"Painting Tank Tracks" Topic

My standard procedure for painting tank tracks has been:

* paint them rust color
* black wash
* drybrush steel

I was browsing in Battlefront's Colours of War book and watching some online tutorials, and one of those sources (I forget which) scolded about rusty tank tracks, saying that tracks were in constant use, they didn't get rusty!

I decided to try one of several techniques from Colours of War:

* prime black
* paint tracks brown
* black wash
* drybrush steel
* brown wash
* drybrush steel (edges)

I really like how this turns out, though it seems overly complicated. Painting the tracks brown seems extra work if you're going to brown wash later. I'll play around more on my next models.

I think it also works because I'm using Vallejo Sepia Wash, which seems a lot 'stickier' than my usual brown wash product.

I build models as my main hobby, specifically armor.

One of the techniques I use, if I want to show well worn tracks, is to paint them dirt color. In fact, most of the lower hull should be painted dirt color. I'll then do a heavy highlight of gunmetal, lighter highlight of steel, & just a touch of silver for the well polished high points.

Damon.

In 1/300 scale I've started painting them earth brown (Miniatures paints), the whole model then gets a mucky dark brown wash and is then dry brushed with dried earth (Colour Party paints). It is worth having a look at colour photos of tanks – I've got the latest copy of Tankette by my desk with photos from Tankfest, none of them show any steel on the tracks.

All the tracked vehicles I have ever seen (outside museums) have mud coloured tracks with metal highlights, and mud all over the running gear and lower Hull.

So my tracks, and running gear, get painted mid mud/dust brown, then and dark brown n inkwash over the tracks themselves and a metal highlight. So similar to the second method above, although I'm not sure why it needs two highlights. Just one at the end?

Mud and dust, mud and dust, and more mud and more dust. That's all there is to it. Mud if it rains; dust if it shines.