...-especially on those hummer jeeps. How do you guys do it and make it look so real? Is there a particular paint that is ready made that I can buy? Thanks

Also, are there fter market tires that I can replace for models like the hummer and any other tire driven armor vehicles?

The Tank Workshop makes resin replacement tires for Jeeps and Hummers. There are a few others out there. Try Mission Models' ad link at the top of the page. You can get them elsewhere too.

Hello, ti, and welcome to the best modeling site on the WWW.
My favorite for painting tires and rubber tank roadwheels is the Testors "Rubber", comes in those little square bottles. I know other modelers use anything from flat black to RLM 66. I've just always preferred the Testors.

I also use Testors "rubber" and it has always worked very well for me.

Also, welcome to the best armor modelling site out there! :-)

I like to use Tamiya nato black To me it has a nice faded look,but not too faded When it first goes on it has a green tint to it but it goes away
Chad

I have used model master gun metal mixxed with the "rubber" that has been mentioned above. I am trying to get away from enamels and go with acrylics whenever I can so I am not sure what I will use next. I also ordered some resin wheels for the hummer I am building now. I will let you know how much better they are than the ones that come with the italeri kit.

Thanks alot for all of the replies. I really appreciate them. Can't wait to see some photos of the tires some of you have done. I would love that rubber and used look of a tire. It looks so real. Thanks guys. If you all have photos of the tire using the paints mentioned, please feel free to e-mail me them(if it's not too much trouble)

Ti,
I paint tires with pure black plus either fleshtone or a Light blue, this makes it look like a faded black. After this I apply a lighter mud color wash, so that the dirt and mud isnt wore off in between the threads as the thread that sticks out will cover for it and "protect it" from being worn off. Make sense? Also if you want to high light it, just add more flesh to the black and voila! Hope this helps

Welcome Ti, and I expect to see many more posts by your name in the next few weeks.

I paint my tires (whether it be on a tank or softskin) with either Vallejo Flat Black, or Tamiya Nato Black. Vallejo acrylic's when thinned with distilled water covers very well. I will paint the whole wheel Black, then use my circle template to spray my base color to the rim.
I then use a matt varnish to dull the finish. After this had dries, I will give the entire tire an overspray of a mixture of Tamiya Black and Tamiya Flat Earth, gradually reducing the black to the mix. This will give the tire a dirty worn look. I will then slightly drybrush the wheel with Winsor Newton Mars Balck Oil Paintmixed with some Titanium White Oil Paint to add depth and wear on the tire. :-)

Thanks. sounds like a complicated process just for one tire. It seems you go through alot of process to achieve the end results. Especially your methods Tiger 1. Do you have a pic of the end results? I ould love to see it. This circle template you mention. Is it something you made? Thanks again.

Well I got my resin Hummer wheels today and they are 1000 times better than the kits. They cost just a little less than the kit, but are worth it becuase the italeri tires arn't worth a thing in my opinion when I compare the 2. I got the tires from a company called MR Models and ordered them through Great Models. Just thought I would pass the info on.

Thanks alot Andrew

Hola,
I know its been a long time since this post was first started, but I just got some pictures in and I took some of how I paint tires.
First I mix black with a flesh color, to a suitable faded black. Paint the whole tire in this, then paint the rim. Now get your pastels out and mix some earth tones and add a generous amount of thinner to this. Mix it good and smear all over the tire and set to dry.

Here are the results, on the left is the pastel wash smeared all over, and to the right is a finished tire, just use your fingers and wipe it off until you are satesfied, then spray a coat of dull coat over this to seal it!

to me the best color for tires is Modelmaster Engine Grey. not only does it look like the thing, but makes it easier to weather also.
chris

That's what I call tyres Anders. Thanks for the description. I'll try this pretty soon as my SAS jeep is approaching the painting stages...

ThX again.

Anders !
I thought you were a FIGURES painter, but you're far too modest. Those are probably the best painted model tires I've ever seen !
I'll give your method a try.

Welcome Ti, there have been a lot of good advices so far and I just want to share my procedure. I base coat the tire with some sort of mud color (Anders has a point here about using Flesh, try it, you will be surprised) and gradually dry brush it with black - actually very dark grey. The black drybrush should leave mud only in the recessed areas and around the rim.

Mario M.

Heir Heir Jan. I second your words.....these ARE the best pics I've seen on tyres !

Yep, Definitely the best tyres I have seen so far.

Im glad that you guys like them, and it is a simpel procedure thats easy to use!
Just make sure the rubber color is on solid as you might rub it off when you wipe the pastels away. Sounds like Maki's method would work out about the same, I just like the consitency of the pastels as it gives a kind of grainy look to it.
Happy Tire Making!!!

Yes, when you mentioned pastels I thought it would probably work better with them as they give a dusty apperance to tires. I'll have to try it... Thanks for a good tip.

Mario M.