NATO BLACK – AFV

NATO Black – AFV (AK interactive, 3rd Generation line)

A modeling acrylic paint in a roughly 17 ml dropper bottle. The 3rd Generation line is a water-thinnable acrylic — thinned with water or the acrylic thinner of the same manufacturer, not with lacquer thinner. It is applied with a brush and an airbrush; once dry it is flat and resistant to washes and clear coats. The AFV subseries groups the shades for military vehicles. This is a modeling paint, not a kit.

The black component of the NATO camouflage

NATO Black is one of the three standard shades in which the vehicles and equipment of the armies of most NATO member states have been painted since the second half of the 1980s. The scheme consists of green, brown and black — and that is essential practical information: black alone will not give you the camouflage. Without the matching NATO green and NATO brown the scheme cannot be put together, which is why the shades are bought together (the manufacturer also lists them as a set).

The second important thing: NATO black is not a pure black. It is a muted dark color shifted toward gray — and that is exactly how it should be. A pure black swallows light on a model, flattens the surface and detail disappears in it: rivets, welds, panel lines and later washes stop being visible. A muted shade, by contrast, preserves shadow and transitions. If you still want more relief in the black bands, add a little gray to the paint and go over the raised spots with the slightly lightened tone.

Use

• The black bands and patches of the three-color NATO camouflage — modern vehicles from the 1980s on.
• Combined with NATO green and NATO brown; without them the scheme will not work.
• Suited to muted black elements as well: tires, rubber parts, dark items of equipment.
• Brush and airbrush; for the airbrush thin it with water or the manufacturer's acrylic thinner.
• Mask the sharp edges of the camouflage and spray soft transitions freehand at reduced pressure.

Who it is for

For modelers of modern military vehicles of the NATO armies and for anyone who needs a muted black that does not kill detail. The paint can be mixed with other shades of the same line.

A water-thinnable acrylic, non-toxic and non-flammable. Even so, work in a ventilated room and use airway protection during longer airbrushing or sanding. Shake thoroughly before use. Keep out of the reach of children.