HOW TO PAINT A BITONAL CAMOUFLAGE ON A STUG III

Victrix Games

Color chart Tracks Weathering Paints

B
Dark tracks ([Link]-035)
Filter efore start-
Camouflage ing to explain
Tan for 3 Tone Camo (A.
dark yellow MIG-1510 how to paint
Graphite pencil
Wash our tiny mod-
Dark base ([Link]-901) els it is important to
Dark Brown for Green Vehicles
Accesories ([Link]-1005)
say a few words about
the different types of
Base ([Link]-902)
Chipping effects paints that we are going
Black Templar (Citadel
Contrast)
to use. Most wargam-
Chipping ([Link]-044)
Light base ([Link]-903) ers usually use acrylic
Oily steel (865, Vallejo)
paints, such as Vallejo,
Highlights ([Link]-904)
Highlights ([Link]-904) Citadel, etc. These are
very easy to use and the
Flat brown (984, Vallejo) Rust and dirt effects brush is quickly cleaned
Green
with water. However, to
Streaking rust ([Link]-1204
Olivgrün base ([Link]-916) create the weathering
effects we need to use
Streaking grime ([Link]-1203) another type of paints:
enamels and oils. These
Streaking grime for interiors require a specific thin-
([Link]-1200
ner and they are used
differently. You can find
Rust oil brush ([Link]-3510) the main differences
between both types of
Yellow oil brush ([Link]-3502)
paints in the following
boxes. I will keep the
same color code in the
Dust effects (pigments)
painting guide. All my
European earth ([Link]-3004) enamel / oil paints for
weathering effects are
Legend: Medium rust ([Link]-3005)
from AMMO of Mig
Acrylic paint Jimenez.
Enamel/oil based paint

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Acrylic and enamel / oil paints
Acrylic paints Enamel / oil paints
- Thinned in water - Thinned in White Spirit or similar
- Brush cleaned with water Vs - Brush cleaned with thinner
- Dry in seconds - Dry in hours
- Once it is dry, it is impossible to wipe it away - After hours, it is still possible to wipe it away

Step 1 – Primer coat

A
fter removing the cast flashes and lines with a mo-
delling knife and files, we put together the different
pieces with plastic glue. Once it is dry, we apply the
primer coat. This step is extremely important, since
it will facilitate the application of the paint in the following
steps and it will also increase its durability. I prefer to apply
the primer coat using an airbrush or spray to create a thin and
homogeneous layer. The brush can accidentally create strange
textures because of the brush strokes; or even worst, a thick
layer can cover small details. Regarding the color, I normally
use grey color because it is nicely covered by any color. I usually
let it sit overnight. The primer should cure for a few hours or even overnight.

Step 2 – Dunkelgelb (dark yellow)

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ext, we will paint the camouflage. Or a flat color. It is for the airbrush, I still prefer thin them a little bit. I like to do it
advisable to do a little bit of research when panting a so because then I can play with the intensity of the layer. I mean,
historical miniature and find out which are the right a semi-transparent layer does not cover completely the surface.
colors to paint it. Think about where you want to place Therefore, I can play around with the number of layers to make
the tank, and then look for information regarding the camou- the color opaquer. This facilitates the generation of smooth tran-
flages used in that theatre of operations. In my case, I decided to sitions.
paint a typical camouflage of 1944: a dark yellow base (dunkel-
gelb) with green serpentines. When painting a camouflage, I usually start with the dominant
color: the color that covers the largest surface. In this case, it is
To paint the camouflage, I always use an airbrush. My bedside the dark yellow. There are different options to paint and apply
airbrush is a Renegade Krome from Badger with a 0.2mm nee- the highlights in scale models. The most classical method is the
dle. I normally use 2 bars as a rule of thumb, although in some zenithal light, where we assume a single focus of light hitting the
cases I go up to 3 bars. However, this might change depending model. But there are other options, such as panelling, pre-shad-
on how is the atmospheric pressure in the place where you are ing or color modulation. I personally find the later the best op-
living. Remember that is very important to thin any paint you tion when painting small tanks like this. The contrast –the differ-
use for the airbrush with the corresponding thinner. Although ence between the lightest and darkest tone of a color- generated
nowadays there are many brands that offer paints ready-to-use by the color modulation is very striking, and it facilitates to bring

