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AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Yellow Stripes On Early Japanese Tanks
long_tom
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Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 11:56 AM UTC
I've always wanted to build one, but how the smeg is it possible to paint those yellow bands and keep them at an even width? It must have been a headache for painting the real ones, let alone models.

Also, were early Japanese tanks very standard in their choice of colors?
Bravo1102
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Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 08:25 PM UTC
Not to be smart but 75 years ago people were really good with brushes.

Also this is Japan where calligraphy with a brush is a carefully practiced and rigidly taught artform. Hand painting a line with a brush of equal width is literally child's play.

In the western world there were sign painters who spent all their time practicing different fonts to be hand painted with brushes and no stencils. Again a carefully practiced artform.

Where to begin? A flat tipped brush and smooth steady strokes.
GaryKato
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Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 09:17 PM UTC
You could always cheat and paint onto a decal then cut it to a fixed width.

I have paint problems since I have eye and hand problems.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 10:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

You could always cheat and paint onto a decal then cut it to a fixed width.

I have paint problems since I have eye and hand problems.



So do I but it's practice and patience. You paint from the wrist, elbow and shoulder. The whole arm, not the hand.

There are blind people who do calligraphy because it's practiced brush strokes the whole arm in certain patterns.

Yellow wavy stripes are easy, try hussar braid.
Frenchy
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Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 11:17 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Also, were early Japanese tanks very standard in their choice of colors?



Here are a few examples :





from http://axisafvs.blogspot.com/2015/03/early-japanese-tanks.html

Some food for thought :

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=466533

https://ipmstoronto.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/japanese-armour-colours-1937-1945_harvey-low1.pdf

H.P.
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 06:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

You could always cheat and paint onto a decal then cut it to a fixed width.

I have paint problems since I have eye and hand problems.



So do I but it's practice and patience. You paint from the wrist, elbow and shoulder. The whole arm, not the hand.

There are blind people who do calligraphy because it's practiced brush strokes the whole arm in certain patterns.

Yellow wavy stripes are easy, try hussar braid.



OMG! HUSSAR BRAID, on their Dolmans, Pelisses, Shakoes and Busbies!!! Now THERE's a test for patience if one wants to do it properly! I've done it, and it's exactly as Steve says- wrist, elbow and shoulder, not the hand/fingers- Practice on a junker. And try it sometime with the Golds and Silvers of the braid on the Officers' varieties!!! I LOVE the Napoleonics- such a beautiful variety of color and flamboyance...

To be accurate, one paints the Yellow bands on the vehicle by hand; one can also cheat by airbrushing the Yellow on in the areas where it's required, and MASKING the Yellow with Kabuki tape after it's dried properly, (at least 48 hours drying time), then airbrushing some more Yellow over the masking tape to prevent your camo colors from bleeding in under the masking tape. Once that has dried, airbrush your camo colors onto your subject. Remove your masking tape after the whole shebang has dried and, PRESTO! Japanese-style Yellow Bands!!!

Hope this helps!
RLlockie
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 06:57 AM UTC
Well you could paint a rough stripe first, mask with a length of rolled out white tack or similar putty and then repeat for the camouflage colours with a different shaped set of masks. It’s fairly easy to roll a length of putty to a consistent width.
marcb
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 08:01 AM UTC
The two bright yellow lines formed a cross when seen from above.

Japanese tanks were painted according to pre established guidelines.

Here's a nice example by Steve Zaloga:
http://missing-lynx.com/gallery/axis/type95dragon35sz_1.html
27-1025
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 10:22 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The two bright yellow lines formed a cross when seen from above.

Japanese tanks were painted according to pre estsblished guidelines.

Here's a nice example by Steve Zaloga:
http://missing-lynx.com/gallery/axis/type95dragon35sz_1.html



I’ve seen this build before and it appears to my eyes that the yellow bands are not an exact uniform width.
Belt_Fed
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 10:52 AM UTC
The easiest way to paint the yellow stripes is to basecoat the model yellow, then use a masking putty like Panzer Putty to mask the stripes.
Frenchy
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Posted: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 11:33 PM UTC
More food for thought :

https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=4065

http://hataka-hobby.com/modelarstwo/uploads/2016/10/As69_Back.png

H.P.
long_tom
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Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 12:55 PM UTC
I admit I always wondered why the yellow stripes would do any good, other than perhaps to identify from a distance or from the air-which wouldn't have been needed against an army with little in the way or armor or aircraft.
JPTRR
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RAILROAD MODELING
#051
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Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 02:17 PM UTC
Lots of good tips on painting the stripes.


Quoted Text

I admit I always wondered why the yellow stripes would do any good...


Consider not using yellow. Mucho research indicates that "yellow" was a yellowish-khaki, perhaps much like Britain's Portland Stone.

I highly recommend Japanese Armour Colours, A Primer, 1937-1945

long_tom
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Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 03:56 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Lots of good tips on painting the stripes.


Quoted Text

I admit I always wondered why the yellow stripes would do any good...


Consider not using yellow. Mucho research indicates that "yellow" was a yellowish-khaki, perhaps much like Britain's Portland Stone.

I highly recommend Japanese Armour Colours, A Primer, 1937-1945



I can hear the people who have done models with the bright yellow stripes seeing this and going "OH, fiddlesticks!"
SSGToms
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Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 07:13 PM UTC
I love IJA tanks. I paint the whole tank yellow, roll poster putty into ropes, lay them out on the model, then free hand airbrush the 3 camo colors. Remove the poster putty and you have excellent results.
long_tom
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Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2019 - 11:25 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I love IJA tanks. I paint the whole tank yellow, roll poster putty into ropes, lay them out on the model, then free hand airbrush the 3 camo colors. Remove the poster putty and you have excellent results.


What putty do you recommend?
Bravo1102
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Posted: Friday, May 24, 2019 - 12:06 AM UTC
The blue handy tack putty. I prefer the DAP Blue stick. It has the best adhesion. Though for masking you might prefer a lower stickiness like the Scotch.
27-1025
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Posted: Friday, May 24, 2019 - 02:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I love IJA tanks. I paint the whole tank yellow, roll poster putty into ropes, lay them out on the model, then free hand airbrush the 3 camo colors. Remove the poster putty and you have excellent results.



That’s a good idea, need to try that. My last go around I used masking fluid over a yellow base and the sprayed the other colors. It was a train wreck, had to strip it back down to bare plastic.
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