The addition of white to most common camouflage colors like grays and greens has the effect of graying them. The system which I follow was published in the "Official Monogram Painting Guide to German Aircraft 1935 - 1945" by Kenneth Merrick and Thomas Hitchcock. According to research by Mr. Pat Donahue the proportions of white to be added for scale effect are: 15% white added to the total volume of the base color for 1/32nd scale models, 25% for 1/48th scale and 30% for 1/72nd scale.
It doesn't mention 1/16th scale so guess a factor of 5-10% added to the total volume of the base color would be about right.

basically the further away the model in scale the more white you add. A 1/72 tiger will need a grayer patina than a 1/16 one due to visual distance. that is they effect they are trying to replicate. the greying effect that distance and haze have on a subject.

I don't think it matters after we add washes and weathering pastels.

If you start out dark washes etc will just make it darker

If I may, here's a technique that I am going to be using to repaint my HL Tiger. It's called 'shadowcasting' I've used it on 35th scale kits before to good effect.

Start by giving the entire tank a coat of Tamiya Panzer grey. I've loved Tamiya paint since it came out in the early 80s... way less toxic than Humbrol or Floquil, and srpays like a dream. I thin mine half and half with 100% rubbing alcohol.

Once you've let it dry for 48 HOURS (let that paint cure!) load your airbrush up with black paint, and set the spray to a fin3 1/18 inch spray. Then, spray thin black lines of paint along panel lines, recesses, and any edges where horizontal and vertical surfaces meet.

Then, let it dry.

Then, load your brush up with more Panzer Gray, and mist it onto the vechicle, so that you almost completely cover the black. Just enough black will show through to add depth to the paint job.

Then, give the tank a light black wash, and drybrush with a little steel to pick out the raised detail.

It's killer!

Shep

Floquil more toxic then Tamiya? I choke on Tamiya and don't need a mask with my Floquil and Xtracrylix paints.

maybe bottle paint is OK but Tamiya spray cans only give you about half than testors or model master. I start work on a model and within nothing, it's gone. Haven't use Tamiya in an airbrush.

I'm talking to the Tamiya acrylics compared to the old Floquil lacquers. I haven't used the Tamiya spray bombs.

Shep

Wouldn't all lacquers smell?

I stick with Tamiya acrylics, be-it spraycan or the 10ml jars... I prefer them to the Humbrol and Revell enamels I used to use, holy crap they were stinky! And messy (thinners etc), whereas Tamiya acrylics just easily wash in water [8D]

Windex or any other ammonia based window cleaner is an awesome thinner for tamiyas. Cheap too. 1 big refill bottle at the dollar store will last forever. The window cleaner will even clear out any old dried paint you missed in your airbrush. it strips dried tamiya off my workbench too.

I first started with Testors enamels then Tamiya acrylics. Then one day the hobby shop was out of Tamiya and I bought Polly S and the rest was history. I still have and use some of those bottles from when I was a kid! The Floquil Polly Scale acrylics don't smell at all and can be thinned with distilled water which I have plenty of. In my quest for proper German colors for the Tunisian Campaign I bought some Xtracrylix paints. They too don't smell at all and thin best with distilled water.

My paint locker has almost every brand but the ones that get the most use are the Polly Scale and now Xtracrylix for their specific colors.

[quote]ORIGINAL: bigfiver69

If I may, here's a technique that I am going to be using to repaint my HL Tiger. It's called 'shadowcasting' I've used it on 35th scale kits before to good effect.

Start by giving the entire tank a coat of Tamiya Panzer grey. I've loved Tamiya paint since it came out in the early 80s... way less toxic than Humbrol or Floquil, and srpays like a dream. I thin mine half and half with 100% rubbing alcohol.

Once you've let it dry for 48 HOURS (let that paint cure!) load your airbrush up with black paint, and set the spray to a fin3 1/18 inch spray. Then, spray thin black lines of paint along panel lines, recesses, and any edges where horizontal and vertical surfaces meet.

Then, let it dry.

Then, load your brush up with more Panzer Gray, and mist it onto the vechicle, so that you almost completely cover the black. Just enough black will show through to add depth to the paint job.

Then, give the tank a light black wash, and drybrush with a little steel to pick out the raised detail.

It's killer!

Shep

[Quote]

[quote]ORIGINAL: Miggers

[quote]ORIGINAL: bigfiver69

If I may, here's a technique that I am going to be using to repaint my HL Tiger. It's called 'shadowcasting' I've used it on 35th scale kits before to good effect.

Start by giving the entire tank a coat of Tamiya Panzer grey. I've loved Tamiya paint since it came out in the early 80s... way less toxic than Humbrol or Floquil, and srpays like a dream. I thin mine half and half with 100% rubbing alcohol.

Once you've let it dry for 48 HOURS (let that paint cure!) load your airbrush up with black paint, and set the spray to a fin3 1/18 inch spray. Then, spray thin black lines of paint along panel lines, recesses, and any edges where horizontal and vertical surfaces meet.

Then, let it dry.

Then, load your brush up with more Panzer Gray, and mist it onto the vechicle, so that you almost completely cover the black. Just enough black will show through to add depth to the paint job.

Then, give the tank a light black wash, and drybrush with a little steel to pick out the raised detail.

It's killer!

Shep

I've used this technique for years on model aircraft,but know it as pre-shading.

Miggers