Tag: Painting

with Aaron Te-Hira Mathie, Battlefront NZ

As the release of the new World War III British book approached Alex mentioned to me that while effective, the green and black scheme used by the British forces in Europe looked a little plain and is there a way to enhance the look … challenge accepted.

The new Challenger 1 MBT looks amazing, however I didn’t have access to one of the models at the time, so the next best thing to a Challenger is a Chieftain, so that was the model I chose to use for the purposes of this attempt to make this basic scheme look a little more of a visual feast.

The first step was to look at a few pictures of the vehicle in the field in order to get a sense of how it looks in service and anything that crews commonly did to aid in concealment while in combat (or on exercise in this case).
The first thing that is easily noted from photographic records is the preponderance of crews draping their vehicles with camouflage netting in order to break up the outline when in trying to remain undetected in prepared fighting positions peppered throughout the treelines of West Germany, so I began by adding ‘netting’ around the turret, hull front and gun tube. This was achieved by first making shapes out of Muliput modelling putty on the model, these would form the base of the ‘net’. To make this netting appear more realistic when applied you should do your best to avoid covering up optics and access points.

Once the Miliput was set, I then thinned down white glue with water and coated the putty with this mixture. I then liberally sprinkled Noch brand model railway scenery ground clutter material over the puttied areas, then tamped down the ‘net’ with further watered down white glue, then I waited for this to set. The following photo is what the end result looks like.

When the ‘net’ was dry, I gave the model an all over coat of Vallejo surface primer. This helps to fully secure the net to the model, homogenise the colour of the model before painting, as well as giving the following paint coat something to ‘bite’ into. With the undercoat dry I moved on to painting the green and black camouflage scheme on to model. I started with a basecoat of the old Team Yankee ‘Chieftain Green’ as this would allow the best comparison between this model and one that I had painted for ‘Iron Maiden’.

I then used my 0.15mm airbrush to spray on a random pattern of black shapes using Vallejo Model Air NATO Black, to form the camouflage pattern.
Then drybrushed the edges and raised details of the model with Vallejo Model Color Pale Sand, as a way of making these features more distinct.

Following the edge highlight I proceeded to paint the ‘net’ with the green side out. I started by painting it with Vallejo Model Color Camouflage Olive Green. Once this coat was dry I applied a black wash to the net in order to it some ‘depth’. When the wash dried I moved on to giving the net covered areas of the model a heavy drybrush with Camouflage Olive Green so that only the deepest recesses remained stained with the black wash. The net colour was finished off with a light drybrush of Vallejo Model Color Medium Olive on the highest parts of the net, to simulate light catching these parts of the net.

The net colour is now in pretty shape so I moved on to adding a few paint chips and scrapes over the camouflage paint. This helps to make the vehicle look a little less factory fresh. I started by identifying parts of the Tank were paint would be chipped or worn off, around track guards, hatches, corners and stowage baskets are excellent places for this treatment. I started off by painting small random shapes of Vallejo Model Color Green Grey (over green parts) and Vallejo Model Color Grey Green (over the black parts) to simulate the slightly lighter colour of the worn and chipped edges of the paint.

I then used small amounts of Vallejo Model Color German Camouflage Black Brown in the centre of the wear marks to simulate chips and scrapes that had gone all the way down to the primer paint. One of the keys to using this technique is to add the amount of paint wear that is appropriate to the subject, so in the case of this Chieftain it is supposed to be a vehicle in current service but as yet to be involved in battle, therefore some paint damage is realistic, but not too much.

Satisfied with the amount of paint wear I moved on to painting all the small details like optics, Machine Guns, fire extinguishes etc.

After painting the details I sprayed the model with an all over gloss varnish.
Once this was set and dry I used a black enamel wash, when mostly set I cleaned this up with white spirits, leaving only the most indented details black.
I then used my precision airbrush to spray on a coat of a dusty colour on the lower surfaces of the model to simulate a dust layer building up as the vehicle moves.

