World War 2 – Vehicle Painting Guide 1

General Painting Tips

This list is not comprehensive as Italian, Japanese, French, Hungarian and a wide variety of other countries are not included.

There is also no mention made of the effects of fading and colour variation (due to the original paint being applied using petrol, oil or water or the difference of using a brush or spray-gun). The effects of weathering are not covered either, as this is a whole subject on its own. The markings that are used on the various AFV’s have, by necessity, not been covered. For references to these, it would be worthwhile to refer to the NWA club library.

So now we come to the painting. Carefully mix the paint, so that the colour is consistent over the whole vehicle, or group of vehicles. Care must also be taken, when using a brush, that the paint is not too thick. If the paint is too thick, there is a possibility that two problems may occur; brush marks may be left visible and/or the detail on the vehicle will become obscured.

For variety between different units or different vehicles, some of these colours could be lightened or darkened. This can be done by mixing with yellow or grey respectively. it is advisable to allow a minimum of six hours drying time before handling or overpainting.

At this stage, any unit/vehicle markings should be applied – in accordance with your reference – and small details, such as tools, machine guns and jerry cans should be painted.

Moving right along. Basic weathering can be done in two stages. The model is first “dry brushed”, in a shade slightly lighter than the predominant camouflage colour on the vehicle. “Dry Brushing” is achieved by scuffing the vehicle corners and other likely areas. using an old stiff brush, from which most of the paint has been removed. As with most things, moderation is the key; don’t overdo it.

When painting tyres and rubber road wheels these should be painted dark grey, NOT black (remember the three categories of colour i.e. colours on a small scale vehicle will appear darker.). Tracks can be painted overall mud (dark brown) or any red brown colour to represent rust. Parts of the track links that stand out that would be constantly grinding on roads, should be highlighted in silver metal colour, using the “dry brushing” technique.

The second stage in the weathering process is the everyday stains that are found on all vehicles. Stains such as oil, petrol and watermarks, scuffing dirt and mud. References should be studied to determine the extent and positions of such stains. Again ,remember, moderation. A little is better than a lot. A good method of determining the correct colour and consistency of these stains is to look at real life vehicles, that are rarely washed (e.g. bulldozers, trucks etc.)