WW2 Painting Guide: Panzers

Some rough notes about painting Panzers during World War II. This is one of my WW2 Painting Guides.

Steven’s Recommendations

For Panzer Grey I used:

  • Undercoat in black
  • Paint Vallejo 70994 Dark Grey (166)
  • Dry brush Vallejo 70992 Neutral Grey (160)
  • Dry brush Vallejo 70990 Light Grey (155)

Eastern Front German Tank Camouflage

Details from http://www.achtungpanzer.com/camo.htm

Date Base Pattern Optional Pattern
1939 – 42 dark (panzer) grey (RAL 7021) Green and brown clouds. Mud and foliage.
winter of 1941/42 washable white winter camouflage paint
Spring 1942 (Southern Russia) yellow brown/sand yellow (RAL 8000) over 75% grey green (RAL 7008) Mud and/or captured British Paints.
late August of 1942 (Tigers near Leningrad) dark (panzer) grey (RAL 7021).
February 1943 dark yellow (RAL 7028) dark olive green (RAL 6003) and red brown (RAL 8017) olive green (RAL 8002) especially in spring and summer
19 Aug 1944 (“Ambush” scheme) dark yellow (RAL 7028) dark olive green (RAL 6003) and red brown (RAL 8017) small yellow, light grey or white spots were applied on green and brown areas, while small green spots were applied on dark yellow areas
31 Oct 1944 primer red oxide (RAL 8012) dark yellow (RAL 7028) or field grey and red brown (RAL 8017).
31 Nov 1944 Dark olive green (RAL 6003) or dark green (RAL 6002) dark yellow (RAL 7028) red brown (also known as dark chocolate brown) (RAL 8017) or “brick” red brown (dark red) (RAL 8012)
Spring 1945 dark (panzer) grey (RAL 7021) red brown (also known as dark chocolate brown) (RAL 8017) and dark olive green (RAL 6003).

White Washing tanks

Some advice I picked up from somewhere (now forgotten) …

There are several ways, but I prefer to paint the model in the base color(s), and then apply a thick wash of white paint plus enough thinner to make it slightly transparent (or should that be “more transparent than white paint already is”? ) so that it covers better in the recesses than on the higher parts of the model. Adding more thinner will make the whitewash appear older and more faded. After that, drybrush and paint areas of wear with the model’s base color to show where the white wash has worn off and the normal paint has come through.

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