wash medium instead of water, because water weakens the pigment.
Why does a pin wash need gloss varnish?
Because a gloss surface is smooth, the wash flows more easily and follows the line cleanly; on a matt surface it spreads and stains instead. Gloss also protects the paint below while you wipe enamel or oil excess with white spirit. When you are done, you remove the shine with matt varnish.
How do I rescue a wash that looks grey or dirty?
There are two routes. First, lightly repaint the raised areas with the base colour and re-highlight; this brings the contrast back. Second, next time use recess shading instead of all-over. Switching to a coloured wash also stops the greyness before it starts.
Key takeaway and next step
To sum up, a wash gives the most depth for the least effort: let the basecoat dry, stir the product, watch it flow into the recesses, lift the excess from raised areas, and bring contrast back with a re-highlight if needed. All-over is for speed, recess for cleanliness, and pin wash for display quality.
If you are ready to try it, the paints, brushes & hobby supplies you need are waiting at Terminal Wargaming. One pot of shade and a decent detail brush will visibly push every model on your desk forward.