One Color Schemes

Step 1: After cleaning all flash, and gluing all parts on with Cyanoacrylate (Crazy glue or Zap-a-Gap) mount the model on the head of a 3" roofing nail with a small amount of Cyano to avoid having to touch it with your hands. The nail can be held in a block of Styrofoam. A THIN base coat of flat white primer is then spayed on.  This will help the later coats of paint from rubbing off and add a natural highlight to the overall paint job. I use cheap, spray can type that can be found in most hardware stores.  The model is then baked at 150-170 Fahrenheit  for 20 minutes on a wooden cutting board or a spare piece of plywood. (check with your wife to find out which thing in the kitchen is the stove.) Do not use metal.

Step 2: The next step is to cover the model in the overall base color. For base color paints, I previously used Tamiya acrylics but have moved back to Humbrol or similar Enamels. The base color is thinned down to a slightly watery consistency by adding Turpentine ( not mineral spirits or Varsol!).  5% white is added to the original color for scale. This is important as the model tends to look dark if the paint is used straight from the bottle. The overall color is then brushed on with an old round paint brush taking care to keep the layer thin and even. Extra paint can be drawn off with a dried paint brush and removed on a paint rag.. The model MUST then be again baked at 150 C for 20 minutes to prepare and cure the paint for the next step. If not, the wash will not work properly.

Step 3: After the model is cool, it will now have slight highlights from the underlying white primer coat showing through the thin base color. Mixed together a wash of 90% TURPENTINE (not paint thinner!!) and 10% either flat black or flat dark brown. This will depend on the base color - for US Olive Drab, use a black wash - for German Afrika Korps Sand (Mustard), use a brown wash, etc. The paint used for this must be flat enamels such as HUMBROL (the best due to the finely ground pigment) or TESTORS (cheap glass bottles found at most any hobby or drug store) The next step must be carefully carried out. This mix is dabbed onto the upper surfaces of the MODEL with a flat square-cut brush and allowed to run down into all the model's recesses. DO NOT go over areas that have been washed again or the underlying base coat will be damaged. A mix of 70% Turpentine and 30% paint is then added to the areas of the tracks and bogies/wheels to bring out the detail contrast more. Do not use too much wash as the extra turpentine will go gummy and shiny and ruin your model. Again, extra wash can be drawn off with the tip of a dry paint brush and removed on a paint rag. The model is then air dried for approximately 10 minutes or so. I generally wash 5 vehicles at a time and by the time I am finished the wash, the 1st model is ready to begin Step 4. DO NOT bake as you do not want to cure the wash - just fix it to the surface.

Step 4: By now the model will have slightly shadowed look from the wash. The next step is a bit tricky but it gets easier with experience. Take a wide square brush and a small bottle of clean turpentine. Dip the brush in the turpentine and remove as much of it as you can on a paint rag. This is critical - if the brush is too wet, it will remove all the wash. Use a LIGHT stroke across the model in a 360 degree action, trying not to wipe all the wash off. What will happen if it is done right is that the wash will be picked up from the flat areas and pushed into the corners and recesses and the base coat will be worn off of the high areas so that you are left with a nicely weathered model. It definitely takes a bit of practice!

Step 5: Now is the time to add touch off a black or rust colored wash in any areas that need a bit more shadow (such as grills, hatches, around tools, spare track links, etc) Do this by using a pointed brush to touch off the wash on the model - done right the wash will be drawn by capillary action around the object. Use the wash sparingly - too much and the shadows will look out of scale.

Step 6: The next step is to highlight the raised areas using a Number 4 SABLE Flat square brush ( I know they are expensive but one will last for years if properly cared for) Mix up the base color with Yellow and White in the following formula 60% Base - 20% Yellow - 20% White.  Fill the brush completely and then strip off as much of the paint as you can with a cotton rag. I find squeezing the tip between your fingers with the rag and then brushing the rag in a back-forth motion takes off the right amount of paint. The brush is then swept over the model lightly until the right highlight effect if achieved. You may have to press harder and harder as the paint is used up. All that you want to do is add a final very light highlight to the raised areas. Too many brushstrokes with a lighter highlight color will overpower your earlier work.

Step 7: Finally paint all weapons/tool flat black and paint the tracks and/or tires. Tracks, many different methods - flat brown with a light black wash and a silver/black highlight is the easiest method but it depends on the theater and track type - rubber cleats or all steel, etc etc...Tires - Humbrol or Testors - a good dark black with a dab of blue and whitened to a dark grey color. I save the gun-metal silver highlighting of tools, weapons and tracks until the flatcoat (see next step) is done.

Step 8: If you plan on being rough with your Model's (i.e. wargaming) you must protect the paint finish. This is done one of two ways. For a dead flat finish, use TESTORS DULLCOTE #1260 to spray the model. This will give the paint a very accurate flat finish but paint chipping will still occur with handling. DO NOT use this in your model room...this stuff  is bad for your health!! I spay my models outdoors and let them cure for a bit before bringing them inside. I always keep an airflow in my office when using turpentine as well.   The second method is better if a dead-flat finish isn't as important. A more durable finish can be achieved with the use of a ACRYLIC MATT SEALER. It will give the model an overall slight gloss look but this can be dulled a little with a coat of DULLCOTE. Back to the oven...

Step 9: A final very light highlighting with gunmetal and/or silver is done on all tools/weapons/tracks. 

The system will work well for most colors. Use these steps and do not be afraid to experiment.

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