So today I wrapped up the finishing build touches of my Flammpanzer 38(t) from Takom, and I need some advice on how I should go about painting the camouflage. I want to do Flammpanzer “S 14” as depicted in the instructions and the pictures at Tank Encyclopedia - Flammpanzer 38(t). The camo is quite complex, so I’m wondering if I should use thin layers and brush paint the camo as opposed to airbrushing it. I’m not exactly confident in my masking skills to make this camo the best. I wanted to get y’all’s opinions to see if it would be a good idea to brush paint the camo instead of trying to mask it.
You can certainly brush paint it to get the factory hard edge camo scheme. But I would airbrush it using subtractive masking and Blu-Tac.
First shoot the Dark Yellow.
Place Blu-Tac where you want the Dark Yellow to stay. Then shoot the green. Make sure you shoot toward the Blu-Tac to get hard edges.
Place Blu-Tac where you want the green to stay.
Then shoot the brown.
Remove the Blu-Tac and behold your 3 color hard edge camo.
This is called subtractive masking. It is very effective for this kind of thing.
@SSGToms , @Armor_Buff , thanks!
I had thought about the subtractive masking, but since it’s such a small vehicle, I’m concerned I’ll booger it up
I’m not exactly sure that I can get the blu-tac to sit in the right spots because of the curves of the camo. I think I will try the blu-tac though, and then if that doesn’t work I’ll re-cover it and brush paint it. That way I won’t have an outline of the brushpainting under the camo if it doesn’t work. The only reason I’m so concerned is the last time I tried to fully paint a model I boogered it up and I’d rather not deal with that again.
I’m hitting the paint booth now (if my airbrush is cooperating, it might need a small clean) so I’ll probably have an update in a few hours.
Agree with the third approach or really any AB once you weather a hard edge camo you lose the dead hard edge anyway, so a tiny bit of overspray or fuzziness from the airbrush isn’t a huge deal
I’ve also seen Silly Putty used for that purpose, and you can get big containers of it cheaper than dedicated model masking putty. And there’s also the trick of using masking tape for the broad coverage, with the masking putty just to get the edges where you want them.
Masking / Painter’s Tape, as used for painting a house, is very bad mojo. Do not use it on models.
Tamiya Tape is far far far, oh my gosh, way better than Masking / Painter’s tape. I let models sit for 13 years with Tamiya Tape masking left in place, and it did not fail. Do not cheap out on this one.
Blu-Tac is significantly superior to Silly Putty. Silly Putty does work, but Blu-Tac is easier to control and remove.
Based on video demonstrations of black masking putty, it more reliably produces a clean edge versus Blu-Tac. At $12 US a can for the AK version, I do not consider it a major investment. It is on my short list of products to try in the next few months.
The two clear masking solutions I tried were terrible. Horrible. Like, Chthulu level not good. It gets underneath stuff in such a way that no amount of poking and prodding with get the stuff out. It can work in a situation where it cannot get beneath stuff. However, Tamiya Tape will always work in the exact same situation.
Again, I suck at models but experiment a lot with masking.
Well thanks for the input all! I laid down the dark yellow today, but I haven’t gotten around to masking yet and I don’t think I’ll have time until tomorrow or later this week.
A technique you might consider is to print the drawing to match the size of the model (this will take some trial and error to scale it correctly), then use spray adhesive to attach the photo to a sheet of Tamiya masking sheet. Then you can cut out the masks exactly as they are in the drawing. You’ll need to use some artistic licentse for the top and to extend the masks to account for angles, but it should get you a pretty decent finish without a ton of drama. I use this technique whenever I’m doing splinter camo in particular.
I may be too late but…
I’d first consider how the original vehicle was painted. If the scheme really was as hard-edged as portrayed in artists’ renditions – and I’d want to prove that from original photos if available – then it’s more likely to have been brush painted. And if so the application would have looked fairly rough and uneven – it wasn’t necessary to have an immaculate 3-coat finish anyway, and likely impossible whether diluted with water or gasoline, and any old brush/broom they had to hand if done in the field.
I have used a technique for painting camo which doesn’t involve masking but I’ve only used it with acrylics, so if you’re using oil-based paints I’ll make my excuses and leave
Hi
The later standardised-pattern Hetzers were hard edged, NOT soft. Probably by hand. Pics of virtually identical patterns show they were not done by stencil, as small variations existed, so I’d fine pencil line it first, then fill in by brush or the new AK Interactive Markers, highly recommended.
I’d look at the new AK Real markers for this. sketch the pattern out with a pencil and then use the marker for the hard edge outline. I’d fill in the middle using an airbrush personally just to get the nice smooth finish but that’s me.
Failing that, it isnt a very big model and the sides are nice and flat so I’d forgo the putty/Bluetak option and cut masks out of the wide yellow paper Tamiya masking tape. I think it’ll be quicker and less messy and more precise. All things being equal I prefer to use paper masks as you don’t run the risk of pulling off small parts and PE etc when you remove it as you would with putty, and you don’t have to spray at 90 degrees as you would with putty, lest the edges build paint up and you need to very gently sand them down which creates all sorts of issues.
I think if you cut the masks out of masking paper tape make sure you remove some of the adhesion by sticking it to the desk and removing it a couple of times, as this makes it less likely you lift off the base coat when you remove it.
I think masking tape masks are the way forward on this one.
@Namabiiru@BringupthePIAT , I have been considering this for some future models, seeing as my sister just recently got a Cricut and has offered to cut things for me. If I could adequately design a mask for a model and then buy sheets of masking tape I could do the combination of what y’all are saying.
The AK RC markers are an option, though I’d have to buy them (and the corresponding colors and thinners for ab-ing) since I haven’t gotten them yet. However, I have heard nothing but praise so I might try them out at some point (especially the markers).
@Dioramartin , if my masking fails, that’s my fall back; I’ll just hit it with another coat of dunkelgelb and brush paint it. I’m trying to keep the camo layers thin so that when I mask they won’t leave an edge.