lightning styles
Color modulation Panel lighting Zenithal light

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these tiny models to life. The problem of small models is that However, it does not have to be perfect. We do not need perfect
their surfaces are small, and therefore, the amount of reflected lines and transitions. Therefore, do not worry and just try to get
light is also very small. This means that small objects look darker some nice contrast in the tiny panels.
than big counterparts even if they have the same color. To over-
come this problem, the color modulation will force the contrast. To paint the German dark yellow, I like to use the color modu-
This method is very unreal and reminds a 3D render, but it is lation set from AMMO of Mig Jimenez, which includes 5 pro-
perfect to make our tiny model more striking. gressive colors. With this set we do not need to mix anything. We
can use directly the color from the bottle. For these tiny tanks I
In the color modulation we paint each panel or surface separate- airbrushed three colors of the set: dark base ([Link]-901), base
ly with its own set of shades and highlights. And the idea is to ([Link]-902) and light base ([Link]-903). I started with the
combine the highlight of one panel with the shade of an adjacent darkest and then continued with the base and light. The final
one. To achieve this, we can use different types of mask –such as highlight is not done with the airbrush, but with a normal brush.
a piece paper, masking tape or Blu-Tack- to cover the adjacent Using the lightest color ([Link]-904) I painted small details such
panels so that we can work one surface at a time to create the as hatches, rivets, edges and so forth.
contrasts. This method in 1:144 models is a little bit challenging.

To create nice contrasts between panels is advisable to use masks (i.e. masking tape, paper, Blu-Tack, etc).

Step 3 – Green camouflage

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ouflage: soft or hard edges patterns. The former the paint a little bit more.
implies a smooth transition between colors, while
in the latter there is a clear separation between the Remember to check first how it works on a piece of paper. Never
camouflage colors. In my case, I decided to paint a start straight away on the model! For the green I used another
soft-edge pattern with green serpentines. Given the small size of paint from AMMO, olivgrün base ([Link]-916). I also applied
this scale models, to paint the green serpentines we need to in- balkan cross decals using the specific products to apply and sof-
crease the accuracy of the airbrush. This can be done by increas- ten decals, Micro Sol and Micro Set.

Transfers are applied before the weathering effects, so that they will be treated in the same way as the rest of the tank.

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 Step 4 – Details

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e continue with a normal brush and acrylic paints. lems with the transparencies of the decal (whitening or icing) it
Now, we are going to paint the accessories and other is recommendable to apply first a thin layer of gloss varnish on
details of the model. For example, with black we paint the area where you want to apply the decal.
the rubber of the wheels and with steel we paint the
tools and steel cable. I found quite easy to use the black paint Finally, we apply couple of layers of satin varnish with the air-
from the new range Contrast from Citadel (Black Templar) to brush. Be sure that everything is covered properly, since the idea
paint the tires. For the tracks, I like to use a dark grey or brown of the varnish is to protect what we have painted from the next
color, such as Dark tracks ([Link]-035), to paint the tracks. steps, where we will start using enamels. If we do not protect
the work done with acrylic paints, we can ruin it using enam-
In addition, we can apply decals or stencils. In my case, I put els. In addition, the satin varnish layer is important to proper-
Balkan cross decals on the tank sides and side skirts (schurzën). ly integrate the decals and cover its edges and to facilitate the
To apply them, first we cut them from the sheet and put them in application of the enamels. Varnishes are a little bit tricky and
water. After a few minutes, they will detach. Then, we use a brush sometimes you can get some surprises. So far, I did not get any
to put the decal in its place. In addition, I normally use the prod- trouble with the “Lucky Varnish” from AMMO.
ucts Micro SOL and SET to fix and soften them. To avoid prob-

Protect the work done so far with couple of layers of satin varnish, given that the next steps with enamels are very agressive.

