I am considering painting a Sherman II in Desert Pink.

Humbrol lists the colour in their range, however the paint swatch that I have looks to be a much darker brown with a tint of pink rather than a yellow/pink that appears in photos of the era.

Now I do understand that this was a field prepared paint and thus great variations are to be expected plus war time Black and White photography does strange things to colours.

So, do I go with the Humbrol, or mix my own lighter shade ?

Thanks

Ian Clasper

Others here may have experience with this colour, but my 2 cents are that you need to be careful of printed swatches like the colour chart that Humbrol produces, because they don't really capture the colour of the actual paint very well. Best bet is to get a tin and paint it onto something to see what it really looks like. Hand brushing and airbrushing will give different textures too, that affect how dark it looks. Oh, and be careful of consistent colours between tins, as Humbrol's quality control isn't their strongest point...

Tom

I agree with Tom on all points (you owe me ) A bit of background my father gave to me (tank Commander with the 7th and 8th armies [original Desert Rat]) there was no fixed desert pink as the paints were sometimes extended with lye and whitewash from the locals. One hint was what the forces called the most hated British tank at the time "The Pink Pig". I believe it was the Valentine.

I have the Warpaint books, which are excellent. SCC 11B Desert Pink was a standard color, used with black, dark green or dark brown disruptive pattern. Lifecolor makes an excellent paint - UA 230 Desert Pink.