I have read about people undercoating their model teh applying a cloud pattern of the base colour. How exactly do you do this? what ration of paint to thinner etc?

Hey there,

The so called cloud method consist of applying dark and light shades of the base color to impart shadows without need of a wash.

For instance, if you are building a O.D. Sherman you may wnat to prime the model with either black or dark green. Next you apply O.D. over the entire tank but only lightly airbrushing the areas were shadows would be (Running gear, lower surfaces). Than you can add some white to the O.D. so you get a lighter O.D. and airbrush the areas where light hits the tank (upper surfaces). Finnaly, get an even lighter O.D. mix and airbrush the center of panels.

I am pretty sure somebody with more experience will come out and explain it better to you but this is pretty much what the cloud method is.

Cheers,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

I think it's also called pre-shade (Am I right on this one?)

For instance you are painting a Stug-III Ausf A which has a lot of recess lines and things. You spray a layer of black/dark color around/along the recess area, then when you do your over spray of base color, you kind work around the shaded lines, and maybe over it to, so what you get is with the base color, the recessed area has a darker hue than the flat surface. Hope I am not wrong on here. This is what I do.