Step 5 – Filter

T
he first weathering effect is done with an enamel, and of it on the paper towel. Now, with the brush just moistened with
it is called filter. A filter or glaze is a very diluted paint, the filter we apply it all over the tank. You do not have to clearly
whose porpoise is to slightly change the color of the see the change, so do not worry if the effect is not significant. We
surface. In this case, I want to use a brownish filter to work with the weathering effects layer by layer, and each layer
integrate a little bit better the two colors of the camouflage and counts at the end. Remember to use a special thinner to clean the
recover the dark yellow that was too pale for my taste. I used a fil- brush! I normally let it dry overnight, since the following weath-
ter from AMMO, Tan for 3 Tone Camo ([Link]-1510). To apply ering steps are also done with enamels and we can accidentally
a filter we need a flat brush and a paper towel. First, we soak the remove the filter effect.
brush in the filter and then we discharge or remove the most part

The brown/orange filter will serve to recover the dark yellow colour as well as to harmonize the two colours of the camouflage.

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 Step 6 – Wash

T
he second weathering effect is also done with an enamel, wash only on the recesses. This is a pin-wash, which means that
and it is called wash. The wash is also a diluted paint, we carefully apply the wash rather than covering the whole mod-
but not as much as the filter. The idea of a wash is to el. Do not worry if you accidentally put too much paint or apply
highlight the recesses with a dark color. I used another it in the wrong place! This is the beauty of enamels: we can re-
ready-to-use product from AMMO here, the wash Dark Brown move the excess later.
for Green Vehicles ([Link]-1005). This wash is quite dark for the
base color of the tank, but it will help to clearly mark the recesses Let it dry for one hour or so. Then, using a cotton swab or a brush
in such a small model. Once again, we need to force the contrast. moistened with White Spirit or turpentine we remove the excess
After shaking the bottle properly, with a thin brush we apply the of the wash. The idea is to keep the wash only on the recesses.

Apply the was in all the recesses, including the tracks and wheels.

2a 2B

Follow the direction of the gravity to create some subtle

Step 7 – Profiling

Y
You can skip this step if you wish. I
personally like to clearly define each
part of the tank with a very sharp
dark line. Sometimes the previous
wash step is not enough to do it; and
therefore, now I use an acrylic paint such
as Dark oxide (302, Vallejo) to paint a very
thin line around the details that were not
properly marked with the wash. Note that
it is not about repainting all the recesses
again!

Use a thin brush to paint a dark brown line in those parts or recesses where the wash
was not enough.

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 Step 8 – Chipping effects

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e continue using acrylic paints for the next weathering using only the tip we paint chipping effects every here and there.
effect: scratches and chipping effects. I normally paint Do not cover the whole vehicle with chipping effects and follow
the chipping effects in two steps: first I use a light color the logic. The areas often used, such as hatches, are more prone
to paint all of them, and then I use a dark color to paint to have lost some paint. In the case of the scratches, use carefully
the inner part of only a few of them. The former simulates su- the tip of the brush to paint in a single brush stroke a very thin
perficial scratches and chippings, while the later represents the line. Do it quickly to get a straight line. And keep in mind the
exposed metal –deeper chipping-. For the dark color we can use rule of thumb about weathering effects: sometimes less is more.
a dark brown color such as Dark oxide (302,Vallejo) or Chipping That is, do not add hundreds of chipping effects. Just a few, and in
([Link]-044), while for the light one we can use the paint we use the more exposed areas. The tank is not junk yet! And remember
for the final highlight of the dunkelgelb. If for some reason this to do not paint with the dark color all the previously painted light
is not light enough, we can mix it with a little bit of white. To chipping effect. Combine both.
paint the chipping effects, we need a thin brush with a good tip.
Remember to thin the acrylic paint (this is a MUST always), and

Paint chipping effects on edges and most exposed areas. Control the amount of chipping effects!

