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Weathering German Armor

Introduction

Weathering paint finishes on armor is one of the more interesting challenges in the hobby today. I am going to demonstrate some common techniques using oil based washes and other common weathering materials to weather Dragon's JagdPanzer IV-AO in 14 steps from start to finish. I hope to keep it as simple as possible using the images as a visual guide through each process, showing the effects of each step and how it all adds to the final finish which will hopefully represent a realistically well worn looking WWII vehicle when I'm done.

Basic Painting

Step 1: The first step is is actually two steps. The first step is to apply primer and for this I used Flat Black auto primer which I applied in several light coats from all angles making sure every nook and cranny was painted, specifically around the tracks and running gear. The second step is applying the actual base coat of Model Master acrylic "Tan" for this particular finish. I wasn't too worried about full coverage knowing I would be going over it again with the camouflage so just a couple of light coats was fine to complete this phase.

Step 2: This step consists of painting the wheels and tracks and is the most frequently asked question I get: "How do you paint the wheels and tracks when they are already on the vehicle?" I simply use a small fine brush and apply generic craft paints thinned about 50% with water. I take my time, doing the wheels first so I don't worry about over-painting onto the tracks. I then paint the tracks which are much easier than people imagine. I keep a toothpick on hand to scratch away any small mistakes and always keeping in mind that once weathered it is impossible to tell anyway.

Step 3: Once the tracks are dried, I go ahead with the first wash using Van Dyke Brown oil paint heavily applied all over the running gear.

Step 4: This is a simple step using a handy way to mask off the tracks and wheels with household aluminum foil. I also assembled the schurzen for this vehicle so everything is ready for the camouflage application.

Step 5: The camouflage was applied freehand using an irregular pattern based somewhat on the box-art without trying to be exact to leave room for putting my own touch on it. All paints used were Model Master acrylics and since the "Tan" was already down, the next color applied was "Dark green" followed by "Rust". All three were then lightened slightly with white for a bit of fading here and there by simply spraying the lightened color in the centers of the main patches.