Hi guys,
I’d like to have put this question on my blog but I’d like to get as many eyeballs to see it as possible [8-|]
My current WIP StuG III Ausf B will obviously be painted in German Panzer Grey.
I’ve experimented with a few mixes by adding Medium Blues and whites and varying thinner rations etc but have yet to get a ‘perfect’ shade.
Does anyone use XF-63 (Tamiya German Grey) straight from the jar or do you make additions?
Many thanks,
Ben [t$t]
German dark grey, in 1:1 ratio was a very very blackish grey. No blue hues. Now as modellers we add all sorts of colors to mimic what is in our minds. It’s up to you to do with this knowledge what you want. I know that blue adds some warmth to the 1/35 model but to imagine it has much blue saturation is off, in my opinion.
Like I said, in reality, it was almost black.
I have to agree with T26E4. Panzer gray was very dark. The current trend of modelers to make panzer gray appear as a medium blueish gray is off. I understand the “scale effect” argument, but it still should be a dark gray without any blueness to it.
Its all open to interpretation. I use Vallejo, so i use vallejo German grey. Blue filters and dark washes will change everything. Personally, i wouldn’t really worry about it.
I’m lazy, I use whatever brand calls their paint panzer grey and go with it. Model Master and Tamiya are my usual suspects.
I like to use German Grey mixed with Flat White… I use about 50:50 for the basecoat and I use heavily thinned (10-20% paint to 80-90% thinner) unmixed German grey to do all the post shading, so it comes out quite a bit darker than the base coat. If you dont want to post-shade, maybe try like a 25:75 white to german grey mix? I think tamiya german grey is a great color, but just too dark right out of the bottle.
Hi guys,
Thanks for the replies [Y]
There’s plenty of food for thought here so I’ll have to see what I fancy - it’s just nice knowing how my fellow armour modellers tackle the Panzer Grey subject!
I’ve got some Vallejo Model Air German Grey. I’ve heard mixed reports about this paint but it does look like a very nice shade.
Hmmm? [*-)]
ATVB
Ben [t$t]
I use Testors Model Master Panzer Schwarzgrau straight from the bottle for the base coat. Depending on the finish I want, I will add a little bit of Light Gray to it (not white) and then spray that in the panels to add some contrast/lighting and then let the dot filter weathering process take it from there. [:)]
[2cnts]
Pre-shade with a enamel flat black wash then coat with a dark gray primer followed by a light coat from above of light gray primer. It works for me and utilizes my rattle can primers.
*One day I will have the ideal hobby room equipped with a air brush set up! [ap][au]
That’s what I use too.
I know Tony Greenland says he mixes a little blue in, but to me dark grey doesn’t mean dark blue.
hey wait!
Have you guys even tried Tamiya’s Sea Blue (straight or with some white)??
AWESOME IT IS!!! [Y]
Lightening it with Buff of Dark Yellow will also give you a warmer hue for post-shading.
Personally, I tried the “blue thang” when that craze came around, but I wasn’t convinced by it. It’s purely artistic interpretation by Greenland, and looks nice on his finished models, but it’s really a personal choice.
You know how I hate that term “correct shade” anyway…[:|]
Hey Karl,
I hope you are well. Thanks for your input [Y]
I tried the blue thing on my last StuG (the one that was ate by the dog) and although it loked good it was way off being anything like accurate.
I might try my Gunze Field Grey (1) that Gunze Field Grey is actually Grey, the Gunze Field Grey (2) is Green. I’ve also got some Gunze Flat White so I’ll see how it looks when mixes, thinned down and applied to a test piece.
Many thanks,
Ben [t$t]