Glossary
Wash
A thin, heavily diluted paint that flows into recesses and cracks on a miniature to add shadow and depth automatically.
A wash is paint mixed with a large amount of water or a dedicated wash medium so it becomes very thin and runny. When applied over a basecoated miniature, it flows by capillary action into recesses, folds and gaps, leaving a darker tint there while drying lighter or clearing almost completely on flat, raised surfaces.
Washes are one of the fastest ways to add depth to a model because they shade an entire area in one pass instead of painting each shadow by hand. Most painters apply a wash right after basecoating and before any highlights, letting it settle into the natural creases of the sculpt and separate details that would otherwise blend into a single flat color.
Look for washes made for miniatures rather than generic craft ink, since they are formulated to flow predictably and dry without a shiny film. A common problem is tide marks, a hard ring left where the wash pools and dries unevenly, usually fixed by working in smaller areas, using less liquid, or going back over dried tide marks with a damp brush.