Hello-I am soon starting a 1/35 Panther V late G. I have a basic idea on weathering using washes and pastels but my weak spot is chipping. How is this best achieved? With a small liner brush? And what would be the colors used for a late Panther G. Thanks

I use a 5/0 brush and sponge. I find the sponge from packing (like those in electronics packages) work best. Same for those foam sponges at craft stores - works great. Dab the sponge in a little paint, "sponge it" on paper towel (to remove excess) then use it on the tank. I chip around areas of heavy wear such as hatches foot holds, grab handles, top of turret between hatches etc. I also like to chip the barrel top center line for some effect.

Thank you, any particular color? Silver, or red brown primer color? I am starting a late Panther V ausf G.

I like this guy's instructional videos.

The link is about chipping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku4comhKHJM

I would suggest getting something like this:

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Model-Kits/Paint-Brushes/Rust,-Stain-&-Streaking-Effects-Color-Series-Model-Airbrush-Acrylic-Paints/p/80859410

I have it and I Love it. makes it easy.

i use Vallejo German black brown for "older" chips. newer chips will be lightened base color or metallic. I subdue my chipping with a wash of brownish oil paint.

The main thing to remember about chipping is that there is no such thing as not enough. Unless you're going for a derelict, you generally want to keep chipping pretty subtle. Very easy to overdo (ask me how I know!).

At the risk of lighting a blue touch paper, why not try and find some actual WW2 era pics of German armour with 'chips' and rust streaks everywhere whilst in a combat theatre and use those as a reference? ‘Wear and tear’ yes – most AFV’s by late in the war had a life span measured in days or weeks rather than exhibit the wear of 20 years sitting in a rain soaked field without turning a wheel - but big chunks of paint a couple of square inches in scale 'chipping' off on corners and hatches etc....?

Modellers produce some quite fantastic work and effects but ‘artistic’ isn’t always ‘realistic’.

Whatever you do, don’t overdo the effects because IMHO there is nothing worse than an over chipped AFV model.

Gary

Thanks, point me in the direction of the "not overdone and in color tanks of WWII". All I can find is B&W. nice idea but not very sound as color photos were almost null and void.

The subtle and polite point I was making about looking for actual references in WW2 era photos (B&W or colour) which look like many finished and 'chipped' models is you probably won't find any.

Artistic licence is fine and as others have said, there is no actual benchmark to aim at as being 'correct' because for the main part, it is an artistic invention of modellers to inject some 'life' and interest into what can otherwise be fairly plain looking mono-blocks of colour....even if that's what the real thing looked like.

Bottom line, practice and when you are happy, 'stop' as there is no substitute for practice with (any) model finishing technique.

Gary

Whatever you do, keep it to a minimum. Its so easy to overdo this effect.


For the colors on you're tank, I'd go with a light buff shade (light stone, etc) for the scuffing chips, and then in a few of the larger ones, go with a brown oxide shade - any dark reddish brown will do).


Apply as the discussed above and in the videos linked.

Remember, keep it light. If you think just a bit more will look awesome, that means you should stop!

Thanks to everyone especially on the KISS method. I did a 1/72 King Tiger and went way to far on the weathering. What is my best bet for paint? I spray with rattle cans, Tamiya lacquer so I guess either enamel or acrylic will work? I haven't mastered washes yet but use a lot of ground up pastels.

Here are my last 2 attempts at weathering. The first is a Dragon King Tiger with "octopus camo". I was not impressed by the rubber band tracks. Definitely nedded chipping. The second was a Dragon T34-76 with separate links, nice sag on the tracks. I also missed out here with no chipping and I left the tow cables too long.

Your oil paint work is really good.

There are a number of good youtube tutorials on chipping. I'm going to try the Mike Rinaldi hairspray technique on my next model.

Painting two-tone chipping is not too hard with a small brush. For the Tiger, you can use a lighter shade of the Dunkelgelb, then a red primer colour.