Was wondering what you all use to paint the tires of your armor? I don’t like the look of just ‘black’. Looks too, I dunno, new…fake…something. I’m having trouble finding Tire Black…although I was able to find Testors Rubber.
Floquil Weathered Black…http://www.testors.com/products/133608
One of the most realistic shades of black I ever came across, when it dries you’d swear it was real weathered rubber
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I mix Tamiya flat black with Tamiya German Grey
I use either Floquil Weathered Black or Grimey Black.
Regards, Rick
Testors Rubber is a shade that is a rally really dark brown. To my eye it looks more like the sidewalls of tires that have a heavy coating of brake dust rather than any weathered rubber itself. Polly Scale’s Scale Balck is also a good choice. Gunze made a Tire Black shade that was excelelnt but since their acrylic line now appears to be unobtainalbe here in the US, it is nothing more than a memory. Lightening any Flat Black just a shade with some Dark Gray will get you a nice home made tire black if you cant find the Polly Scale or Floquil paints.
Look at real tyres…most of the ones I’ve seen are not black at all but a brownish-black or charcoal grey color…
While there are a number of “almost” black paints you can buy, I generally mix my own. I add either a little flat white or flat tan to the flat black. Each model then has a unique shade on the tires, but so what, that is what real life is. Go out and take pictures of tires, you will find each car (or plane or whatever) has a somewhat unique color.
Only cars in a show, which have had a fresh coat of “tire paint” are ever really black.
In fact, I reserve real flat black right from the bottle for duplicating “openings”. All else- real surfaces- I add some lightness too.
Tamiya NATO Black works for me. It has an VERY subtle greenish grey tint to it and is not as stark as regular black.
Brian
Mix flat black with a dab of flat light blue. After dry brush with flat black and weather with suitable ground color to get the rubber look. Shine on wear surfaces can be added with skin grease swiped from your forehead with a brush.