Getting solid color uniforms to look realistic

[wilber]

Hi Guys, There is a lot of info on camo uniforms but I am now painting Tamiya's Famo crew which is field gray (solid). Its sort of a greenish gray that any WWII German modeler would know.

I'm using Tamiya paint field gray acrylic. How do I highlight/drybrush or any other technique to get them looking not so solid in color and more like reality in 1/35th scale?

I use oil paints for the flesh tones

any help/advice greatly appreciated

I also have to paint three tank crewmen which have the panzer crew black uniforms, and I never use solid black because its too harsh in 1/35th. Any advice here on highlighting etc would also be appreciated

THANKS

 

[Steve]

Get a good book on the subject, lots of them around, or research the threads here on the subject of highlighting and shadowing. At the risk of arousing the ire of some of my painter friends, I strongly suggest you forget the term "drybrush", which features applying color all over the place at the same time in the same depth and same color, and learn to do individual folds and recesses. Dry brushing allows no control and while it has applications on areas with well defined detail, IMHO it has no place in large areas on any figure over 25mm. Of course opinions are like noses we all have one. For the panzer crew, the key is to use black diluted with just about any color to make a very dark gray for the base color, which you can shadow with black and highlight with more of the diluting color added to the base color. Go to the galleries here and in the magazines and find what you think looks good and try it. Lots and lots and lots of articles on all of this are available.--

 

[Saginaw79]

Hi Guys, There is a lot of info on camo uniforms but I am now painting Tamiya's Famo crew which is field gray (solid). Its sort of a greenish gray that any WWII German modeler would know.

I'm using Tamiya paint field gray acrylic. How do I highlight/drybrush or any other technique to get them looking not so solid in color and more like reality in 1/35th scale?

I use oil paints for the flesh tones

any help/advice greatly appreciated

I also have to paint three tank crewmen which have the panzer crew black uniforms, and I never use solid black because its too harsh in 1/35th. Any advice here on highlighting etc would also be appreciated

THANKS

For the guys in black, I sue a dull black, like a dirty black or Black green as it looks a bit faded and worn

 

[Guy]

I strongly suggest you forget the term "drybrush", which features applying color all over the place at the same time in the same depth and same color

I would forget this method of dry-brushing too.

When I dry-brush I may use as many as 5 different brush sizes and as many as 5 different highlights on the same color I have already blended and shaded in the conventional manner. I learned the techniques of dry-brushing from some of the old Masters who taught this technique. Very helpful if used right.

Using just one color to dry-brush with, like Steve says.....is not that impressive.

 

[Steve]

Aaarghhh--caught. You are being SO kind and reasonable, Guy. If one has to drybrush, Guy is THE man to learn it from. --

 

[wilber]

Thanks Guys much appreciated

 

[Saginaw79]

I still drybrush but not all over simultaneously...

Maybe its time I bought an airbrush!