Recommendations for Panzer Gray?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hey guys, what are your recommendations for a good panzer gray color?

I’ve tried Tamiya’s Panzer Gray but its lighter in shade than I expected and somewhat dull & drab. It just lacks…I don’t know, vibrancy? Anyway is there an acrylic paint of a darker gray? I’ve heard that some panzer grays are more blue, some more brown.

How about mixing colors to get the right shade? I have mostly Tamiya acrylics, but a few Vallejo Model Air acrylics (not panzer gray).

Thanks in advance!!

2

The best evidence is that actual dunkelgrau is close to black – regardless of what color photos might appear. I like to use Tamiya. After weathering and dusting – not much is similar to the basecoat anyways for me.

However, certainly no one in scale modelling would ever dream of looking down upon someone else’s choice of paint schemes, right? No one has ever heard or uttered “That looks too green to me” or " Not enough scale effect" or “That gray is too dark”, right?
[:)]

Have a look at this site. Go to “Colour perception” and let’s all serve up some humble pie!
http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/OpticalIllusions/colourPerception/colourPerception.html

3

I like the Tamiya color too - and I try to avoid bluish Dunkelgrau. It looks best without the ‘cool’ bluish tint.

4

I believe the the Testors rattle-can will give you more of a blue color if that is what you are after. I’m in the Tamiya camp.

5

I used Vallejo Model Air Black Grey acrylic which is a RAL match to Panzer grey. See my post for the results:

/forums/788819/ShowPost.aspx

6

I use the same as vtrockin…it gives a very good shade compared to the Tamiya grey.

7

I am currently experimenting with Tamiya’s XF-24 Dark Grey for the upper parts of my initial prod’n Tiger, leaving their German Grey for the hull & running gear. It gives a better scale look of Panzer Grey. And anyway, it will get a wash & a coat of dust, so the correct base colour is really a moot point.

8

Ya know, I think it was Tony Greenland who first brought up that canard about Tamiya Pz Gray needing blue in ordr to look correct. I tried it on one tank, and thought it looked ok but have since reverted back to plain ol’ Grey. T26E4 is right–every photo I’ve ever seen looks nearly black–and even duskier when covered in dust.

What is it about these Germans and their paint colors?[;)] Have you ever tried to match the Leopard I and II’s colors before they went standard 3-color? SHEEEESHH! Talk about a goose chase!

9

Fellas, thanks for all your responses! They mostly confirm my feelings that Panzer Gray (schwarzgrau) is a very dark gray. I’ll stick with Tamiya acrylics for now, but I’ll probably experiment with Vallejo and maybe Lifecolor in the future! Gonna mix me up a batch of German Gray with some black mixed in…[8D]

10

Hello,

I like to use Humbrol paints, using #67 , as panzer grey . it works for me , and the tank doesn’t look " too new " . But Humbrol paints , seem to be rather hard to get . I hope this helps , and Happy Modelling !

Frank

11

Yeah Frank, Humbrol is hard to find in the Bay Area. Only one LHS carries it and its 50 miles away! Plus its enamel and I like to use acrylics (have to spray in the house)

Stopped by a hobby shop in San Francisco and found Tamiya’s Nato Black! Tried it last night and its perfect! A nice DARK gray…I’m hoping that post shading with straight black and panel fading with German Gray will give me the results I’m looking for!

12

I’ve always used Tamiya XF-17 Sea Blue as a basecoat, followed by a coat of XF-63 German Grey, then a final light shot of XF-24 Dark Grey. These two final colours mainly applied to the centre of the panels.

13

Hey Fingers! Haven’t seen you on the forums for a while! Thanks for the tip. How dark is the Sea Blue? I assume the Sea Blue base coat gives the subsequent coats of gray a slightly blue shade?

I think you did this on your Panzerbefehlswagon or Panzer I Ausf A. I’ll try to find the post and review it!

Thanks again Fingers!

14

Yeah, thats right. Its not blue at all, its jus’ that my camera has a hard time with greys, they all come out with a blue cast no matter what I do with the WB.

I find the Sea Blue a great colour to use, its a very dark grey.

I haven’t been buildin’ any armour of late, jus’ buildin’ and paintin’ figures. Cheers dude.

15

I would in my opinion just go with German Gray from Tamiya. Especially when I use it as a base coat when I do a White Wash for winter armor.

16

Being as I build mostly aircraft, I keep a generous supply of Testors MM RLM66 on hand. I think it comes pretty close to panzer grey.

17

wasn’t RLM66 a Luftwaffa color of German Gray? I have that color too but it looks too light to use on armor models.

18

I use Model Master Acrylics and use there Schwartzgrau. It seems dark, but they are all different.

19

Yep, it is a luftwaffe color. I’ll lightly shoot it over a black base coat on armor to darken it a bit, and onto bare plastic with no primer for painting my aircraft. Did that in a pinch a while back when my LHS had no panzer grey in stock and I’ve just stuck with it ever since.

20

[#ditto]-- supposed to look a little dark-- looks different in different lighting-- almost as if it were chamoflaged![(-D]-- seriously --that is the beauty and engineering of that color![:)]-- tread[8D]