AFV Color Series - Italian WWII Regio Esercito Camo Colors Model Air Set

Sand as the ground, blotches as the pattern

Italian ground equipment had a color handwriting of its own: under the blotches lies a warm sand tone that is visible even where the pattern ends, and over it irregular areas in green and brown were applied. The size of the blotches varied from large islands to fine smears depending on who repainted a vehicle and when, and a great many machines stayed in the sand ground alone without a single blotch.

Application technique

The procedure rests on two decisions. The first is the density of the pattern: the smaller the blotches, the finer the nozzle and the closer you go with the airbrush, which calls for a lower pressure so that the paint does not spatter. The second is the edge: Italian blotches tended to be painted by hand and have a blurred boundary rather than a sharp one, so a hard mask does harm here. The most reliable way is to spray freehand and to take the irregularity as a virtue, not a fault.

• A continuous sand ground on the hull, the turret and the superstructures.
• Green and brown blotches laid freehand over the ground.
• Distinguishing the roofs and horizontal surfaces, which fade fastest.
• A ground for the later dust on the running gear and wear around the hatches.

What the set does not cover

Shades for rubber, metals and the interior stay outside it and are bought separately, and so do the tactical markings and recognition stripes, which belong to the decals. The set will not help with machines that passed to another army and were repainted either; for those the palette of the new user applies. The tones allow for an airbrush, so an irregular blotch can be built up in light coats to the saturation wanted.