Blue Wash

Blue Wash — a blue Vallejo wash

Blue Wash is a liquid weathering product from the Vallejo brand. It is not a covering paint or a loose pigment but a thin tinted liquid that once applied runs into recesses and engraved lines and leaves a darker shadow in them. Vallejo builds its washes on a water base and supplies them ready to use, so they are applied straight from the bottle with a brush. A blue shade has its place on a model where a brown or black wash would look dusty: on the blue-gray and dark blue finishes of naval equipment, in the shadows of white and light gray surfaces, or as a cool undertone for metal parts.

Use

• Stir the bottle thoroughly before every application, as the color component settles at the bottom.
• A wash works best on a smooth, glossy or satin surface — it then runs into the engraving and does not catch on a matte texture.
• Apply with a fine brush straight into the lines and to the edges of a detail; draw the excess off with a clean damp brush or cloth before it dries.
• Build the effect up in layers. Two weak layers look more believable than one heavy one.
• Fix the result with a matte or satin varnish according to the surface the model is to have.

Who it is for

For modelers who finish aircraft, ships, vehicles and figures and want to bring out the division of a surface without mixing their own mixtures. The difference from a filter is substantial and worth knowing: a filter shifts the tone of a whole area, whereas a wash works locally — it brings out detail, emphasizes edges and settles in recesses. That is exactly why the two products are often used one after the other, not instead of each other.

Keep out of the reach of children. Ventilate while working and close the bottle carefully after use, so that the contents do not dry out.