Hey all.
Need a little help getting my track color right.
Here we see the ass end of my Mobelwagon. I have painted the tracks Tamiya Dark Brown, and then gave them some drybrushing of Tamiya Gunmetal gray. It just doens't look right. I need some opinions/techniques to improve them.
Thanks,
Marc

Your tracks looks alright. Is it just me or the drybrushed parts looks too silver? Probably the lighting I guess. Tamiya Gunmetal doesn't look very silver but gunmetal :-) :-) :-)

PS.. I like the way you put rust on the exhausts. What did you use?

Hey Shonen Red. I had used Doc O'Briens weathering pigments for my exhaust. Well, first i based coated them with the Tamiya Dark brown. Then i used three Pigments, Rusty Brown, Rusty Red, and Grimy Black. I am still new with these pigments. I just kinda kept blending them. Photos actually let you see better on how they came out.
thanks for the reply.
Marc

Wow you talk about painting tracks,what about them exhausts there briliant i say its a lot harder to get the exhaust the right colour( spot on).the best colour i find is tamiyas nato brown.if your tracks are out of the box paint them silver,let dry for a day then paint over the silver with nato brown xf-68 then using a fine sanding block sand down the bit of track that meets the road.

I would say use the same technique for the tracks as you do the exhaust! The way I have painted the tracks on my Luchs

Is to spray with Tamiya nato black or dark grey, then make up a wash of oils in white spirit of yellow, white and burnt umber approx. the same colour of rust, swab this all over your tracks., then use Tamiya X11 to highlight treads and sides, but make sure to flat this down afterwards as it's a little too 'bright'. When dry brush some pastel brown well into the tracks.

Vinnie

Try painting the tracks flat black first, then apply very thin layer(s) of rust color(s) and finally some pigment/pastel dusting.
But you could also try this, flat black first, then pigment/pastel washes of dark red/brown colors.
For the worn edges, tips of tracks and those teeth in the middle use regular 2b pencil, it makes shinny metal color, but not silver.


I've got one question for you guys... How to paint realistic tracks without rusting?

I found one good thread about painting rusty tracks here on Armorama .... click

They're okay. I would just use less silver and more red brown. The only silvered parts would be those which are either metal to metal, or metal to ground.

Hi Marc

They look fine.
If you don't like how they look, try this:
I like to use Model Master enamel paint
1-Paint the track flat balck,
2-dry brush several coats with rust color,
3- Dry brush metal to metal and metal to ground parts with Steel color (Not Silver)
4-Apply several coats of light rust pastel powder
5-Clear coat with Dulcoat to seal the pastel
6- Lightly dry brush again with Steel


Happy modeling
T. Chouman

O.K., here's my 1 1/2 cents worth:

. Spray the tracks with flat aluminum.
. Add a black wash, then a rust wash.
. Get a tube of silver Rub-n-Buff at a craft shop (used for antiquing wood, etc.).
. Put a thin layer of Rub-n-Buff on your finger and just rub it flat over the tracks to pick out the high spots.
. Apply the Rub-n-Buff with a small brush, etc. to any metal/metal, metal/ground spots.
I've found this a little faster and more effective than dry brushing, but that doesn't mean it's the only right way. If we all did everything the same, what fun would it be?

Art

Hi,

This is how I paint my tracks

a) Blue (mid or dark) + Black + Red-Brown
- Make sure that the color is near the blueish tone
b) wash with red-brown + black
- color tone should be near the rust effect
c) Rust color
- I discovered it by mistake.....
- used burnt sienna with oil as wash (for the road wheel) but it spilled onto the tracks.



You could also add dirt by using diluted PVA with actual soil...
Hope tthis helps

What is PVA?

I paint my tracks using Testors MM paints.

1. Flat Black
2. thin wash of Rust
3. Dry brushed Steel
4. Falt Balck for rubber pads.

Sorry I don't have a photo. Will try to get on n the next day or two.

Polyvinyl Acetate - a.k.a. white glue.

To be totally contrary, I'm of the opinion that 'a rolling stone gathers no moss', and moving tank treads gather no, or little, rust. The abrading effect of earth, sand, and small stones on tracks that are in motion more often than not would remove or prevent rust. By observing bulldozers, etc. that are currently being used, the tracks are usually worn shiny. And to go off topic a bit, I used to paint exhausts rusty, but by observing heavy vehicles, 18 wheelers, etc, mostly they're just dust covered and weathered to the same colour as the rest of the lower chassis.