To my mind it's all down to personal preference.

I tried several styles before I finally managed to get hold of some floor polish and I've never looked back since. My ratio's are 3 water to 1 polish and then add ink to suit. An earlier method was to use watered down Vallejo acrylics -Black, Smoke (which is a bit of a wash anyway) and Chocolate Brown. These worked to varying degrees but I have found that the floor polish stuff works better. Also, you need different coloured washes depending on your base colour; reds, browns, yellows and white can all be brown washed. Greys, dark browns and whites can be blacked washed. Blues and whites can also be dark blue washed but only dark green works on greens. I can't really say anything about the AP stuff because to my mind it's too expensive to use as a trial method.

My advice would be to try out a few methods mentioned here and see which one(s) you like.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 06 May 2014, 11:37:38 AM
Then there's the popular name for the 42nd Highlanders too.

Argh! But not as Argh! as my appalling biscuit 'joke' on another thread......

Much must be forgiven a man approaching promotion.

Ric, re your Dark Tone wash on the napoleonics, impressive,  was that a 'splash it all on everywhere' technique or did you do selective inking to avoid hitting certain parts?

Quote from: Subedai on 06 May 2014, 01:45:41 PM
To my mind it's all down to personal preference.

I tried several styles before I finally managed to get hold of some floor polish and I've never looked back since. My ratio's are 3 water to 1 polish and then add ink to suit. An earlier method was to use watered down Vallejo acrylics -Black, Smoke (which is a bit of a wash anyway) and Chocolate Brown. These worked to varying degrees but I have found that the floor polish stuff works better. Also, you need different coloured washes depending on your base colour; reds, browns, yellows and white can all be brown washed. Greys, dark browns and whites can be blacked washed. Blues and whites can also be dark blue washed but only dark green works on greens. I can't really say anything about the AP stuff because to my mind it's too expensive to use as a trial method.

My advice would be to try out a few methods mentioned here and see which one(s) you like.

I use the AP Strong tone ink not the dip

Quote from: Norm on 06 May 2014, 03:58:06 PM
Ric, re your Dark Tone wash on the napoleonics, impressive,  was that a 'splash it all on everywhere' technique or did you do selective inking to avoid hitting certain parts?

Cheers, I just splashed it all over! My initial basecoat was rougher than a badgers behind and felt that a liberal helping of the dark tone would help cover any little mistakes! I did at one point go through a phase of using soft tone on flesh, strong tone on reds, yellows and greens, and dark tone on blues and other dark shades, but now I don't have the time or patience haha!

I should add that I brush on the ink from the bottles, I don't use the tins and dipping malarkey!

Quote from: FierceKitty on 06 May 2014, 02:40:48 PM
Much must be forgiven a man approaching promotion.

I know! And it was the wrong historical period to introduce Garibaldi!

I'm a firm believer in washes these days. Depending on style and size, either the poor mans Army Painter - wood stain varnish from B&Q (I sh*t you not, didn't get on with Future Floor Wax so tried the above and it worked really well!), or Games Workshops' Reikland Flesh for a more muted, dusty/dirty look. Have a look in my painting thread for some piccies - my recent ottomans are done with the GW wash over block colours over a sand base coat.

I've experimented with different wades as well for different areas of figures but life's a little too short as others else point out!

It took me several versions of the mix and much bad language at the results I was getting before I got it right

Another way is to coat the figure in pure Klear then add the wash to the figure once it was dry

God wash.

Games Workshop's Agrax Earthshade.  Works on everything.

Quote from: Fenton on 06 May 2014, 04:12:54 PM
I use the AP Strong tone ink not the dip

Finger on the pulse, me. I'll be honest, I didn't know that AP did inks since I dropped their digital newsletter about two years ago.

  Its the same colour and consistency as Devlan Mud if that helps at all

Just started using Agrax Earthshade on some 6mm ACW figures as a final all over wash, including the base (initially in sand yellow) before doing the hand painted matt varnish from Windsor and Newton. Works a treat. I also use the Warlord Games ink shades.

Quote from: Fenton on 06 May 2014, 06:42:05 PM
Its the same colour and consistency as Devlan Mud if that helps at all

Devlan mud, oh how my life changed when I discovered that. Only a tiny bit left in my tub then I need to find a replacement so that statement is a godsend.