French Tank Crew

French Tank Crew — a Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylic paint

One bottle of acrylic modeling paint from the Panzer Aces range by the Spanish brand Vallejo. The name of the shade describes the intended use, not the contents of the package — there are no figures in it. The essential technical point: this family of paints is built thick, for a brush. It can be got into an airbrush, but never unthinned.

Use

• Always thin the paint for an airbrush. Unthinned thick paint will reliably clog the nozzle and create spider lines instead of a mist.
• Thin it with the acrylic thinner of the same brand, not with water alone. Water reduces coverage and adhesion more than a purpose-built thinner.
• The target consistency is roughly that of skimmed milk. A drop on the wall of the cup should run smoothly, not stretch.
• Work at lower pressure and a shorter distance from the part; you will have more control over the transitions and less overspray.
• Strain the paint through a fine sieve or an old stocking if the bottle is not fresh. Dried grains at the neck are the most common cause of a jammed needle.
• Clean the airbrush immediately after you finish spraying, while the paint is still wet. Dried acrylic in the needle channel calls for complete disassembly.

Who it is for

Suitable for modelers of military equipment and figures who want premixed shades. Anyone spraying with an airbrush should reckon with thinning as an ordinary part of the preparation, not as an exception.

An acrylic paint thinnable with water or with an acrylic thinner. Do not mix it with lacquer or enamel products. Use a respirator and extraction when spraying, and work in a ventilated space. Keep out of the reach of children.