"Best Bronze Green Paint for 10mm British Tanks" Topic

I am trying to determine the best paint (brand and color)to use on some 10 MM British pre-WWII tanks. I got a bottle of Vallejo Bronze Green, but it is very dark, and to me way too dark to use on a 10 MM model without just looking black.

So I am seeking help in finding the best paint to use on these 10 MM models.

Thanks for any help or suggestions,

Terry

The link below is helpful in getting the correct colours. As for the model paints, one suggestion is Humbrol 30. There is a relatively new range of acrylics, based on Starmer's "recipes", but I cannot recall the name of the company. There was a discussion about it on the Guild a few months ago.

link

Thanks Steamingdave47, I have all of Starmer's books and they are excellent. My concern is with the small scale of 10 MM I am afraid that if I use a color as dark as Vallejo Bronze Green the model will just look off-black. I would prefer a more dark green looking model.

I primarily use Vallejo and the various hobby store paints if that helps with suggestions.

Thanks again for the link to Starmer's work.

Terry

Hi Terry, I appreciate the point about small scale and dark colours (I mainly game with 10mm figures and I also build model railways in British N gauge). Interestingly, I came across a reference that referred to pre-war British tanks in Bronze Green looking " almost black", so perhaps Vallejo colour is close.
I tend to mix colours for tanks so it looks " right" to my eye. I have a piece of white card and mix up various proportions of colours until I am happy with the colour. Big problem of course is that there are few reliable colour references for the period. Using the contemporary recipes does not always work well, as evidenced by my attempts to recreate authentic "Olive Drab" using ochre and black! I wonder if adding a little Vallejo Uniform Green to the Bronze Green would lighten it enough? I would be reluctant to use white, although a little yellow might work.
By the way. The acrylic paint range I was trying to recall is DOA and they were available from Trackpads.co.uk, but last time I checked the site was ahowing " under maintenance" and it appears they may have gone out of business.

Don't be afraid to mix in lighter colours for the base coat, especially on smaller scales. I find brown and off-whites like German Camo Beige and Dark Sand to be good for that. The important thing is that it needs to appear to the eye to be the colour you want.

A lighter that usual base coat plus careful inking and a little highlighting is all you need to make small armour look good.

Anthropicus, Mixing colors is not a problem for me – it's mixing the shade close enough again for touch-ups, so I prefer an out of the bottle for base coats. Then either shade by hand or use a wash, which ever fits he color and figure the best – sometimes using both. Then I mix like the dickens for highlighting.

Dave 47, I know I can lightening Vallejo bronze green with highlighting, but am still afraid it is just going to look black. I understand it often did give that appearance, and have the Starmer books with paint chips, which also show a very dark color. I guess what I am looking for is a lighter shade, but in the same color tone. Very much appreciate all of your help!

Still working through it.

Thanks guys!!!

Terry