1:35 1:48 1:72 and smaller SMALL DIGITAL

An angular pattern that breaks up the outline

Camouflage made up of small rectangular blocks appeared in the mid-1990s on uniforms, and from there it passed over onto vehicles. A sharp edge works differently from a soft blotch: at shorter range the eye joins it up into a continuous shape less readily and the silhouette of the machine visually breaks. Pixel finishes are therefore found on Chinese armored vehicles of the newer generations, on Ukrainian and Croatian vehicles and in recent years on several training and transport aircraft as well.

Why it is hard to paint by hand

Anyone who has tried to apply a pattern like this with a brush knows where the problem lies. Every square has to be the same size and have an edge with no fraying, otherwise the whole finish looks like an unfinished chessboard. The set gets around that step with cut vinyl fields that are stuck onto the surface, sprayed over and peeled off. The vinyl is flexible, so it can be pressed down into slightly curved surfaces and over the edges of superstructures as well.

• Three sizes of square: 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm
• The largest field matches a block of roughly ten centimeters on the real machine in 1:35
• The smallest field stays readable even on small parts
• The film is repositionable until it is pressed down for good

The practice is simple: the base shade over the whole model first, then sticking the squares down and spraying over with the second color. Peeling them off creates the negative. Anyone who wants a three-color pattern repeats the whole procedure. The masks also suit fantasy and so-called what-if machines, where there is no need to stick to documentation.