Step 9 – Streaking effects

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ow we are going to use again enamels to create streaking cally enrich the miniature. We apply the streaking effects in two
effects (rust, dust, dirt and so on). Once again, I used steps: first, using a thin brush we paint vertical lines on vertical
several ready-to-use products from AMMO from the panels following the logic (gravity). Second, after five minutes,
range “streaking effects”, although you can always use we blend these lines with a flat brush moistened with White
regular oils and thin them accordingly with the thinner. These Spirit. Apply vertical strokes from the top to the bottom of the
effects are like a wash but more intense; that is, they contain more panel. Do not worry if you take away most of the paint. We can
pigment than a normal wash. In this case I picked three colors: repeat the process several times, and anyways the streaking ef-
a grey-green color and two tones of red. The choice depends on fects should be subtle. Once again, we work with the weathering
what you want to tell in the model. In my case I wanted to sim- effects layer by layer. And the sum of several subtle effects will
ulate a little bit of rust (red) and dirt (grey-green). If you want create an interesting result. However, you can always create a few
dust, you will use a very light color, for example. Furthermore, striking streaking effects. Just try to remove only a little bit of the
I used here two red tones to gain some contrast: due to the dark enamel. However, do not exaggerate this effect: sometimes less
yellow base and green camouflage, the red colors will chromati- is more.

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Paint lines falling from the top to the bottom. Blend them with White Spirit. Repeat if you wish.

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 Do not worry if you remove almost all the paint when blending the streaking effects. You can repeat the process to gain more con-
trast or intense effects. Or you can work individually some streaking effects and blend them using a thin brush.

Step 10 – Weathering effects on horizontal panels

I
n the previous step we worked only on vertical or inclined want to distribute it over the horizontal surface. However, we can
surfaces. Since we cannot do the same on the horizontal create points of interest by applying the oil only on some areas or
panels (we do not have the same gravity effect), instead we part of these areas, and not all over the surfaces.
can create some accumulations of rust or dirt in recesses
and corners with enamels or oils. In fact, we could even use the I also used a yellow oil color to recover the yellow of the dunkel-
same products we used in the previous step. In my case I decided gelb in some areas. First, I thinned the oil with White Spirit and
to use oils, which in fact are manipulated exactly in the same then I applied it as a filter following the instructions we discussed
way as enamels. Once again I used a red oil to gain contrast. To in the section 5. Oils and enamels are quite useful for this por-
apply it, I used an oil brush from AMMO which includes its own poise. Sometimes, during the airbrushing steps or after during
brush. First, I apply a little bit of oil in the desired area, and then the weathering effects we can loss a little bit the original color
I blended it with White spirit. In this case we do not want to re- of the model. We can use oils and enamels to create a filter and
move the excess as we did with the streaking effects. Instead, we recover the original color.

We should be coherent and use similar colours as those used for the streaking effects.

Step 11 – Pigments

F
inally, we are going to add some pigments to simulate evaporated. This can take easily one hour or even more. How-
dust on the tracks and lower part of the vehicle. Pigments ever, we can speed up this step by using a hair dryer. Once it is
can be applied as dry directly from the bottle -just spread totally dry, we remove the excess of pigment with a cotton swab
them using an old brush- or wet when mixed with White as we did for the wash.
Spirit or turpentine. Here, we are going to use the second option.
Note that if you apply now another layer of varnish you will
First, we mix a few pigment colors to create a more interesting dramatically change the color and even texture of the pigment.
color. Then, we thin this mixture with White Spirit. The more You cannot varnish now. If you want to fully protect the pigment
White Spirit, the more diluted or subtle will be the result. Using without changing the color or texture, then you can add now a
a brush we apply the pigments on tracks, lower part of the tank little bit of “pigment fixer” from AMMO.
and side skirts. And we let it dry until the White Spirit is totally

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Apply the mix of pigments and thinner in the lower part. Once is totally dry, remove the excess of pigment.

Step 12 – Final touches

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e can use a graphite pen to mark the edges of the crew with acrylic paints. We can also create aerials using nickel
tracks and any other metal part. And we can now rods of 0.2 mm, which are painted with black. The vegetation was
finish the model by painting the accessories and done with seamoss and train modelling leaves.

Use acrylic paints to paint the crew and stowage, and a pencil to mark the metal tools and tracks.

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 gallery

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