When do you paint your armor?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I’m a pretty recent returnee to building armor and have a basic question about order of construction. Some builders seem to complete nearly all construction, including tracks, prior to doing any painting. Others seem to build without the tracks, apply paint, then add painted tracks before final weathering. In the old days of rubber band tracks, this wasn’t an issue but with individual links, I’m confused. [#wstupid]

I realize this may just be a matter of taste or habit, but I’d appreciate hearing from you have “been there and done that” to help us newbies better understand our options. Thanks.

2

I put everythin’ together, the upper hull and surface details and the lower hull and torsion bars minus the track wheels, I paint these individually off the vehicle, same with the tracks! Any track links on the hull, and towin’ cables are painted seperately off the vehicle, too!

I then airbrush the vehicle with a pre-shade coat, basecoat and then a highlight coat. After this I paint in the surface and turret details like the shovels, axes and machineguns etc.

I now Future Klear coat the whole vehicle, ready for the decals and a pin-wash!

After this, I then apply a coat of matt varnish! Then apply filters, then apply weatherin’ effects! Done! [:D]

3

Much like Eddie, I complete as much as possible, sans the wheels, tools and tracks and then paint. I paint all else on the sprues.

4

[#ditto]

5

Mostly like these guys, but I paint the turret separate from the hull. This allows for easier painting in the overhang areas. Camo is applied after the wheels have been added, since in most cases this is how the real things would be painted. When doing camo, I generally go llight to dark unless it’s MERDC. Then its lighter of the two primary colors, darker of them, sand squiggles then black squiggles.

6

[#ditto]

7

I build it all, everything on it at once.

Prime, paint, future, detail paint, weather.

8

Stug, that is one awesome looking dio!! That mud on the tracks is incredible.
And from memory, that kind of mud is such a pain in the axx at the bird bath.
Great job!!

-60

9

That has to be some of the best turf I’ve ever seen! Sweet.[tup]

10

Thanks for the kind words all!!!

I posted the pict.s to show what I do.Works for me but others may not be comfortable with it.

I still need to get the crew in there, but so far they’re AWOL[:)]

11

I think I may have asked you allready, and forgot, but what did you use for the grass?

As to the original question, I biuld as much as possible, but keep the wheels, tracks, and tools off the kit. Everything is basecoated, then attached together and weathered as one.

12

Sorry about that!!I use cut up hay bayler twine in different lengths mixed with some normal static grass and sphagnum moss in a coffee grinder and then A/Bed and highlighted.

Thanks for the compliment!!

13

This is a great question…I had the very same one, thanks for asking it. I’ve completed 2 models and starting my 3rd but haven’t painted a drop - due to indecision at how to proceed ( as well as some apprehension about my 1st attempt at using an airbrush).

Thanks to everyone that posted answers…a big help to me.

Larry

14

I know we discussed this before. One moment please.

Edit: I found it.

15

I paint armor pretty much the way I paint other models. First, I study how the construction will go and paint the parts or areas which will hard to reach later on then I move on to other parts and by sections. Interiors definitely have to be painted first. When I have reached final assemblies then I make the final painting sans road wheels and tracks and then finished off the same way others will.