Help with vehicles

[Warpedfuzz]

 WEll it's that time again; time to hole up somewhat and start making my modles look alittle better. Painting isn't my strong point and during the doubles tourney I noticed that my vehicles, what few I actually have, weren't done all that well. So I come to you my gaming public and ask for tips on how to make my vehicles better w/o having to stripe down all the paints and starting over? I hoep to get the paint jobs better than eventually use some decals. I've got a terminus tank, a drop pod, a whirlwind and 2 predators. Ideas?

[Imp]

when it comes to vehicles i find the fewer colors the better.   Tanks more so with this, decide if your going to do solid colors or want to try a camo.  Try and prime the tank what your base color will be, that way it gets a even base coat of the prime color and it wont seem layered or chunky if you have to paint the whole tank one color.

[DWalker]

I think one of the most important things to do with vehicles is to Drybrush them. 

If you have a metallic basecoat, after you're done painting any other colors, try drybrushing lightly with a bronze or copper color.  It will make is look aged and battle tested. 

If you have a solid basecoat, lets say black, try drybrushing with a metallic color.  I would reccomend a a darker silver like boltgun metal.

Drybrushing in either scenario will bring out the small details that otherwise may get overlooked, such as the tread and small parts that stick out.

Hope this helps!!

[Warpedfuzz]

I have a basecoat of green down now before,but it's kinda light. I'm adding dark angel green over it to darken it up. I hope to have bronze on the pipes and such. I'll try the dry brushes of bronze when I get a dark angel coat fully covered. Silver, or gunmetal for the drybrush? Or stick with the bronze? I would like a solid color, mostly for my vehicals, no camo. Maybe 2 tone with shading if I can make it look right. I'm doing my best to stay away from clunky and so far so good.

[DWalker]

Sometimes it works great if you dry brush a lighter shade of the same color. 

For instance, after you get dark angel green down, dry brush with a lighter green, like camo green.

The bronze you might just want to stick to the pipes and such, now that I have the colors in mind. 

Try this website, look at the Ion Storm Pattern Buyaka on the right.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=400032&section=&pIndex=1&aId=2400009&start=2

They used a black basecoat, then dry brushed heavily with catachan green, then lightly with camo green around the edges and such. 

Also try this link, from the same area on their website, but its another idea for you.  They made it look like the tank has been rolling on the battlefield through dust for awhile...

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=&categoryId=400032&section=&pIndex=4&aId=2400009&start=5

[Warpedfuzz]

I like the idea of the last one with the dust and highlights. I've got the dark angel green going now. I can either use my goblin green I've got or lighten up the dark angel some.

[Seth]

you could go really drastict highlights and just go to scorpion green. if you get a chance go into the store and look at the book on painting wh40k tanks it has a lot of great ideas and will show you alot of cool techniques.

[Warpedfuzz]

Ok I've gotten some time to paint. My whirlwind isalmost done. Here's what I went with, kinda a combo of what I've seen and what been said here.

The undercoat was black. The main color was dark angel green. Dry brushed on cathan green, mostly on bottom half on hull. And Goblin green was used to highlights along edges. Added some decals to finish it off. Doesn't look too bad really.

I'd take a picture, but my webcamy thing doesn't want to work. Now that's one is done I"ve got a plan for the rest of them. Thanks for the suggestions.

~Doug