Hi all,

Well, this may be a dumb question but since this is my first time trying to paint WWII Russian equipment (artillery), I'd like to know how I should go about lightening the base green color I already have on the model. For my base color, I sprayed a coat of Tamiya's Nato Green. Now, I'd like to go over with a lighter version of the base coat in some areas but I'm not sure if I should use white or yellow in the mix.

What do you all do?

Thanks!

Rob

P.S. I know I can try this myself but with only a little Nato Green left in the jar I rather not waste paint testing this out at least until I can get some more

Rob;

You probably know this, but if you add a yellow to your green, you'll end up creating an olive or maybe pea-soup type of green (in the extreme-addition case) - adding white will essentially neutrally shift the green to a lighter color green, whereas adding yellow will shift the green into a more brownish or olive color.

That said, choose which way you want the color to go, and mix accordingly!

For the Russian job, maybe lightening it with white would be a better choice to keep closer to the green spectrum.

But that's just my opine, of course!

Bob

I would use yellow to lighten it

Thanks for the prompt reply, Bob! I did indeed have a feeling adding white was the answer but I've read so much about how people approach 'Russian Green' that there are some out there who promote adding yellow, as opposed to white.

Thanks again!

Rob

Rob;

Back again!

Bearing in mind that I was responding to the question of lightening a green... and really not well-informed about what colors Russian tanks have been painted, I rushed off and Googled around to see what I could find out (about what colors Russians painted tanks)!

Lots of threads on various sites have actually punted this question around over the years, it seems. And the answers are, well, "legion! Folks call for stuff from a dark green to forest green to any of a wide range of olives and "drabs" all the way to brown-green! Putting aside post-war monument tanks painted pink, you have a wide choice! The basic claim being different factories = different paints at different times in the war, coupled with variable changing of colors due to exposure.

A few companies market "Russian armor green" types, and folks cited using Tamiya XF-5, Tamiya black-green, Tamiya Russian green, ModelMaster Russian Armor (green), a few Vallejo greens, Floquil Pullman green, various makes of Olive Green, etc.

So... from this, you have lots of choice and most could be authentic! And Franks yellow recommendation could be just as valid as my white!

Enjoy and get a color you like!

Maybe scan over some pics of Russian tank builds and see what shades look good as a "reference", seeing as there probably is little real reference out there for this?

Cheers!

Bob

Rob,
I would advise avoiding white or black to tint your paint! Too much white, and it only takes a little, and you'll completely wash out your green leaving you a pastel-ish shade that lacks the depth and vibrancy of your original color. Conversely, using black to darken the shade will completely obliterate the green and erase any life the color had. Instead, use yellow to lighten and dark blue to darken.

Kirchoff

Very interesting suggestions, guys! Glad I ask the question. Following a little on what Brian, Frank and Mike have suggested regarding using yellow, I do have a brand new jar of Tamiya's XF-4 Yellow Green. This is the color:



So, would you say this is a good enough 'compromise' color I can use in a mix with Nato Green?

Thanks very much for the really great feedback!

Rob

Yes, I think that color would be fine to lighten the green you mentioned. However, I would caution that green, with the inherent yellow already in the color itself, will quickly lighten once more yellow is added. Also, Protective Green 4BO is a color, that like German Dunkelgelb, could be argued all day. To me, and what experience and knowledge I've managed to glean, the actual 4BO resembles FS34102 or a mid-to-light olive color. But, just like the Germans, the color was affected by mix ratios, types of reducers, mode of application, humidity ... a ton of external factors. Therefore, decide on what you interpret 4BO to be and stick with it. You'llalways be more right than wrong in your mind.

Kirchoff

Excellent info, guys, thanks much!

What I was aiming for with the use of yellow to lighten the base color was to somehow weather the model a bit so as to not have all that Nato Green show as one uniform color. I went ahead and lightened the Nato Green with the Yellow Green shown above and, for the most part, I'm happy with how it came out. Now, it seems, the tones look a lot better.

Now, in doing this I have to say that what Brian suggested (start with a lighter version and then adjust with the darker ones) is the way to go. It was hard for me, having that Nato Green there as my base coat, to tell what impact I was having adding the yellow as the changes weren't easily discernible. So, on my next attempt I'll try the light-to-dark approach and see how it goes.

Again, guys, thanks very much for the help!

Rob