Greyscale washing on tanks?

[t6xic]

Hi,

I've experimented with a few quick techniques for my space marine army like dipping (wasn't exactly satisfied with the results), zenithal highlighting (somehow I can't manage to get a good result with my airbrush using GW paint, have had no probs with tamiya in the past) and then read an article about greyscale washing. I felt this was exactly I was looking for because it provides a relatively nice result in a suitable time. For the people who don't know, you just prime your model white, give it a wash of badab black, drybrush it white again and then wash it again with your desired color.

 

It workes perfectly fine for my infantry models, but for tanks, I have no idea how to match them. With their large surfaces the wash doesn't set probably and I'll always get streaks or an uneven surface. Mixing a color that looks similar is difficult too, because the effects achieved with the washes just lood different (difficult to exlain, I'll try and post some pics when I've got time). ;)

 

If anybody has a idea how to match my tanks to the infantry models, please let me know. ;)

 

Cheers

Fabian

[Lorenzen]

add gloss varnish to the wash, it will stop it pooling so much.

 

other option is pre shading for vehicles. ie prime grey, do dark grey shadows, then airbrush lightly with a grey white, then highlight with pure white. (also works on infantry.)

 

 

*edit* oh another option is to base coat the mini, varnish it, wash it, then use screen cleaner/windex and a makeup applicator to tidy it all up after its dried.

[glayvin34]

Without pics I don't know exactly what style you're going for, but when I'm using a similar scheme on infantry and on vehicles I stipple and drybrush out the tide marks with the original base color. For example I base mechrite red then wash with devlan mud for all my Blood Angels. For vehicles that can result in unsightly streaks and uneven places, so after the wash is dry I do a heavy drybrush of mechrite red in the center and on the tops of all the large panels to even everything out. That leaves devlan mud as shadow and the mechrite as the actual color.

 

Of course, you're working with white, which doesn't cover as well as mechrite red, so you could try to use a light grey instead of white as the base color for your vehicles.

[t6xic]

Hi,

thanks for your quick answers. I'm not sure however if you got my paintingstyle correctly (and because I'm no native speaker I even don't know exactly what I wrote :) ). For cleareance here's a tutorial I found online: Greyscale washing tutorial.

With this technique you habe to get your actual color of choice by the final coat of washes. The problem isn't to get a proper shading on the tank (at least not my main problem :ph34r: ) but to get an even color coverage by the washes.

I hope I'll be able to upload Pics the next days so you'll see what I mean.

 

Fabian

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

As you said, that would be quite difficult to do with a vehicle, with all the large, flat areas. There is something similar in technique that armor modelers have been doing the last several years called color modulation, which is essentially zenithal painting/highlighting for vehicles, but it calls for airbrush work, followed up with oil paints to help smooth out the gradations even more, and also for weathering.

 

If you search it, you'll find lots of sites and videos, but I'll toss a few out for you. Here's a step-by-step with a WWII German "Ferdinand" tank: http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/other...lationmr_1.html

 

And a youtube video showing the technique on WWII German Panzer III(there are 3 parts to the entire video):

[Redfinger]

I bet this could work if you made your wash out of mineral spirits and oil paint. That makes a very nice wash that flows wonderfully. IF you interested I can give you a little more info.

 

Ashton

[t6xic]

Hi,

as promised, here a picture of a miniature painted by this technique. It's not finished at all, but was the first one I got my fingers on. Next to it a guardsmen to see the effect on cloth. Color hasn't completely dryed on this one

 

http://www.bilder-space.de/show_img.php?img=c3fdc5-1317297624.jpg&size=thumb

note: when opening the link, there's the possibility to select the zoom and then clicking on the 'Anzeigen' button to apply it. For all those who don't speak german ;)

 

@Redinger: Sounds good...I'd like to know more about it!