There is nothing I enjoy more in miniature painting than painting German World War 2 armor.  Below are the steps I recently took in painting a platoon of Panzer IV H's using a basecoat "wash" method.


Start out by cleaning the mould lines...  for these tanks it was a bit tricky.  The schurtzen had a thick mould line running strait through the middle of all the panels.  This could probably be approached several ways, but I just filed everything down with a small jewelry file.  I then re-etched the panel lines with a razor.  Mount your tanks on some type of handle (I used nails) and then coat with white primer.  I used basic Vallejo white paint applied with my airbrush.  This method can rub off very easy if you're not careful; however, it provides a very thin, smooth, and consistent basecoat.


For my base color (Vallejo Middlestone 882 in this case) I applied thinned down paint like a wash; excess was drawn off with a brush.  In most cases I use Vallejo's acrylic thinner to thin my paints, but for this step I use water...  it makes it much more runny.


This is the first time I've applied camo in this manner and I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out.  Thin your secondary camo color to a similar consitency as the previous step....then apply with a small brush in the pattern of your choosing.  Browsing around on the internet I found this exact camo pattern from an original photograph taken at Kursk.  In my opinion it helps to plan out your camo pattern before you start applying; it seems that when I don't, I almost always end up with a goofy pattern.


Once your camo is fully dry, apply a black/brown wash.  For this project, I used 502 Abteilung oils; draw off the excess with a brush.  Next, paint your tracks, mufflers, etc. in a brown/red base color.  I used Vallejo Hull Red.  Decals can also be applied now; use Microsol to help the decals fit to the contours of the tank.  Give your vehicles an hour or two to fully dry and then coat them with matte varnish; this will prevent damage as you carry out what's next.


Once your matte varnish coating is completely dry, drybrush your tracks with a metalic silver color;  I used Vallejo Natural Steel.  Paint any other remaining details like cables, etc.  At this point your tanks are complete....some people like bases on their vehicles and some don't; I personally do.  I tried using .60 styrene sheets for the first time on this platoon.  It is easy to cut and fashion square bases from; however, it's not as easy to paint as the basswood sheets I've used in the past.  All in all, I am pleased with the styrene and I do think it will be more durable in the long run.

Glue you hulls onto your bases using CA glue; then with a small paintbrush apply your ground covering material.  I use Vallejo pumice gel mixed with Vallejo Earth paint.  If you decide to use the pumice gel as I have, you'll need to let it dry for at least an hour or two.  When it's dry, apply a black/brown wash over it, this will help give it depth.


All that is left now is putting the finishing touches on your bases.  Drybrush your groundcover with a lighter earth color; I used Vallejo Stone Grey.  Now, paint the edges of your bases with a color that compliments the stand as a whole; I like to use Vallejo Fieldgrey as it's a "German" color and it always seems to look good on all the German units I paint.  Apply grass and vegitation according to your preference.....that's it, you're done!

Oops!  Don't forget to give your units another coat or two of matte varnish.