The final step for completing this model was to add some streaks of grime that has run down vertical and near vertical surface of the vehicle as moisture has picked up the grime. For this step I used Vallejo Environment Streaking grime.

  with Aaron Te-Hira Mathie

DDPM 4 Colour
Desert Disruptive Pattern Material (DDPM) comes in three flavours. The first version was introduced in 1985. This version simply replaced the four colours of the temperate/tropical DPM with browns and tans. At the time this variant was introduced there was no real requirement for the UK’s MoD to acquire very many uniforms in this colourway. It was therefore sold directly or through licensing agreements to various nations in the Middle East, including (but not restricted to) Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

‘Dense’ DDPM
The second variant was heavily used by the UK forces during operation Granby (the first Gulf War). The primary reason for this version coming into being was the realisation that British troops might be mistaken for enemy troops if deployed to the Gulf wearing the four colour Desert DPM.
A three coloured type was trialled, however it was deemed to be too close to the four colour type, so a two coloured version was rapidly developed.
This version is often described as ‘dense’ pattern as three of the four standard DPM colours were replaced with a medium brown over a tan base, causing the darker shapes to cover a large amount of the light colour.
While this was a quick expedient to get into production, an important factor as the troop build up during ‘Desert Shield’ gathered pace (therefore a pressing need for an appropriate uniform existed), it was considered too dark to be properly effective in the sun soaked sands of the Middle East.
Ironically enough a variant of this colourway was chosen for the later ‘Soldier 95 and Soldier 2000’ type desert camouflage uniforms.

‘Sparse’ DDPM
Toward to end of the first Gulf War the British stared to deploy a variant considered to be more effective in the theatre of operations. This version referred to as ‘sparse’ DDPM is quite similar to the type described above, however the pattern essentially does away with replacing the shapes of the two minor colours in temperate DPM with dark brown in favour of those shapes being the same light tan as the base colour of the uniform. This has the effect of creating a more sparse type of camouflage pattern. This variant was fairly short lived, existing only between late 1991 and the introduction of the ‘Soldier 95’ uniforms (both temperate and desert) during 1995/96.

For the figure below I chose to go for the most common variant, ‘dense DDPM’. For the purposes of our fictional conflict any of the versions would be appropriate, with the four colour type being the least anachronistic for 1985, but also far more complicated to replicate in the 15mm scale. However in a case of art imitating life I don’t consider it to be particularly far fetched for one (or both) of the two colour types to be quickly developed for exactly the same reasons that they were in the real world.

Step 1:
The figure is uncoated with black Vallejo Surface Primer to give the follow on paint something to ‘bite’ into.

Step 2: Next I paint the uniform base colour of Vallejo Model Color 70.884 (Stone Grey).

Step 3:
Then I paint Vallejo Model Color 70.821 (German Camo Beige WWII) as the main colour for the Hessian strips on the Helmet.

Step 4:
Following the main color of the Helmet strips I paint a random selection of the hessian strips with Vallejo Model Color 70.843 (Cork Brown).

Step 5:
Then I give the Boots a coat of Vallejo Model Color 70.976 (Buff).

Step 6:
With the desert tans in place I next colour the ’58 Pattern Web Gear and Scrim netting scarf with Vallejo Model Color 70.920 (German Uniform).

Step 7:
I start with Vallejo Model Color 70.875 Beige Brown as the base colour for the flesh.

Step 8:
I paint the plastic furniture of the weapon with Vallejo Model Color 70.862 (Black Grey).

Step 9:
I move onto metallics, starting with Vallejo Model Color 70.863 (Gunmetal Grey) on the metal parts of the figure’s L7 GPMG.

Step 10:
I complete the initial block painting of the figure using Vallejo Model Color 70.801 (Brass) for the belt of rounds hanging off the left side of the GPMG.

Step 11:
With the block painting done, I then cover the figure with an all over coat of Vallejo Game Color 73.201 (Black Wash).

