I have used a number of different approaches to make realistic looking tracks. Sometimes I´m fairly content with the result, sometimes I´m just pretty annoyed. So any advices and tips are more than welcome.
what I did with the track of the elefant was to apply rust paint buy not to cover the whole track but leave some plastic showing and then I use some mud paint and as a final touch apply some metal to the areas that are in contact to the ground and to the wheels, it takes some time but it will give you a decent finish, enjoy it
I tend to paint rust on first, then heavily dry-brush with gunmetal-type colour, then dry-brush with aluminium. It gives a rusted-crevice, worn down outer look. I have so far shied away from mud...
If you are doing Friuli white metal tracks, spray/paint and weather them however you like in the normal manner then lightly sand the tips of the tracks where it would come into contact with the ground and do the same with the guide teeth. It goes back to the metal colour. I haven't done it myself yet but I recently saw it in an article about Tamiya's T55 and I have to say it looked amazing. I will definately try it next time. The trick is to not overdo it though I guess. On the other hand Mig Productions and others do nice weathering powders that can be mixed to form mud in realistic looking tones. Many shades of these pigments are available and they are not very expensive.
For so far I have been doing all things you mentioned here: I usually cover them in Rust first, then I put on some Gun Metal ( for the heavier models I apply it the other way round though)and finish it off with silver to show where the paint would have been worn off. (like Me262 said: the track teeth, wheels and road contacts) You can also try to mix the silver and rust, as I did once in a scale of 50% to 50% but I needed to use some more rust when dry to make it look more real. Sometimes I like to add some mudd to it which I create out of 50% sand and 50% rust. All of this together makes a really sweet look!!
I just like the shiney glow coming with the silver. Steel makes (as far as I know) just as flat as "Gun metal"but please notify if I'm wrong.
Hey, I made an arrangement with a friend who ownes a digital camera, so I hope I can show my tracks soon. I will try to get the photos as soon as possible, so you can see what I mean.
I've always put the rust on after the metallic coloured basecoat. I think I'll try iy the other way round next time, after reading how you guys do it.
First, I coat the track with flat black. Then I apply a dark rust color to show old/original rust. Then I put on a mud color (light for town use, heavy for field use). Then I put on a fresh rust color and then apply a black wash. To finish it off, I go over it with a light drybrushing of steel color.
Hello friends: First I applied a wash of No.62/matt-leather de Humbrol with thinner in both sides leaving it to dry during 3 hours, then, a wash of XF-64/red-Brown of Tamiya in the surface being the previous painting in the hollows giving it an aspect of oxide and finally with dry brush with XF-16/flat aluminium in the surface not to totally cover the previous applications with a very real and satisfactory finishing. Well, depends of the terrain too because the techniques is different.in this case is for terrain with no mud Regards, Rodolfo
hi rodolfo, your approach looks fabulous. thanks for sharing these pics! I generally apply just about thesame technique, though I use some other colours, like Humbrol or Revell rust and dark brown, finish with Humbrol gun metal (drybrush).
Thanks for your comments friends. I finished this kit in August, 2002. I used as references some books as Tiger I in Action of Concord. I added: photoetched and resin of Verlinden and cables & Bosch lights of Greif. Kit: Tiger I Ausf E of Tamiya, scale 1/35. After of one week, I added the Commander: Regards, Rodolfo
wow. Almost like a picture! those figures like commanders always make tanks look that little bit extra.
