Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Charlie_ on April 10, 2023, 11:22:09 AM
-
From my blog - https://fullharness.blogspot.com/
Isn't it annoying when a product you have been relying on for years is changed by the manufacturer?
That seems to have happened with "Nuln Oil" from Citadel, which I know has been a very popular wash over the years. However I haven't always used it - I actually was first a devotee of The Army Painter's "Dark Tone Wash", but switched to Nuln Oil when that product seemed to suddenly change. That was a few years ago - the Dark Tone suddenly started going very blotchy and drying glossy, and I couldn't get to the bottom of it. I had contacted Army Painter and they'd kindly sent me some free replacements, I thought it might have just been a bad batch and got hold of lots of different bottles, but they were all the same. And strangely no one else seemed to have had the same experience. In the end I gave up and switched to Nuln Oil. A slightly different product, but before long I was happy with it.
Now Nuln Oil seems to have changed, so I thought I'd get hold of a several different products and compare them to see how they really do differ. I've got one last bottle of the 'old' Nuln Oil, some of the new one, some Army Painter Dark Tone (newly purchased, so several years after the strange batch I had problems with), and Black Wash from Vallejo Game Color to see how that compares.
First thing I noticed is both Army Painter and Vallejo come out of the bottle very opaque, looking almost like an ink. Perhaps the Army Painter wash was always like this, I can't remember - I've become used to the Nuln Oil which comes out the pot translucent. Though they looked like entirely different products side by side on the palette, once dried on the model they are still fairly similar.
Here are the results, painted as one coat over the same plastic miniature. Base-coated in light grey for the body and red for the legs.
(https://i.imgur.com/QmPCD0m.png)
They are all slightly different, but to be honest I'm pleased to say I'd be happy to use all of them. First off, the difference between old and new Nuln Oil isn't that drastic. The new one is slightly lighter, or at least the raised edges aren't stained quite as dark. It still settles into the recesses really nicely.
The surprise was the Army Painter. Clearly my strange run of blotchy and glossy bottles is a long forgotten memory. It dries perfectly matt, in fact comparing it to the Nuln Oil, the latter has a noticeable sheen to it. I honestly can't quite remember if this is how the Army Painter wash was like when I used it years ago, but judging by this little experiment, I think it's my favourite of the batch and I'll revert to using it (should cost less than Citadel too conveniently!).
The Vallejo wash is very similar to the Army Painter, but I think a bit blotchier.
Here's another test though without the old Nuln Oil. I think on the armoured legs the Nuln Oil has a smoother appearance.
(https://i.imgur.com/PP2twvp.png)
So the conclusion? All slightly different, all perfectly useable. I think I'll keep using my last bottle of 'old' Nuln Oil until it's empty, then probably switch back to Army Painter. I'll still have some of the 'new' Nuln Oil though and might use it for some things such as plate armour.
-
A useful set of comparison pictures - would it be possible to add a figure that is just based coated, i.e. without a wash added? What often puts me off these darker washes is just how much they stain the base coat colour.
-
I have had the same experience with AP washes, especially the Dark Tone. In fact my current bottle dries very glossy. Now I am looking at modifying Contrast paints to make my own washes as they dry nice and matte.
-
I tried the nuln oil finish and although I liked it, it seemed absurd to be paying for something l could make. So I got some Liquatex dark brown and red acrylic inks and began experimenting. I used a “carrier” of 30% clear acrylic floor wax and distilled water and was able to replicate the effect at hugely lower cost. The results are perfect.
-
Thank you very much for sharing this! I had never performed a test like this so I really appreciate your doing this!
-
> all perfectly useable.
Good work. That's been my experience as well, from my limited use of different washes. When you're playing on the game board, it all looks the same.
More importantly, when I buy brown and black wash, I'll look for the larger quantities. The large Vallejo Game Wash is a much better price than anything in smaller quantities. (Annoyingly, I'm having a hard time finding it nowadays, or rather, finding it at a good price after shipping.)
Les Bursley also has a DIY wash, with water, matte medium, ink, and a little flow aid, which, with less water can be used as a contrast paint. The wash I haven't had much luck with, but you can always try it out. : https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/261541.page
-
This is very informative thanks for posting this. Though I'm not quite sure what the difference is between the old and new nun-oil
-
Thanks for the comparison shots, they’re useful.
Tom, regarding the differences between old and new nuln oil, it is discussed at length in a thread from a few months ago. The short version is that GW seems to have changed the pigment to medium ratio in the new version and it leaves less pigment in creases, etc. Folks who used the old version mostly reported that they were not pleased with the new formula (me included).
-
Thanks for the comparison shots, they’re useful.
Tom, regarding the differences between old and new nuln oil, it is discussed at length in a thread from a few months ago. The short version is that GW seems to have changed the pigment to medium ratio in the new version and it leaves less pigment in creases, etc. Folks who used the old version mostly reported that they were not pleased with the new formula (me included).
OK Thanks, I probably have a few bottles of both somewhere downstairs. I use it all the time and haven't really noticed anything.
-
I like the strong tone best for the tunic, and the Nuln oil best for the armor. The strong tone tunic has nice thick black lines which create very visible definition. Skipping the need to matte varnish after is also convenient.