Hi folks

I posted this question last night, but it got sent into "storage" before it could get a answer. The problem is I really could use some help with this. Heres the problem. My airbrush died the other night. Now I'm right in the middle of two projects. One is my DUKW it's a solid OD paint job not a problem. The second is my Kubalwagen. I wanted to give it a three color camo. I can get the base color [dark yellow] to look ok from a rattle can. The other two colors would have to be brushed on. After the long winded setup, My question is would the brushed on camo look right or should I wait until I replace my airbrush?

Thanks in advance
Harry

Hmmm....I've read that Germans sometimes paint the camo on their vehicles by hand. So, painting a camo pattern with a brush wouldn't hurt.

On the other hand, if you want an "airbrushed" camo pattern using a spray can, it would be a little difficult. Spray cans eject a lot amount of paint without control.Haven't tried camouflaging with a spraycan yet.

However, you might want to try soft masking. Although a bit effort-and-time consuming, it produces good camouflage results.

Angela

if ure using acrylics , and ure well trained in thinning the paints there wont be any problem. i have come over a similiar situation many times , and the painting just worked fine. just be parient and keep brush paint in low quantity over the brush and u ll be fine. After weathering and dirtying process and of course some washes there wont be no evidence of the "crime"
pastels do help a lot in this also !!!

Costas

Hi folks

Thanks for the quick replys. Angela, I have some spare "bodys" in the scrape box. I'll try the soft masking on them first and see if I can get it right. If not I'll just use a brush. Costas, I'm useing Tamiya's paints. I normally clean up with water with them. would water work ok to thin them down ?

Thanks again
Harry

surely will work finely if u re talking about acrylics.

I've acctually drybrushed a camo scheme once and I have to say it didn't look bad at all ...I used humbrol paints and a soft brush that I had cut down a bit and just really scrub the camo colors on ...Try it ...it works.

Rick

Hey Harry, check out my King Tiger model and the Sd.kfz. 251. I hand painted on the camo. Painting the little flecks on that King Tiger was a pain, but I think it looks good! Click on the My selected link and go to page two)

Forget trying to brush paint Tamiya. It skins over very quickly but the layer under neath remains wet. When the fresh brush touches it, the skin dissolves and you will not be able to correct it. You could use masking tape and rattle can if you hold the can pretty far away from the surface and make several very quick passes. You'll have a hard edged pattern, but this was not uncomon on German vehicles.

I don't know if this will help, but I saw a tip in an article some years ago. Take a 3 X 5 index card and use a hole punch to make an irregular line of holes in the middle of the card, a sort of stencil. Hold the card just above the model and spray from a rattle can from about 6". The holes should diffuse the paint into a pattern with feathered edges, and the rest of the card should mask the part you don't want painted. I never had occassion to try this, so experiment on some scrap. As for hand painting camo, it was done in the field and I've done it on a couple of things.

Art

I used a wide brush & thinned enamels, a little on the brush then scubbed it from side to side moving downwards gave a feathered edge did it on a mid production Tiger1 in my opinion the road wheels turned out better than any I had done with an air brush

Wolfsix -

Don't think there would be any problem with the painted on approach. Like with winter camo and even mud, these were often crew applied or touched up "by hand" in the field. I've hand pretty good success using the approach that "Art" described with the rattle can. I take either 3x5 cards or even paper (can fold and cut out patterns the way you do snowflakes) as a stencil. The fold line can center down middle of tank to get a "repeat" type pattern on both sides. Practice on some spare pieces to vary the edge (keep he can at least 6" away) from hard to more feathered. Hope this helps some.

Blade48mrd

I've drybrushed cammo before as well, and it works pretty good. And with the Kubel being small, I would just go ahead and drybrush it, the washes and pastels will tone it down, and you should be fine. And you could save some time setting up your airbrush, changing colors, cleaning etc.

You could cut holes in thin cardboard (or squiggly lines) similar to the pattern you like. Use a rattle can but hold the cardboard an inch away from the model. That way you don't get hard lines. Just a temporary fix until the airbrush is fixed.