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Background: I've decided to buy a Panther A from Flames of War for my dad as a Christmas present. I'll be assembling and painting and then just give it to him on that day of days. My main boon with painting it is that I suck at camo painting, don't have an airbrush that can do such fine little lines and don't have a super steady hand. On the plus side my dad isn't a super war buff, he just enjoys tanks, to the whole authenticity of it all will most likely be moot.

My question is, are there any simple to do (as in, with a brush) German Panzer camo schemes that don't require an airbrush or a certification from the Grognards?

edit.

I'm thinking if using Middlestone as the basic colour.

This might be pretty simple. It really comes down to doing the camouflage in a very basic, soft two color pattern. Every time I see a photograph of a camouflaged panzer tank its always two colors, faded patterns.

The best way, without using an airbrush, is wet blending. Just put a bit of paint in your palette, dab in a bit of excess water until its a bit beyond milky, and see how well you can work with it beyond that, it'll require you to 'spread' the paint over the surface and give you that faded 'airbrushed' look. I do this to make highlights on skin and it works quite well.

So do your base color in a tan, and the wetblending in a forest green color.

If you have problems with camo I would only stick with a two color scheme. If you are doing late war I would use a light tan with green spots. The key I have found using this is to make non-watered down coat first of the green and then a watered down coat which extends over the first coat. It might take two or three coats of the watered down but the effect will look great. Also, if you need ideas for armor camo schemes go to:
www.wwiivehicles.com or www.achtungpanzer.com

If you PM me your e-mail address I can send you a couple of e-zines that are no longer available that may help.


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Also the Flames of War magazines (on issue 2 or 3), although expensive, are really great for painting tips.

A really simple way to do camo would be stippling. You just stab your brush in certain spots in a camo pattern then do the some with a complimenting color.

Middlestone is an excellent base for the German armor. There are plenty of good color schemes for view on the Battlefront Flames of War forum, mas well as some expertsd on the camo patterns to use.

If you are just painting it for display, and not for the game, you might want to consider a good 1:72 model instead. The cost is pretty similar, as is the size, however, the accuracy will be far superior. (Example: http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=RG3107)

And many German tanks fought in just DunkelGelb (the middlestone color), so you do not even have to do camo if you do not want to.

Get the Art of War Volume 2, it's Flames of War Germany. Painting, camo, etc. It has the colours in both GW and Vallejo.

Until the introduction of 'ambush pattern' camouflage in late '44 tank crews would paint their own tanks in whatever pattern they pleased (within reason).

Middlestone is fine for a base colour. I believe Catachan green and Bestial Brown will suffice for camouflage colours, although I use the Vallejo colours Reflective Green and Chocolate (iirc) Brown myself.

The paints on real tanks were of variable quality and faded over time so you don't have to go for a specific colour match.