Inkwashing Tanks

[Heedless Horseman]

Just wondering what others do. With figures, of various periods, I have inkwashed, (W&N Black or Peat Brown, diluted), over the paint before varnishing. This gives a very scruffy and indistinct look...suitable for figures toiling in the smoke and muck of a battlefield at some distance...in my opinion...although the lovely livery/uniform colours tend to also disappear...such is the glory of war!   
However, I am not so sure about doing this with armoured vehicles. I want to add shadow and sharpen detail without changing the shade of paintwork too much. Do others varnish before inkwashing? This seems to let some shadow 'pool' in corners...but...as the varnish has filled in some fine detail...gives less definition.
Also, what varnish to use? My preferred varnishes are Revell acrylic matt which protects but still has a touch of shine...with a last coat of W&N Galleria matt over non-metallic areas. The latter is about the best total matt finish that you can get and it does seem to 'lighten' figures up a bit after the darkening of a wash...though it is a little thin for protection. My concern is that a wash might 'stick' more to a varnish as the matt effect increases. therefore changing the colour. Have heard some serious larger scale modellers wash after gloss varnish...but I think that 10mm or smaller would lose far too much detail that way.
Then comes the Glorious Mud!   

Many descriptions of paintwork just give materials used...(to wonderful effect!)...but not always the order in which they were applied. Could just experiment...but would rather hear from others before scrubbing stuff off models!

[petercooman]

I use a totaly different method.

I basecoat and then wash the tank, and then drybruh the basecaot again.(sometimes with a bit of white mixed in)

It shades the vehicle but keeps the colour.

For example, for late german armour i painted them desert yellow, then did a sephia wash and then a desert yellow drybrush.

[fred.]

One option is to use a pin wash - where you apply the wash just to the areas you want to shade, rather than across the whole model. This is obviously slower, but can give a very good look.

It does depend on the brand of wash you are using, some can act much more like stains colouring the whole area they are applied to. Others act much more like a wash with the colour settling into the recesses.

[Ithoriel]

Base vehicle, add figures/ scenics, undercoat black, basecoat, black or brown wash, drybrush basecoat, highlight, add cammo stripes/ splodges, paint tracks black, drybrush them steel, paint detail.

[Steve J]

Basecoat, wash, drybrush. Pin washes can be added if required at the end before lacquering.

[Sandinista]

I basecoat and then wash the tank, and then drybruh the basecaot again.(sometimes with a bit of white mixed in)

This is what I do also

Cheers
Ian