Hi,

I hardly ever paint tanks so I need some tips.
For a 1/72 diorama I used the Humbrol masking liquid to do the camo work and I didn't like it al all.
It's a crime to remove the stuff and the results are disappointing.
Now, for a 1/35 tank (T59B or T59-II) I want to use masking-stuff again.
There's more then one liqued product on the market but there is also 'clay' that should do the trick. What do you experienced tank-moddelers recommend?

depend from the job,masking fluid,tamiya tape,blue-tack or masking putty like Panzer-putty but the cheap version Theraputty Black X-firm,exactly the same stuff but a lot cheaper.

https://www.fab-ent.com/exercise/exercise-putty/theraputty-standard-exercise-putty/

It very much depends on what you want to achieve. Tape is only good for hard edge camo. With thick panzer putty you can also do soft edge camo (if your freehand skills don't allow for it without masking)...

It's for painting the T59-II chinese tank so camo with soft edges

For soft edges theraputty,panzerputty,Bluetack,Silly Putty or free hand

Thanks, I'll give it a try

I sometimes use putty, but not in the sense you probably think.More on that...
Putty can give hard or soft edges, depending on which angle you shoot your paint from. If you shoot towards the point where the putty meets the model, you'll get a hard edge. If you shoot over the top of the putty at an angle, you'll get a softer edge. The further distance you shoot, the more feathered the edge appears.

As Nicolas said, it depends upon what you want to achieve.

For "prescribed camo," I like to actually enlarge the drawings to 1/35 scale, and cut them out. For each section of mask, I use bits of putty to create standoff between the mask on the model. Close standoff yields a tight, yet still soft pattern:



A little more standoff gives a softer look:



In the absence of putty, I use little rolled up balls of tape. I suppose you could even use cookie dough if you were so inclined.

For "field" jobs, where it is less important to conform to a set pattern, I just freehand it. Not as tight, but neither would it be with some private cutting loose with a spray gun:



And for hard edge, I know lots of guys like to use putty. I'm just too lazy. I paint it with a brush:



It might even look like it was painted with a brush, because... in real life it was painted with a brush.

Great info! And you're right. They did use a brush in those days (and perhaps even now).

I haven't used a brush to paint a tank since I was 8. However I am starting a hard edge paint job and after reading Migs and Adams books, I am going to use a brush. The reference said to spray the base coat ( I am using the lightest color). Then draw the pattern lightly on the tank. Then thin the paint so it would leave few brush marks and paint the edges of the pattern with a couple coats. then spray the larger areas filling in the field.