Help with painting?

[Plumbguy]

Hello everybody I'm thinking of painting my Tiger I and weathering it up and adding effects but I don't know where to start, it's a Heng Long and I want it to be from the Afrika Corps, could someone help me as to what paints to use, techniques? I know the technique to get the scratches effect but that's about it!

[Plumbguy]

Also I forgot to mention I'm planning for it to be Tiger 131 from bovington in all of her glory

[PainlessWolf]

Good Morning,
Tiger 131 is a favorite subject of many of the builders on this forum and elsewhere due to it's status as the only original running Tiger 1 around now a days . I would recommend online research on the tank of which there is a _lot_ available. Then once you have the subject matter in hand, check the forum sub headers here on 'Tamiya and 'Heng Long' and 'Other' for builds on the tank to get some great tips on how to paint the tank in any stage over it's long existence. You Tube online also has a plethora of modelers with tons of 'How-To' videos on getting the look of real steel and weathering down pat. Please post pics here as you go. We would love to see your progress and enjoy the fun of the build with you.
regards,
Painless

P.S. Just to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4npFCq_E19s

[billpe]

So that is a loaded question! Painting and weathering can be done in dozens of different ways.

My first advice is go and buy the cheapest tank or afv model you can get and use that to test on. Doesn't matter what the scale is but don't do something you've never done before on your prize tank! The rest is about how much you want to spend on paint and tools. More cash doesn't equal a better finish however it gives more options. I'd spend some time reading about different methods and watch videos.

So paints, you have choices but if you're using a brush, don't use Tamiya acrylics. You can get Africa Korps sets from Ak interactive and Mig Ammo which makes life easy. The colors of 131 are quite well defined so getting an exact match is easy. You can go the rattle can route but colours are limited. Depends how precise you want it. The best finish is with an airbrush on this scale of model but it's not required.

Weathering is a whole different game with lots of products out their. Most effects can however be achieved using oil paints thinned or mixed. These are quite cheap to and last for a long time. Dust and sand effects can be done in several ways. The popular method is pigments while another is very diluted paint left to dry in catchment areas.

Much of it is down to practice and personal taste in both how you do it and how precise you want things.

Here are some sites and videos I'd advise watching:

Mig Jimenez - Weathering done by a pro but he describes everything he does and most of it is very simple to follow: http://youtu.be/KqeXw1b7P4g. This guy has done lots of videos and he's very good at explaining everything he does.

This guy has a different way to do effects but it's a good read: http://www.naritafamily.com/howto/Tiger ... _frame.htm

This guy has lots of great videos :
http://www.florymodels.co.uk

http://www.scalemodelguide.com/category ... eathering/

A good one on desert finishes:http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/ot ... desert.htm

Not tanks but the advice is sound: http://fromthewarp.blogspot.co.uk/2012/ ... t.html?m=1


I'll add some more when I get home. There's allot of literature on this topic!

[Plumbguy]

Thanks for the help, I'll start gathering information on Tiger 131 and on techniques and then I'll decide which paints and try them on a cheap HL Panther

[Plumbguy]

I've had a look around and I've seen a lot of tanks using miliput for welding marks should I start by doing that?

[jarndice]

HI PLUMBGUY! Probably the best reference on "131" is "TIGER TANK OWNERS WORKSHOP MANUAL" published by HAYNES it can be found on AMAZON, Haynes print car maintainance books but this really is a great reference and one of it's writers was the curator of Bovington Tank Museum DAVID FLETCHER. it is about Tigers in general but most drawings and photographs are of "131" hope that helps.shaun

[billpe]

I've had a look around and I've seen a lot of tanks using miliput for welding marks should I start by doing that?

Its always an option, easy to do and fairly cheap for a nice effect. They should go on before painting.

[Plumbguy]

HI PLUMBGUY! Probably the best reference on "131" is "TIGER TANK OWNERS WORKSHOP MANUAL" published by HAYNES it can be found on AMAZON, Haynes print car maintainance books but this really is a great reference and one of it's writers was the curator of Bovington Tank Museum DAVID FLETCHER. it is about Tigers in general but most drawings and photographs are of "131" hope that helps.shaun

Thanks I'll have a look that's helped a lot

[Plumbguy]

I've had a look around and I've seen a lot of tanks using miliput for welding marks should I start by doing that?

Its always an option, easy to do and fairly cheap for a nice effect. They should go on before painting.

Right I'll start that, does anyone know how to remove the stock decals?