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Thanks David for your thoughts and comments. Just like you, I also have no experience in painting and feel that I jumped into the deep end of the pool.

Vince

Onwards and upwards!

Really got bored of practicing with the airbrush so plucked up some courage and did one side of the model. It's not a Dali or a VanGogh but will do considering it's my first time.
Good thing I took a photo because it really shows up areas that I need to touch up.

Vince

A quick update.

I am finding this airbrushing thing quite relaxing. Learning another skill for when I go back to scratch building model engines. Fortunately (fingers crossed) I have not had any problems with clogging or water in the air. I have done both sides and the front and now starting on the back plate.
As one can see, I have not done anything on the wheels. I suspect this is going to be a last minute decision. I have also removed the turret, engine deck and hull roof as these will be painted separately. I am finding that it is easier to paint a vertical surface than a horizontal one. The camo scheme is first pencilled in than airbrushed freehand. I am not too worried with some overspray as I suspect in real life, painting in the field, the same thing would happen.

Vince

There's been some discussion on the painting of wheels, with I think three distinct camps:

1) Wheels stayed in Dunkelgelb, so that they lightened the lower hull shadows.

2) Individual wheels were sprayed in solid colours, to break up the shape of the lower hull.

3) Wheels were sprayed with a camo pattern which matched the rest of the hull.

Camo pattern on the wheels is contentious because of the idea that the rotation of the pattern as tank moved would be more obvious to an observer than single colour wheels. From a quick Google of Ardennes King Tigers pictures, most would appear to me to have Dunkelgelb wheels, though of course all the pictures are in black and white. There certainly seems to be a difference in the shades on the turret sides and the wheels.

Adrian.

Thanks Adrian for your reply. There are a lot of modern colour drawings of Tiger 1's with camo on the wheels. Similarly, there are some museum pieces which have their wheels painted. I am trying to avoid using these as reference. The majority of the period black and white photos depict the wheels without camo, but having said that I have come across a couple photos which seem to have camo on their wheels. This basically is telling me that camo on the wheels is more the exception than the rule and that's the reason I just can't decide what to do.

My plan at the moment is to wait unit the model is fully painted and then try and decide what to do.

Vince

Hi Vince,
I reckon the paint went wherever these guys thought appropriate. Just as it does with our models, but probably with a lot less care. Decide what theatre your vehicle was in and camouflage it to suit would be my bet.
Cheers,
Simon

Thanks Simon for those photos. They were really helpful.

Vince

Backside finished also.
I wanted to add some soot marks around the exhaust and heat shield but I did not want it to be very dark as the idea is that this is a freshly field painted new tank so lightly used. After a lot of experimenting I used a dark wash and sprayed from a distance.
Vince

Tried to use the paint masks to do the German crosses but found out that the mask will not adhere properly to the zim and as such there would be paint bleed under the mask. So I used the paint mask as a template to cut another mask from a wide piece of masking tape which adheres better to the zim. This worked a treat although it involved a lot of extra work. I also fitted the track rope to the side of the hull.
Next operation is to do the camo on the hull roof and engine deck. As the camo scheme will have to co-ordinate between the hull, deck and turret, I will be temporarily fitting the hull roof, engine deck and turret to help me pencil in the camo scheme and keep it co-ordinated.

Vince

Looking good Vince. I always make my own masks from blue painters tape. It works well and comes in wide widths for those big markings.
Best regards, happy holidays.
Bob

Thanks Bob. I think I will have to use this method for all markings that are on the zim. A bit of a pain.

Vonce

A little more painting progress. Finished the hull roof and engine deck and they are back in place. Not perfect but not too bad for a first timer with an airbrush. Happy to report that my el cheapo airbrush is still going strong.
I have decided that I will be giving the road wheels some light camo but that will be later on after I finish the turret and barrel. Also, I haven't done the two unit markings yet. It was suggested to me on a different thread (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7944) that these should be pink. I have not found any ready made paint for these yet so I will be experimenting with mixing some red and white colours to see if I can get the colour. If this does not work out then I will paint them red.

Vince

Camo is looking good so far.
The color to use for the unit markings is Vallejo sunset red 70.802.

Hi Vince I spent some time researching s.SS.Pz.Abt.102 when I built my Tiger the divisional marking in pink is correct this was the colour relating to the Panzerwaffe today it still is the colour of the Panzer arm of the Bundeswehr.

Some years ago the Tiger I from Saumur a former s.SS.Pz.Abt.102 Tiger was loaned to Panzer museum Munster at the time the Tiger only had gelb and bunkelgrun as colours the Germans added dunkelbrun and also the divisional marking in Pink this marking is still there today http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/attachmen ... 0x480-.jpg

The picture below the pink looks almost white this caused by the camera and also the colour being altered on your computer screen the pink I mixed was on the light side this was done to make it look as though it had been bleached by the sun you could go a few shades darker if you wish I don't have an official RAL number as I suspect the Germans themselves mixed the shade as opposed to and official batch of RAL paint.

Thanks Mike and Mark for that info. Much appreciated.

Mark, what scale is that Tiger 1 in the photo. It looks amazing.

Vince