How to paint tanks using the drybrush and oils

In this tutorial, we will explore techniques for enhancing a basic paint job using oil paints. Unlike acrylics, oil paints require an organic solvent like White Spirit or turpentine (which is toxic, such as Enamel Odourless Thinner A.MIG-2019) instead of water; and take hours to dry, as opposed to mere seconds with acrylics. However, this extended drying time lends oils the advantage of effortless blending, allowing for the creation of multiple effects. For instance, we can employ this property to generate shadows, thereby enhancing the sense of volume, or to simulate various weathering effects such as dirt or dust accumulation.…

How to create mud effects on 1/100 tanks

This article was originally published on the Battlefront website, here. This article is a follow-up of Painting WWI German AV7 tank: the art of enamel washes. As demonstrated recently in another tutorial on painting Painting WWI French Fusiliers: How to create mud bases, the idea is to create mud effects rather than simply painting them. While wargamers often resort to the dry-brush technique using acrylics to simulate mud, the results, while interesting, may lack the texture typically associated with this particular effect. To address this, we can turn to specialized products designed to achieve hyper-realistic mud effects. These products not…

Painting the WWI German AV7 tank: the art of enamel washes

This tutorial was originally published on the Battlefront website, here. Acrylic paints are the most popular choice for wargamers, and in most cases, the only option on the painting bench. This preference is quite logical, as acrylic paints are readily available, non-toxic, quick-drying, and overall user-friendly. However, if we take a closer look at what Scale Modelers do, we will discover that they employ a variety of paint types, including acrylics, lacquers, oils, enamels, and powder pigments. The distinct features of each type of paint can be utilized to perform specific steps or achieve particular effects. Therefore, having a understanding…