Step 12:
Once the Wash is dry, I go back over the uniform with Vallejo Model Color 70.884 (Stone Grey), careful to leave creases and recesses black. Then I add the DPM pattern by painting a series of swirls and stripes using Vallejo Model Color 70.873 (US Field Drab).

Step 13:
I then recolour the light Hessian strips with Vallejo Model Color 70.821 (German Camo Beige WWII), and the dark strips with 70.843 (Cork Brown).
At the same time I use Vallejo Model Color 70.976 (Buff) on the Boots, careful to leave the recesses black in all cases, to add shadow depth to the figure.

Step 14:
The various desert tan parts of the figure complete, I then use Vallejo Model Color 70.920 (German Uniform) to define the Web Gear and scrim scarf. I also start to define the figure’s flesh by applying a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Model Color 70.875 (Beige Brown) and 70.955 (Flat Flesh) to all but the deepest face and hand details.

Step 15: I complete the skin by painting the highest parts of the flesh (for instance Hose, Cheek bones etc) with a highlight of Vallejo Model Color 70.955 (Flat Flesh).

Step 16:
Before finishing the metallic colours, I go back over the GPMG’s plastic furniture with Vallejo Model Color 70.826 (Black Grey).

Step 17:
The metallics are then re-defined using Vallejo Model Color 70.863 (Gunmetal Grey) for the metal parts of the weapon and 70.801 (Brass) for the ammunition belt.

And the finished product after a coat of matte varnish:

with Pete the Wargamer

Pete sits down to give you all the steps you need to dress your WWIII: British forces for engagements in the desert, using the M109 as the test case.

with Aaron Te Hira-Mathie

Oil War themed Westland Lynx AH.1
For the Lynx I was far more heavily influenced by the Lynx helicopters used by UK forces during Operation Granby.

Because of that the colour scheme that I chose for the Lynx is the two tone yellow and tan camouflage pattern. I also wanted to add a few unique touches to this model, as you will see from the following step by step pictures and brief explanations.

Step 1: The first unique touch that I conceived of was to have the sliding doors slid back. This required a bit of surgery using a very sharp scalpel and file.

Step 2: Once I had the doors suitably removed, I had to decide if I was going to build an interior or blank off the doorways. Whilst a detailed interior would look cool, and be an awesome modelling project, it would somewhat defeat the purpose, so I chose blank off the opened doorways. Therefore I used some 0.5mm plastic card and Muliput modelling putty.

Step 3: After looking at a lot of pictures of Operation Granby era Lynx helicopters, one of the most striking additions were the squared off exhausts designed as a countermeasure to defeat heat seeking missiles. Initially I started to build these exhausts out of plastic card, however as I started to do this it was proving to be time consuming and complicated. However before giving up on the idea, I thought that I would try to make a simplified model using Miliput … with some plastic card embellishments.

Step 4: With the model now assembled and suitably modified, the next step is to start painting the model. I first sprayed a light grey surface primer.
Normally I would then start with a base colour, however in this case I decided to ‘pre-shade’ the model. To do this I sprayed Vallejo Model Air 71.251 (NATO Black) along panel lines and where details meet the main part of the model. The reason to do this is add a small amount of subtle depth to the follow on paint work.

Step 5: After the pre-shade I moved on to starting the camouflage pattern. I started by spraying Vallejo Model Air 71.138 (US Sand), the darker of the two main colours in the pattern. In order to make the pre-shade work is to ensure that the paint going over it needs to be quite thin and built up in layers so that the differences in the tones of the primers shows through. How much you build up the main coat determines how heavily worn the final paint looks.

Once the tan colour was applied, I moved onto the yellow colour, in this case Vallejo model Air 71.143 (UK Light Stone). This colour was applied by building up thin layers until the desired effect was reached.

As you see the two colours are quite close to each other. This was an intentional choice as the Operation Granby aircraft were painted in the two colours that I used, therefore the camouflage scheme on the real aircraft is not particularly defined.

Step 6: After the two primary colours of the model were dry, I sprayed a coat of gloss varnish over the top. Normally this stage would be thoroughly unnecessary, however I wanted to paint white ‘invasion’ stripes toward the rear of the tail, and the best way to do this would be to mask the area off, and I didn’t want to risk damaging the paint beneath.

Once the area had been marked off with Tamiya masking tape, I sprayed Vallejo Model Air 71.279 (Insignia White).

Step 7: Next up I decided to paint up the glass areas of the model using Vallejo Model Color 70.816 (Luftwaffe Uniform)

Step 8: With the glass areas being more defined I decided to paint on the non-slip panels on the cabin roof of the aircraft. I painted to black portion using Vallejo Model Air 71.251 (NATO Black), and then I outlined these shapes using Vallejo Model Colour 70.916 (Sand Yellow).

Step 9: I took this opportunity to paint some of the smaller details like the flashing light at the top of the tail, and the front grills of the exhaust system.
– Flashing light Vallejo Model Color 70.947 (Red)
– Grills Vallejo Model Color 70.865 (Oily Steel)
Then I coated the grills at the front of the exhaust box with Vallejo Game Color 73.201 (Black Wash).

Step 10: I then applied the decals from the kit, and added a couple of decal numbers on the doors from my spares stash. Once the decals were dry, I then re-coloured the roundels to the more lightly colored ‘lo-viz’ type by
carefully hand brushing Vallejo Model Air 71.103 (Grey Blue RLM84)over the blue sections and a mixture of Vallejo Model Color 70.947 (Red) and Vallejo Model Color 70.993 (White Grey) over the
red sections of the roundels.

Step 11: Helicopters are dirty animals, so I added some random streaks of Vallejo Engine 73.817 (Petrol Spills) to simulate various types of grime running down the fuselage.

Step 12: I then applied a second all over gloss varnish, then coated the model with an enamel was, in this case Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color (Dark Brown). After allowing the enamel to set for around 24 hours I whiped most of the enamel off with white spirits, an old paint brush and cotton buds, leaving only recessed details on the model dark brown, to add depth paint.

Step 13: I then started to add the final touches to the model. I started with the BGM 71 TOW ATGM launchers, which I painted Vallejo Model Air 71.251 (NATO Black) on the launcher racks, and Vallejo Model Color 70.887 (US Olive Drab) on the missile tubes. At this point I departed from the inspiration photos that I had been using, by adding a crew chief figure and M60D door mounted MGs from the UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) kit. Being as this aircraft is supposed to represent one taking part in the notional 1985 conflict I decided that the crew had scrounged a couple of MGs and pintles from ‘in-theatre’ then mounted them to the already existing weapon fairings in order to provide some local defensive firepower against light ground threats. I then painted the crew chief in ‘desert DPM’, using the following colours.

• Uniform, Vallejo Model Color 70.884 (Stone Grey), with Vallejo Model Color 70.873 (US Field Drab) DPM camouflage shapes.
• Boots, 70.880 (Khaki Grey)
• Gloves and vest, Vallejo Model Color 70.920 (German Uniform)
• Helmet, Vallejo Model Color 70.887 (US Olive Drab)
• M60D, Vallejo Model Color 70.863 (Gunmetal Grey) with a Vallejo Game Color 73.201 (Black Wash) overcoat.

  
  

  Step 14: I then painted the main and tail rotors with Vallejo Model Air 71.251 (NATO Black), with Vallejo Model Color 70.916 (Sand Yellow) stripes on the main rotor, with Vallejo Model Air 71.279 (Insignia White) and Vallejo Model Color 70.947 (Red) stripes on the tail rotor. The mechanical parts of the rotor system I painted with Vallejo model Color 70.865 (Oily Steel) overcoated with Vallejo Game Color 73.201 (Black Wash).

So that’s my air support and armour sorted, all that’s left is my infantry in Desert DPMs. Coming right up…

To celebrate the launch of WWIII: British, our buddy Pete the Wargamer has a step-by-step guide for how to paint your British armour for World War III.