Advice please: drybrush/wash for white vehicles

BarryG · Post by **BarryG** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:56 pm

Hi Guys, haven't posted in a long while but been reading the forum a lot.
Anyway, due to the welcome addition of the Chinese WZ551 to the catalogue I find myself with a surplus of unpainted VAB/VCIs (Both 4x4 and 6x6) that I've decided to assign to a UN force together with misc wheeled armored cars I've never really found a home for.

In theory it should be the easiest paint job ever. Stick 'em on a nail, spray with white primer, add details......done?
They look ok....but could do with some more touches. Normal wisdom is to drybrush with a lighter shade but that won't apply here. As for washing, I'm a little concerned a blackwash will leave them looking shoddy.
I'm thinking adout washing with a medium grey and applying only where needed and then dry brushing the raised areas with the same colour.
Any of you guys got any suggestions?

Thanks

Barry

vicvolta · Post by **vicvolta** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:51 pm

As far as my opinion goes, you can go two different styles here, my friend. One, you can obtain a clean, white UN vehicle by doing what you said; white primer add details. But I figure you want som shading so, two; use white base coat, give it a grey thin wash and dry brush with white. Now you got a light kind of shading but you might like to make some heavy outlines in the "darkest" areas. I use a fine brush and black ink to fill these cracks. Then you add detail.

Good luck, and please post a pic of the result =)

BarryG · Post by **BarryG** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:23 pm

Ok, thanks for the tip. I should manage to organise some photos over the weekend. I don't want to spend too long on these models, I've a bunch of new Chinese minis just waiting for my attention.

Vanvlak · Post by **Vanvlak** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:23 pm

Not an easy one- as you say, black wash gives a dirty finish. My way would be to thin down the wash further, apply lightly and only in areas where it is needed (e.g. not on broad, flat sides), and when dry (and wash can take a good deal of time to dry) drybrush selectively with white. Applied carefully, the tank (or whatever) looks clean; applied with less grace, the tank looks a bit worn - which is better in my book.
As an alternative to black, try a chestnut coloured wash (well, I use Games Workshop chestnut wash - or flesh wash) - works well for whitewashed German vehicles.
cheers,
john

BarryG · Post by **BarryG** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:27 pm

After about 20 minutes total painting the results are pretty underwhelming. I washed with a well diluted Vallejo medium grey and they looked ok to the eye but are a bit flat in the photos.

I also tried outdoor photography for the first time. Sun went in just as I started, typical!

Anyway, the white vehicles are only a small part of the force

I moved back indoors and the sun came out again, honest

I like this pic even if the vehicles are not really in the best position

I'm not going to do anything else with these apart from getting a tiny tiny felt tip pen and writing UN on the sides.

Pitfall · Post by **Pitfall** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:05 am

Generally, the smaller scale you go, the more artificial contrast you have to add to a model to make it look "more better." I would recommend a dark grey wash for those. Either that or paint it grey and drybrush with white.

tstockton · Post by **tstockton** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:30 am

BarryG,

I'm not going to do anything else with these apart from getting a tiny tiny felt tip pen and writing UN on the sides.

In case you'd rather use decals, GHQ has a set of UN, SFOR and KFOR markings; it is set D-16.

http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/d16.html

I've never had much luck with hand-lettered or painted markings. I know some guys swear by them; I always end up swearing at mine!

Regards,
Tom Stockton

vicvolta · Post by **vicvolta** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:05 am

Barry, they sure look good. But Im sorry if I wasnt clear enough on the grey wash. It seems like you thinned it too much or used a too light grey. As some other person in this threat suggests, try use a little darker grey with not so thin wash =)

BarryG · Post by **BarryG** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 1:42 pm

Thanks for the extra tips, I might give them another wash. As you can see in one of the pics these are basically big white targets for various heavies so I'm not too bothered if I mess them up a bit.
Especially like the grey paint, white drybrush idea. Might give it a try on some old old old Chieftans I have somewhere (Not GHQ so perfect for painting practice

Pitfall · Post by **Pitfall** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:48 pm

Another good bit of advice is that you can't highlight white and you can't shade black. It's pretty simple to handle white, just start with a darker color, like grey. In some instances, you can add another color like blue or brown to create different effects (brown and grey work best for armor, I think).

For black, base with black and then highlight with black mixed with blue or brown unless you want the black to look faded, then use grey.