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What's the best way to paint a rhino to get the shadow effect in the corners and recesses?
I've been using washes on figures but I've seen some bad results on vehicles.

Will layering work? or perhaps just applying a small amount of wash to the very corners/recesses?

Everything I've read says that washes are the best way to get this effect but I'm hesitant to do it too. I think the key is to water down the washes...don't quote me of that though, I paint to tabletop quality and to impress people that don't know better...and that's no one on Dakka I'm afraid!

Applying small amount of wash works, obviously with smal models it's an easy 1-2-3 and you're done with vehicles, as you say, it is harder to be so blase.

You can either go for small amounts of wash or a darker shade from your main body of colour. When you highlight the raised areas this will help to darken the shades you have put in so don't worry if it looks odd at first.

Thanks for the help guys.

Another thing im having problems with is streaks and brush stroke marks on large areas when painting vehicles.
Can any one offer advice to help prevent this?
Are my paints to thick? too thin? too much paint?

Jihadnik wrote:... and to impress people that don't know better...and that's no one on Dakka I'm afraid!

Now that is a blatant lie. We have our share of "that looks cool good job m8 yeah dont worry mine look like gak lol but seriously cool stuff" posters on Dakka, too. Luckily, many of them actually end up improving!

To your most recent question, inkeyes, the sheer amount of flat area on vehicles makes avoiding streaks all the more difficult. If anything, your paints are probably too thick. There's really no way to have your paints "too thin," in terms of achieving a smooth finish. There's simply a practical limit to how dilute a paint can be while still depositing more than a modicum of pigment. It's all about finding that perfect balance of coverage and smoothness. If you're covering in one or two coats, I can pretty much guarantee that your paints are WAY too thick. If you're slopping on tinted water, you're going to be applying coats for the next month. With thinned paints, you'll achieve the desired coverage more gradually, so you have a bit more leeway when deciding how much paint is enough. Five moderately thinned coats may be plenty for coverage, and I can guarantee they'll lay thinner and smoother on the model than one coat of comparable coverage straight out of the pot.

A softer, finer bristled brush can also help to avoid streaking. Properly thinned paint shouldn't run and drip everywhere, but it should be watery enough to self-level, to a degree. Soft, thin bristles in sufficient number give a much smoother stroke than thick, stiff bristles, allowing those wonderful polar properties to finish the job. It's like running a hair comb through sand instead of a heavy metal rake.

inkeyes wrote:Thanks for the help guys.

Another thing im having problems with is streaks and brush stroke marks on large areas when painting vehicles.
Can any one offer advice to help prevent this?
Are my paints to thick? too thin? too much paint?

Spray paints are the way to go.

Thanks for all the advice guys, Im new to this and this is my first atempt at a vehicle.
What's the best way to thin paints? using a palette or tile and adding a few drops of water to a pool of paint?

For bringing out details, I suggest only washing the recessed parts. You don't need to slather a wash all over the vehicle. Just hit the details.