Dirty GIs - post "dip" Merkan IG

It's very wet out today, so the matte sealer will have to wait.  Here's some shots of them pre-based and pre-sealer, but post-stain.  Compare with pre-stain pics HERE.

The shading isn't quite as good as I wanted, but overall it did what I wanted - added a little definition, darkened things up a bit and gave them a grimy look.  More time and more traditional methods would yield better results, but for the time involved and a mass army I'm pretty pleased.

I didn't want to go as heavy as I did with my Orks so instead of using the wood stain straight, I made a watered-down mix.  I used equal parts wood stain, floor polish, and water.  I've heard of other folks using the polish to help washes flow, figured it would work here as well.

Once you mix it, it should look like cocoa.  Over time it will settle (second pic) and will need to be shaken up/mixed, as the stain will sink to the bottom.  Slower mixing or rolling can avoid the bubbles.

I use the water-based stain to avoid the smell and make working with it/clean up easier.  Even watered down, the stuff can be gunky so be sure to use specific brushes for it and clean them fairly often to avoid build up.  Also a good idea to refresh your rinse water cup before going back to regular paint/brushes.

I just brushed it on, though you could actually "dip" if desired.  I dipped a few of the figs to try it out, but for me the extra time from brushing was worth not having to take longer taking off excess and dealing with extra mess.