Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Potential Replacement for 'Devlan Mud': Army Painter Strong Tone Ink


(First, I apologize if this is old news for some of you, but I thought I'd post it just in case others had not run across this product.) Like many other mini painters I'm a big fan of some of the old GW paint range, particularly their washes, and specifically the iconic 'Devlan Mud'.  Cripes,  I should have bought quarts of the stuff when I knew it was being discontinued, but the road to Hell is paved with good intentions (and hopefully those who text in movie theaters).  Anyway, I poked around the web and found that several others have been recommending Army Painter's new line of inks as potential replacements to GW Devlan Mud and Badab Black. 

Well, I dashed out and picked up a bottle of AP Strong Tone in order to give it a whirl. Here is a matte card with a brushed-on sample (left to right) of GW Devlan Mud, AP Strong Tone, and GW Gryphonne Sepia. 


The AP ink is certainly not a perfect match to Devlan Mud, but I think its not too far off the mark. I've used it on several figures now and quite like the effect it gives. If you wish to see another side-to-side example check out this excellent article From the Warp.

The Army Painter Strong Tone mimics their oil-based 'dip' but instead is water-based, quick drying and has a non-glossy finish (three big 'wins', imo). As an added bonus you also get more of the AP ink (18ml vs 12ml) for less money than the GW wash. 

Now, if they could just copy over that nasty-yet-compelling Devlan Mud smell...