Many years ago I discovered a quick and highly effective method to shade miniatures by using a simple black wash. It uses acrylic black paint and a bottle of liquid Gloss or Matte Finish. You can also use dark brown paint instead of black.

The black wash is prepared by pouring six or seven drops of paint into a bottle of finish and shaking it. I use Polly-S (1/2 oz.), though it works equally well with other brands that I've tried. After I'm done painting a figure and am ready to seal it, I cover it with the black wash mixture. The wash will flow into the folds and recesses of the figure and provide an abundance of natural shading. After allowing it to dry, I then coat the figure again with a coat of plain finish to further protect the paint job. The darkness can be adjusted by varying the amount of paint added to the initial mixture. You can also easily thin the black wash with water and vary the effects.

There are some surfaces which I don't cover with the black wash. These include armor and shields, along with anything else I want to be especially bright. Try it, you're bound to like it.

Good Painting!

(Editor's note: I never used to use a wash to shade my figures until Jason showed me his method years ago. Now I use it for all my troops. The part I enjoy the most about it is that it is paint -- not a "wash" -- so you don't have to remix it every time or worry that it is too light. Once you've mixed it in the bottle, you're done until the jar runs out. I highly recommend this method!)