Base Coating a model
At this stage it is important to have a picture of your finished model in your mind. This allows the modeller to choose what base coat to use that will help with the later stages of painting. For the Arette, I am going to use Tamiya’s Black Green. This will make it easier to apply light coats, of NATO Green later on, to give the impression of worn and sun faded paint work.
As with the red oxide on the Sdkfz, I use a mix of fifty/fifty, paint to thinners. There are two ways to approach base coating, one is depicted in Picture One
What I have done here is called Pre Shading and I have only painted the Black Green on the panel lines and in recessed areas. This allows for the creation of shadows and dirt before the topcoat has been painted. However I do not like this method and prefer to paint the whole vehicle in the darker base colour In picture two you can still see some of the primer, this is deliberate.
As with the Primer, I spray several thin coats of paint to avoid paint build up and runs. The quick drying times of Acryllic paint really help at this stage. When you have finished base coating your AFV, it should look something like Picture Three. The aim is to produce an even covering over all the areas you want.
The same procedure is used on the Sdkfz. On this vehicle I have used Xtracrylix Afrika Korps Sand Grey(XA1809). The paint to thinners ratio is nearer 60/40 in favour of the thinners as I have found Xtracrylix to need more thinners than Tamiya paints when air brushed. This is the only drawback to this brand of paint, if it can be called a draw back, and when dry it has a satiny finish, looks very impressive.
Base coating an AFV is a simple process, but just as at any stage of the finishing process, if you do not take care to avoid paint build up, runs etc, you can ruin a perfectly good model. The best “rules” to keep in mind here are, take your time, and understand how base coating can affect the later stages of painting.
Hawkeye
