Good morning!
I'm building and painting the new Italeri M4A3 Sherman kit (1:35).
I've almost finished assembling the hull, just the turret and some details are missing.
I'm approaching the techniques of washing for the first time restarting modeling after some years, and I've never tried them before.
After having (in this order!) painted my model in the usual olive green (I'll brush (since I don't have an airbrush) on it Humbrol 86 or 66, I have to decide yet) I'll aply the markings, then the washings with thinned oils, chipped paint, drybrush with a lighter tone and add some rain marks with Tamiya acrilycs. I already read something about these techniques and how to work... but which colours should I use for washings on a green tone? Ochre? Burnt Siena? White? Yellow? Rust?
This is what just frightens me, since I don't feel like making a serious mistake and remove the paint!
I think I'll use the Humbrol enamel thinner as a medium, to which also Humbrol enamels seem to resist thoroughly.
Thanks for any help and have a nice day!

Giacomo - Rome, Italy

Sepending on the areas on the OD painted vehicles I use burnt sienna, black or a mix of the two. Be careful if you apply the wash on all of the model because it can darken quite a lot the underliyng camo. I personally prefer to apply selective washes.
I do not have experience of the Humbrol enamel thinner for applying washes i use white spirit (you can buy it in Italy as "aquaragia sintetica inodore" and it's much cheaper than the humbrol thinner - 2 euros per liter) and the ratio is 80-90% thinner to 20-10% of oil paint.
Ciao
Fabio

Hi I think you are right to use Humbrol thinners I have found that it is very different than plain white spirit, which is why it is more expensive. In my experience it is much less likely to attack the previous layers of paint, plus it dries more efficiently. It is also formulated to be the best thing to thin Humbrol paints.
Considering how much you use when creating washes and not using it for brush cleaning a tin lasts a longtime. Still use white spirits for brush cleaning.

One suggestion I would make with regard to oil paints I would suggest getting a tube of Olive Green as when used as a filter [very thinned, just coloured] it really lifts the colour of allied vehicles as well as the green in German cammo patterns.

I hope my thoughts help you.

John