Improving MDF wood finish?

[axabrax]

Anybody tried using washes or wood stain on unpainted or prepainted MDF wood? I used a wood stain on an unpainted MDF ship and thought the result was pretty good. However I have recently acquired a bunch of 4ground "painted" wood old west boardwalks, gallows, etc. and I don't find the paint job to be terribly convincing.  I'm wondering what would happen if I just tried using a brown wash or ink on these to give them a more realistic appearance. Yet I'm slightly reluctant to test it out for fear that it will look like crap and the piece will be ruined. Other thought I had was maybe trying to apply some pigments to dust them up a little bit.  Any trailblazers on the forum have experience doing something like this? I would appreciate your sage advice.

Steve

[leonmallett]

I used some super thin paint as a wash:

http://eclecticgentlemantabletopgamer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/old-west-buildings-another.html

http://eclecticgentlemantabletopgamer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/gallows.html

[Heisler]

I would think you would be okay applying washes on the 4Ground buildings since they are pre-painted the basic mdf is protection. Bare mdf tends to eat up my inks and washes, so I never apply them directly to it, only after I have something else on it. I usually prime my buildings because of the way I weather them which seals the mdf.

[leonmallett]

I would think you would be okay applying washes on the 4Ground buildings since they are pre-painted the basic mdf is protection. Bare mdf tends to eat up my inks and washes, so I never apply them directly to it, only after I have something else on it. I usually prime my buildings because of the way I weather them which seals the mdf.

Using very thinned paint has been fine in my experience, and still allows for variation of tone/colour.