The Army Painter warpaint quickshade washes review
The Army Painter is one of the biggest companies in the industry and is best known for its Warpaints, thanks to its premium quality. Among their warpaints range is their quick shade wash paint.
Are army painter warpaint washes good?
Army Painter Warpaint washes are considered a good choice by many miniature and model painters. They are highly pigmented and designed to flow easily into crevices and recesses, making it easy to add depth and shading to a model.
Army Painter washes produce good results and are easy to use. Additionally, they are water-based, non-toxic, easy to clean and have a wide range of colors.
However, as with any product, results may vary depending on the skill level and technique of the user.
The Army Painter wash compared to other washes
The mistake most people make when buying washes from Army painter is they purchase their quickshade dips instead of the washes.
Army Painter has two types of “quickshade,” the dips and the inks, also called the washes. To add to the confusion, their washes also come in different tones, from the strong quickshade to light ones.
The best part of using Army painter washes is that they have a similar formula to most of the best Citadel Washes.
It’s no wonder why many experienced painters term Army painter washes as one of the best washes for miniatures. In fact, you will often hear most miniature painters say that the quickshade washes have equal or better quality than the Citadel washes, especially since they are available at a cheaper price.
Compared to the Citadel wash paints, they are slightly less runny. For some, this could be a drawback since you have to push the washes around with your brush a little more to control how they flow.
Army painter quickshade washes have acrylic pigments. Hence, they are water-based.
Do you really need a wash for your miniature?
Technically, washes are by no means necessary. For most people, they are just a quick and dirty way to add some contrast to your gaming figures.
What people forget is that washes make their models look real.
Without using a wash, raised details and shallow recesses on your miniatures won’t have the depth or texture needed to give the model perfect realism. So, while washes are not a must-have paint, they are essential and help make your model pop.
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The Army Painter washes breakdown
- Safe and Non-Toxic
The biggest advantage of Army Painter washes is that they are non-toxic. Since they are made with acrylic polymers and water-based solutions, they make painting your models safe without compromising your health.
- Easy Flow and Control
Quickshade Washes have an amazing flow rate, but they will pool where the brush is lifted from. A good way to avoid this is to use the brush in the areas you want the wash to flow to.
- Great consistency
They also have perfect consistency, making them easy to use. These washes save you time from paint preparation, especially as they do not require thinning since they already have a perfect consistency for the washing technique.
This way, you can quickly and efficiently apply the washes to your models.
- Easy to Clean
If you’ve used water-based paints, you know easy they are to clean off with water and dish soap. Army painter washes also act the same.
Since they are water-based, you can just get the water thinner to clean off the recesses where they pool.
Wide Range of Colors Available in Army Painter Washes
Army painter has a large range of colors in their washes.
At first, they could only boast of seven washes, such as red tone, flesh wash, mid brown, light tone, soft tone, strong tone, and dark tone. But, they’ve added 4 new hues, military shader, green, blue, and purple tones, expanding their range to 11 washes in total.
I love their Green tone wash with its slightly muted color that feels like Citadels Biel-tien green. Their Purple Tone even looks like a very close match to GW Druchii Violet. On the other hand, their Blue Tone does not have a strong black shade.
While their old range stood out from many washes, I feel with their new additions, especially the Military Shader. This wash has a drab green color. But it really leaves an impression on your model because it does not have the overly yellowish shades of colors like the Althonian Camoshade from Citadel.
I also love the uniqueness of their Mid-Brown color. Many painters will love this brown color as it looked more reddish brown than brown. On the downside, it doesn’t settle quite nicely in the crevices and recesses of miniatures.
Army painter’s black tone works better for shading armor without making it look dirty. Personally, I find the flesh tones quite tricky to use. But, I use them on my monsters like ogres and flesh-colored ghouls to accentuate details on their skin. Purple shade, if used on the skin, especially faces, gives a more sickly pale effect.
Army painter Quickshade wash set
If you are an entry-level painter and want all the washes you can get for your miniatures, then the Warpaints Quickshade Wash boxed set is something you want to consider.
At $26.86, this washes set contains all eleven wash paints from Army painter washes in an 18ml dropper bottle. It also contains a painting guide to help you tone your miniatures to get the special effects needed.
Why Washes Are Essential for painting miniatures and models
Washes are more like recess fillers. You put a wash down to darken recesses, intending to retain the color of the original base layer you are applying the wash.
Washes are made by combining three things;
- a medium (usually water, oil, or alcohol),
- pigments, (paints and inks),
- a surfactant (something like a flow improver that allows the wash to flow well).
Simply put, a wash is a thinned-down paint with low viscosity that helps you cover recessed areas of your miniatures and create shades, shadows, and even weathered effects.
When painting miniatures, using a wash can add depth and realism to the model by darkening the recesses and crevices, creating the illusion of shadows and highlights.
It can also be used to create a variety of effects such as weathering or aging. Using a wash can help bring out the details of the miniature, making it look more polished and professional.
All in all, Army painter washes are a good choice for miniatures and models
Army Painter quickshade washes are a perfect choice for painters looking to create high-contrast effects quickly on their models.
They work more like speed painting paints and are not enamels. This way, they won’t damage your model.
Besides this, they have 11 wash colors, a range most brands lack. These shades provide your models with various tones, especially if you are working on models like dioramas and war figures that require detailed painting.
Final Thoughts
Washes from the Army Painter paint line provide excellent value, especially as they come in 18 ml bottles for less than $5. Most of their paint colors are even on par with the popular Citadel Washes. This feature makes them a must-have since you can easily switch between Citadel paints and the Army painter washes with ease.
More than this, they are designed to flow and clean well and quickly create spectacular depth on your miniatures. So, if you’re considering a good wash to use on your miniatures, Army painter washes are quite efficient.
