What a difference a wash makes

This evening I decided to compare my recently completed Herald models with the test model I produced a while ago and the results were surprising.  Take a look:

The one on the left I completed last week while the one on the right, the trial model, was painted over a year ago.  I’m sure that you will agree that they look rather different but, aside from the base there are only a few differences in paints used.

Both models were based using black spray, the basecoat was Mordian Blue which was given a heavy drybrush of Enchanted Blue followed by a light drybrush of Ice Blue.  The Horns were painted using Bleached Bone and the eye lenses in Iyanden Darksun.  Where the models first diverge is in regards to the metallic areas, the trial model on the right uses Chainmail while the model on the left uses the new Ironbreaker colour.  Secondly, the model on the left uses Warplock Bronze for the chainblade’s chain and Bolter details while the bolter details on the right model use Bleached Bone and Shining Gold.

So why the big difference?

It’s all down to the ink.  The model on the right was given a single wash of Badab Black whereas the one on the left was washed in the new Nuln Oil ink.  Now, I really hate coming across as a GW apologist or over-enthusiastic fanboy but this shows, in my opinion, how much better the new inks can be.  When I applied Badab Black to the model on the right I watched in annoyance as much of the detail and vibrancy I’d worked hard to produce was near-completely obscured by a single coat of ink.  Using Nuln Oil allows me to present the colour scheme as I intended.

This is not to say that I’ll be pouring my stash of Badab Black down the sink as I still have many uses for it, particularly in regards to my Dark Eldar, and I  hate to see perfectly good hobby material go to waste.  Al I’m saying is that sometime change is good, it certainly is in this case.