Hi,

I was wondering when is the best moment to put some chipping ( before or after filters? If I apply 3 or4 filters after chipping would be less visible.) and in general what should done in 1st, 2nd,... place.

With my 1st serious 1/35 Pz 4 I took this way:
1 camo
2 gloss ( for decals)
3 semi gloss / filters
4 chipping
4 gloss/wash
5 matt
6 drybrush
5 weathering/rainmarks

You think it's ok or would you recommend different sequence?

thx
spit

Hi Spit. Chipping shouldn´t stand out too proud ... they will eventaully get weathered as well. So Id make them before the last filters and weathering.
My usual order

base (camo)
drybrush
washes
gloss
decals
gloss
filters
chips
(flat coat if needed)
filters
weathering/pastels/etc.

Thanks for your reply Frank. Interesting thing drybrushing just after camo. I would do it at the end. Must try tha.

thx
Spit

The first step in all this is researching original photographs fro the preiod to see where chiiping occured and how extensive it was. The references I have show very little, but if you must, you should do it after decals and before anything else. If chips are there, they will also affect markings and be weathered to the same degree as all other parts of the tank.

The reason I do it so early, is the coarse effect almost dissapears under all the other steps, and when finished, the highlights still "POP" out nicely, but the dry brushing effect has almost disappeared.
Dry brushing is not considered "trendy" with today´s finishing style, but I believe it still has a function. I see too many models where dust and weathering are placed on top of the base coat, and the details are not clearly visible.

Spit,
Unless your model has been through an artillery barrage, there shouldn't be any chipping. Most AFV finishes are baked on from the factory, making them extremely tough. Even field applied paint is a whole lot tougher than is made out. The level of chipping you are likely to see on an in-combat AFV is mainly around access points (ie lift rings, engine decks, etc) where there is metal to metal contact. Remember, in WW2 a vehicle that had been in combat for 6 months was considered a veteran. What you will alot of is DIRT. Dirt, dust, mud and rain streaks are going to be far more common. In peacetime most armies' regulations call for their vehicles to be repainted once a year (in the U.S. usually twice due to inspections). Needless to say, they aren't realistic, no matter how artisticly pleasing they may be. My advice (for what it's worth): steer clear of it and concentrate on dirt, dust and grime.
Regards,
Georg

thank you for your answers guys I agree completely with you Georg. Chipping must not be too extensive. Right now I'm working on three projects. Two of them will represent tanks that didn't have much time on the battlefield. First one is late King Tiger (with modifications made on march 45) the other one is Ferdinand n°624 that was captured by the Russians the first day of the Kursk Battle. So chipping must not be very intensive not to say light IMHO. The 3rd model is Pz IIIJ + Borgward IV. On the last one drybrush would be most visibleI guess. And there I have another question. How would you do chipping on panzergrau? A base of white or light grey + black/ dark brown (van dyke) + maybe some rust?

Thanks