Painting T-72 Tusk

[jaxenro]

OK I am new to this tried a different way for paining these T-72 TUSKers

Please tell me what you would have done differently so I can learn. They still need some touch up on the machine gun and I grabbed a 20/0 brush for the Z to add to the side so it won't look as heavy as last time

the kit


I modified some T pins to use as holders just a drop of super glue


and pinned them to a stick



for primer I used black gesso


looks like I completely ruined them


but gesso shrinks amazingly when dry - just a couple of pinholes I sent back and touched up


I used a lighter shade of green over the black base and basically drybrushed straight from the bottle first the darker one then just the real highlights with the lighter


and here I am now

[jaxenro]

I think it gives a dirty look of a well used tank

i will try replacing the machine gun barrel with thin wire and go easy on the primer I think it thickened it a little too much

[Hoth_902]

I have a couple of question to start off.

1. Did you hand paint this?
2. Did you go strait from black primer to dry brushing the lighter color? If so, why go with black as the base coat and not a green or some other color that close to Russian base coat color?
3. Did you use the paint right from the bottle without thinning?

My thoughts on each.

I rarely hand brush my primer and base coat. I use an airbrush. Its give really thing layers that rarely hide detail in any meaningful way. The great thing is, you have to thin the paints to airbrush it. Then I hand paint the camouflage and detail work. I always thin out the paint that I am going to hand paint camo and details. I saw on a youtube channel that stated that using paint right out of the pot tends to look thicker and even have an unwanted texture to it that does not fit for the scale. I think I feel I have seen that in my own exploration of painting techniques. Here is an example of the outcome.




The only draw back to thinner layers is that I think they do not stand up very well to handling along the edges and detail, because the layers are thinner. I think this requires a couple of layers of some kind of clear coat that is tougher so that it holds up better to handling. I think it goes something like... Acrylic paint, Enamel Clear coat. Enamel paint, Lacquer clear coat. These are just thoughts I submit for consideration. The great thing about this hobby, is there is more than one way to skin a cat and as long as you are happy, that is the most important part.

As for your work, I think it came out really good. If I was going to point out 1 thing, its that thinning the paint might get better results.

[jaxenro]

1. Did you hand paint this?

Yes

2. Did you go strait from black primer to dry brushing the lighter color? If so, why go with black as the base coat and not a green or some other color that close to Russian base coat color?

Gesso only comes in black, grey, and white and I have found the black shrinks the best

3. Did you use the paint right from the bottle without thinning?

Yes

Basically it was one coat of primer and two of dry brushing. I think I will try thinning them for the next go round. I like some of the effect of the black primer but not others where I don't think I covered it with enough green. At the moment I am just experimenting with different techniques

The gesso holds up really well when dry and doesn't see to rub off easily

nice painting by the way I like how yours came out

[jaxenro]

I tried again this time thinning the gesso and paint as recommended I think it came out better

This is a pair of Russian BMP-1's in Ukraine 2022

[redleg]

I tried painting some vehicles all black and then dry brushing on top of it at one point. I had a Battletech painting guide that recommended that technique, but I sound that I was leaving too much of the black paint uncovered when I dry brushed so I switched it up a bit. My work is still on the lower end of the quality spectrum, but I feel like I have been getting better over this past year and I have been experimenting quite a bit.

My current technique is to skip any real primer coat and just paint the green right onto the model. I do 2 coats, so I guess one coat is the primer and the other is the base color! I seal it with clear coat, and then apply a black wash over the whole thing. Then I go back and dry brush the base color, followed by a second dry brush of a slightly light shade for the highlights.

[Mortis57]

My current technique is to skip any real primer coat and just paint the green right onto the model. I do 2 coats, so I guess one coat is the primer and the other is the base color! I seal it with clear coat, and then apply a black wash over the whole thing. Then I go back and dry brush the base color, followed by a second dry brush of a slightly light shade for the highlights.

I use a similar technique except I just apply one base/primer coat and skip sealing the base coat before applying the wash. If it's a multi camo colour scheme I apply the secondary colours after the drybrushing the base colour but before the final light shade dry brush. If I'm feeling ambitious, i'll finally pick out details like tools, tow ropes etc.

[jaxenro]

I like the black primer at least for Russian green armor will continue to play with it

yesterday I tried fully painting the hull in green over the primer and just drybrushing the wheels. I think it is coming along

[Cav Dog]

Those are perfectly good paint jobs if you pull back to gaming distance, aka the 3' rule. the one thing I learned about painting miniatures, is no matter how good the paint job looks, a camera close up will reveal flaws. Thin or missed spots, too much or too little paint on details, blotchy wash jobs, you name it, so the 3' rule is your friend.

Similar to Hoth, I airbrush the primer coat, which is usually Vallejo gray, let that dry at least overnight, and then basecoat with an airbrush as well, 1 or 2 coats depending on the color and the manufacturer.

The vehicles below were airbrushed with 2 coats of AK Real Colors Russian Modern Green, thinned about 25%. Then I do details by hand, tracks, MGs, road wheels etc. I may use a very fine 20 O brush, or very fine, 0.1 - 0.3 mm black or dark gray ink liners. The "Z" was done by hand with a calligraphy pen with well diluted Vallejo Model Air Insignia White. I let everything dry overnight and then wash the entire vehicle with Army Painter Strong Tone, diluted 50% with equal parts Vallejo airbrush flow improver and water. I may also do a separate wash of Vallejo black model wash over the engine grills. I let that dry overnight and then give it two coats of matt varnish, either Vallejo or Winder and Newton. I think the end result is pretty passable.

[jaxenro]

Very passable they look really good

The three foot rule is good using the camera it’s like an enlarged 3” rule.

[redleg]

Good lookin tanks you guys!