Help I'm running out off Devlan Mud

[Za Zjurman]

Hi all,

Currently I'm using my last bottle of Devlan Mud. GW decided to discontinue this shade. Is the substitute of GW "Agrax Earthshade" any good/as good as Devlan Mud? Are there any good alternatives with the same quality as Devlan Mud from other companies?

Help/advice needed.

Regards,
Za

[Happymcclap]

i recently had the same dilemna, and ordered both Agrax Earthshade and Vallejo Burnt Umber wash, the Agarax earth shade appears to be ever so slightly different from Devlan Mud by being browner(maybe its just my old eyes!) but it makes little to no difference when applied, the Vallejo Burnt Umber appears (again to me) much darker than Devlan Mud, i'll be watering mine down.

Of the 2 i prefer the GW and im happy to use it as a straight replacement for Devlan mud(so much so i bought another 3 pots - so as not to be caught out by GW's silly changes in the near future)

[Dewbakuk]

My only real issue with the new Agrax Earthshade is that it doesn't dry mat like Devlan Mud did. If you varnish and mat afterwards then it's not really an issue but I'm still not that happy with it.

GW are highly unlikely to change their paints again anytime soon, the whole reason for this recent change was to gain complete 'IP' control over the paint formulas. GW now owns the 'recipe' for their paints so the idea is if they move supplier they won't have to change anything and can in theory minimise any disruption

[Major_Gilbear]

Army Painter do some super-close substitutes...

See here for examples and a review. 

[Relic]

My only real issue with the new Agrax Earthshade is that it doesn't dry mat like Devlan Mud did. If you varnish and mat afterwards then it's not really an issue but I'm still not that happy with it.

Yup, noticed this too. I like the dark color of the AE but as said, it's not like Devlan mud at all imo. And since I don't use varnish usually on my bases, the AE makes the base shine :/. If you use matt varnish you lose the highlights (ofc you can do the top highlights after varnishing).

When I run out of Devlan mud I will use vallejo brown wash or make my own from brown paints.

[Keith]

I now mix Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade at about 50/50 (doesn't waste any) and the result is a useful substitute.

[Major_Gilbear]

And since I don't use varnish usually on my bases, the AE makes the base shine :/.

Use a little matte medium on it's own, thinned heavily with water. Paint a little onto the base after the AE is dry. Then, it will be matte when it's dry!

Essentially, matte medium is like "blank" paint (i.e., no pigment) rather than a varnish. This means that whilst it provides no protection over normal paint, it also behaves exactly like paint in terms of highlights etc.

I also feel the need to point this out again, given the gnashing of teeth in this thread:

Army Painter do some super-close substitutes...

See here for examples and a review. 

[Relic]

Thanks Major

[Mason]

Thanks for the pointer towards Army Painter, Major_Gilbear.

The tip with the matte medium is inspired, too.
Would never have thought of that one.
 

Thanks again!
 

[anevilgiraffe]

yep, the 3 Army Painter ones have been a god send...

[Za Zjurman]

Thanx all for the info and tips. It looks like I'm going to try the AP option after reading the review of Major_Gilbear. I'm a lazy painter and mixing stuff up is the last resort, knowing there is an off the shelf substitute is great. Again many thanks.

Regards,

Za

[rob_the_robgoblin]

I now mix Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade at about 50/50 (doesn't waste any) and the result is a useful substitute.

I do this, but I used to mix Badab Black and Devlan Mud 50:50 as well!

[Maspalio]

I have both Army painter Dark tone ink and Devlan mud...and they are EXACTLY the same !!!!

After all, I prefer the Dark tone

[Ninja]

Winsor and Newton brown ink. One bottle has lasted me over 15 years and comes with an intergral eye dropper. add water to vary strength of shade.

I'm sure you would find its exactly the same stuff just cheaper and more of it because it dont have GW on the front. Oh the irony to call W&N 'cheap'

If army painter is producing an exact copy it is probably because it is just the Winsor and Newton brand repackaged. As I am learning GW used them for all of their paints etc.

[Major_Gilbear]

If army painter is producing an exact copy it is probably because it is just the Winsor and Newton brand repackaged. As I am learning GW used them for all of their paints etc.

Their first three lines of paint (original round white flip-top, hex-bottle white flip-top, and hex-bottle screw-top) had inks. Those inks were copies of the W&N colours.

AFAIK, W&N never supplied any "re-branded" inks or paints to GW.

If Army Painter is producing an exact copy, it is because they saw a gap in the market for a popular product that was being abandoned by GW in the near future.