"The Dip"

I've been using "the Dip" for several years now...oh, I can still "paint" and do so occasionally to prove to myself (and others) that I still can. "The Dip" is a manner of washing or staining a figure using Minwax Polyshades stain. I use Satin Tudor. Gloss does not stain as well and figures generally are still very shiney using the gloss...even after a coat of dulcote. The Tudor gives a good black shading to the figures, and the "poly" in "Polyshades" is for "polyeurothane" which protects your figures nicely...I can't recall ever having a scratch on a figure that has been "dipped". I do the washing out in my garage because between the dip and the "odorless" mineral spirits the fumes can be a bit much. I use a brush that I wet with mineral spirits to brush on "the Dip"...when I first started I would just dunk the figures in and let it run off of them and use a cloth to soak up the excess. I now brush it on and use the mineral spirits to help it flow when needed and also to lighten up areas that get too dark...you can go back over the figure for a few minutes after brushing on "the Dip"; don't wait too long though, especially out here in AZ as it can set up pretty quickly.
Here are some figures "pre-dip". They are 28mm and were primed white.

Here are the same figures "post-Dip"; hopefully you can see the difference with the shading that takes place. The figures are still wet so that's why they are as shiney as they are. They will still have a satin finish with some shine to it when completely dry, but then they get hit with Testor's Dulcote and the shine is gone.