Weathering with an Airbrush

Kind of a short article today, but one that details what I think is a breakthrough in my painting development. As many of my readers know (all 4 of you, at most haha) I am a big fan of my airbrush, even if I am still enduring the steep learning curve. But this past weekend I was inspired to take up a challenge that I was very nervous to execute: using the airbrush for weathering tanks!

Basically what they looked like before weathering. Just green with a lighter-green highlight on the edges

Now for Something Completely Different...

So recently I hopped into a Warhammer Fantasy Escalation league at my FLGS. I just needed a little something to add variety to my gaming experience these days, and since I had roughly 1,000 points of Orcs and Goblins lying around (that had been given to me by a buddy before he moved) I thought "Why not?" so far I have been enjoying the experience, but since I'm still learning the ins-and-outs of the game I haven't bought too much new equipment yet, with one notable, impressive, and frightening exception: the Arachnarok Spider!

From their website, what a gorgeous model.

Sturmtigers, start to finish

A friend of mine at the store was looking to get some models painted up for an upcoming battle report that he's doing for his own gaming club's publication. He wanted to continue to use the SS Panzergrenadier list out of "Nuts" that was so successful for him in the tourney, but he was stuck using a pile of unpainted figs. I have been looking to try my hand at a commission for a while, and so I offered to paint his two Sturmtigers for $10. He agreed, and so began my first commission!

 The models when I got them

King Tigers

Initially, I was not too enthused with Devil's Charge.  I had already settled on my new American force, and the German lists seemed to give me little to work with, at least without having to expand my model collection.  However, when I got the book I was intrigued at the possibility of using FT King Tigers.  I eventually realized that I still wasn't enthused with the German lists, but the pictures of the big cats thundering down the battlefield sparked my imagination.  I love Battlefront's King Tiger models, and mine don't see the table as often as I wish they would.  So I decided that they would be next on my re-painting queue (those who have read my earlier posts know that I'm re-painting all of my German armor).

I hadn't laid eyes on these King Tigers in over a year, and I had assembled them about 3 years ago! My painting/modelling skills have come a long way since then.  I started by airbrushing the basecoat (Vallejo Air Dark Yellow) over the existing paint scheme (see the earlier posts on the Panthers and Desert Tiger for an idea of what the old scheme was like).

Desert Tigers

Before I really get going on this post, I just want to preface by saying that the truly historically accurate desert paint schemes for the Afrika Korps are not nearly as visually pleasing to me as what I had planned with the airbrush.  That said, I am still learning with the airbrush, and things won't be perfect.  So let's see what I've got.

I am getting into Early War and have settled on the German tank forces under Rommel's command.  I like the Panzer IV list, as it will allow me to use those the bulk of those models in Mid-War as well.  Some buddies have tried to make their case for the Panzer III's, but the way I see it: tanks are mobile 90% of the time; that ROF 3 on the Panzer III will hardly ever be as useful as the FP 3+ on the Panzer IV.

So, we open with a Tiger! Yes, I used one of my Tigers to test the paint scheme for my future Panzer IV's. Right now I haven't finished building my Panzer IV's, so this will have to do for now.  If it works out then I can use it in a Mid-War Afrika list.  Here is what the bad boy looked like beforehand:

Airbrush Intro from a Beginner

Hey guys,

Although anyone thinking about jumping into airbrushing should definitely consult more experienced users than I am, I think that my perspective can still shed some light on the process.  Since I just started, the initial trials and tribulations are still fresh in my mind.

So, do you need an airbrush? Use some of my criteria below as a guide:

First, and most importantly, figure out why you want an airbrush.  The whole kit, from the airbrush to the compressor to the special parts and paints, will definitely hit your wallet pretty hard.  For me, the selling point was speed.  Painting is not the most enjoyable part of the hobby for me, so anything that sped up my painting was something I was interested with.

Second, do your research.  I am lucky in that I have a good friend who is a Golden Demon-caliber painter, and so I went to him for advice.  He recommended that I get one.  Then I did the usual internet research: blogs, videos, etc.  Then I asked around Brother's Grim Games, my FLGS.  A good friend of mine there, who is an outstanding and meticulous painter, highly recommended the airbrush.

Panther Redux

For my first meaty post, I'd like to introduce you to my main current painting project.  Lately my gaming has been focused on playing with Americans, after a long stint of playing Finns and Germans.  Since my Americans are now getting all the gaming love, I have decided to revisit my German tanks.  First up, in honor of Devil's Charge, my panthers!

Here is what they used to look like:

That's from several years ago.  For my first LW army I needed something that would be easy on the wallet and simple to paint. At that time 5 Panthers, 2 Tigers, 3 StuGs, and 2 Armored AA vehicles was 1750 points and just 12 models...perfect!! The army grew, but the paint schemes remained this simple, juvenile scheme.

But for a recent birthday my family gifted me with an airbrush (a Badger 105), and it has been a godsend.  So, for my first real project with the new tool (I've had a little practice base-coating my American tanks) I decided to re-do my Germans.  I started by basecoating the Panthers with Vallejo Air - Dark Yellow: