Is it better to put a wash over an entire model or just raised and recessed detail areas?
It depends on what you are trying to achieve. In some casess, a pin wash for your raised and recessed details is the best thing. In other cases an overall wash fits the bill, mostly due to its’ alteration of the overall base color(s).
Like stikpusher says, it depends on what you wish to accomplish. On my Speeder Bike model, I wanted it to look as though it had been through hell and stayed there awhile, so I washed it all over and used a damp cloth to rub off areas I wanted to look a little cleaner.
Likewise on my AA gun. However, here I didn’t bother rubbing any off. Instead, I followed with a silver drybrushing to bring out the details and give the edges some wear.
Thanks for the advice and pics.