A Review: Fanatic washes Paint set
- Nicholas Smith
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
Greetings one and all,
A few weeks ago, I reviewed Army Painters' new Bonic Brushes, and I found that I really liked them (in fact, they've become my new go-to brush). But this then got me thinking. I’ve also only really used Citadel paints for the past 28 years (I've tried the odd pot of Vallejo at times, but not often), and so I should really see what else is out there.
One area I’ve always found annoying about Citadel paints is that their washes dried glossy. This isn't always a good thing, so I decided to give Army Painter's range of washes a go. However, instead of being a sensible person and buying one or two bottles, I bought the whole Fanatic Washes Paint Set. So now, with story time over, let's get to it and start my review.
What is the Fanatic Washes Paint Set?
The Army Painter Fanatic Washes Paint Set is a collection of ten of Army Painter's most popular washes and consists of: Dark Tone, Strong Tone, Soft Tone, Purple Tone, Dark Red Tone, Military Shade, Dark Blue Tone, Strong Skin Shade, Sepia Tone, and Light Tone. These all come in 18ml bottles pre-loaded with mixing balls, so your wash can be thoroughly mixed and decanted with precision onto your paint surface of choice.
First Uses and Impressions
At the moment, I have a very busy workbench, so picking a model to test these new washes on wasn't a problem. I picked a Death Krop Engineer that has been gathering dust for a couple of months as my test model.
I used Strong Tone and Military Tone on the coat and leg wraps, and I was really impressed with how the wash flowed; it easily flowed into the recesses, leaving a very smooth finish (it also wasn’t glossy!). I even found it very easy to build up layers to create a dirtier layer at the bottom of the great coat.
I did however find one less-than-ideal property of the washes, especially for a brush licker like myself... They taste vile… Yes, I know I’m not supposed to drink the stuff, but still, I’m going to have to get a lot better at washing my brushes before I try to get a point on them.
Wash Examples
To show what kind of colour and coverage you can expect from these washes, I dug out some spare Space Marines' helmets, sprayed them white, and covered each one in a different wash. I'll be comparing the Army Painter washes to Citadel Shades, as those are the ones I'm most familiar with.
Dark Tone:
Basically, Nuln Oil for those who are more familiar with Citadel Paints. I'm very impressed with the coverage. As you can see, it has flowed wonderfully into the recesses of this Space Marine helmet.
Strong Tone:
The closest colour I can compare this to is the legendary Agrax Earthshade, and much like that Citadel Shade, this has become one of my most used washes. This was done over a white base, and you can see the natural fade that has occurred. But unlike all my Agrax Earthshades, this has a matt finish, which I really appreciate.
Soft Tone:
There isn't really a comparison to a Citadel Shade with this one. I guess you could say it's a bit like a watered-down Agrax Earthshade, but it feels warmer. Again, much like the Strong Shade, this has created a natural fade.
Purple Tone:
This is a bit like Druchii Violet, but it's really rich in colour, and I'm all for that.
Dark Red tone:
This wash is closest to Carroburg Crimson. Here it looks really pale, but I've used it on red on the wings of my Natchjager, and it gives them a very deep, rich red feel in the recesses, which just goes to show washes act differently depending on the base colour they're being used on.
Military Shade:
Citadels' closest colour would be Athonian Camoshade. I've had a little play with this, and at the moment, I've not found a use for it that Strong Shade couldn't do instead, though I'm sure there is a good use for it. Just like all the other washes, it gives a natural fade and really brings out those recesses.
Dark Blue Tone:
This one is weird colour-wise, and I'm not sure if it's just my eyes, but it looks grey to me. Not that that is an issue, I would 100% paint an army of Space Wolves with this.
Strong Skin Shade:
Anything that makes painting flesh easier, I'm a big fan of. There isn't really a Citadel shade that compares to this, though the Guilliman Flesh Contrast isn't too far off? It is a lovely warm flesh colour, and I'm looking forward to getting some models that give me a chance to use it more.
Sepia Tone:
Seraphim Sepia is the closest that Citadel does, but this wash is far richer. It's almost too rich straight out of the bottle. Again, it has a brilliant, warm, natural feel to the colour. Like a lot of these washes, perfect for aged velium.
Light Tone:
I won't lie, this one stumped me. Its another lovely warm colour and behaves like the other washes in this review, but I'm not sure I see the use in it... I'm sure there is one, though, and I look forward to finding it.
Summary
And there you go. Overall, this is a really good set of washes. You have a wash for every model you could hope to paint in one set. The Fanatic Washes Paint Set cost me £27.50, and I think that is a steal. The washes provide great cover and, to my surprise, gave the model far more depth of colour as well. At this point, I would even 100% recomend these over Citadel Shades (and there goes any chance of a GW sponsorship).
Until next time, have a great week. Bye.
Hi, thank you for reading my article. I hope you enjoyed it and that it was useful to you. Articles like these take a lot of time to research and write, so if you did enjoy it or found it useful, maybe you’d be so kind as to drop me a donation. That way I can continue to fund the products and books I need to keep delivering high-quality articles like this.
You can donate to me at https://ko-fi.com/graypaints
For updates when I release an article, why not subscribe and join us on our Social Media pages?
Comments