OLIVE DRAB BASE – AFV

Olive Drab Base — an AK interactive acrylic paint, the AFV range

Olive drab is the collective term for the muted olive khaki shades used on armored vehicles. The word Base in the name says what the paint is built for: it is the starting tone on which light modulation, wear and dust are then built. It is a water-based acrylic from the range intended for ground vehicles; it is thinned with water or with acrylic thinner of the same type.

Where it fits

• The overall base coat of the hull and turret of an armored vehicle.
• Undercarriages, crates, jerrycans and equipment in a single base tone.
• The starting layer under modulation, filters, washes and dust effects.
• Mixing graded variants of your own shade with light and dark additions.

How to build the paint layer with it

The base tone is applied with an airbrush over a dried primer, so that the layer is thin and even — on large areas evenness matters more than richness. Modulation is then done by pouring off two portions of this paint, lightening one and darkening the other, and spraying them into the centers of the areas and into the shadows; because they come from the same tone, the transitions hold together. Reckon with the fact that the finished model will look markedly different after filters, wash and dust than a freshly sprayed surface, so the base can comfortably be a little lighter than the result is meant to be.

Who it is for

For builders of armored vehicles who work with modulation and want one reliable starting shade for the whole model.

Stir before use and close it after work. Ventilate when spraying and use protection for your airways. Store at room temperature, out of reach of children.