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Hi guys,

I have my rhino hatch doors painted in the blue ultramarine color. Now I want to paint a tactical squad designation on the hatch. I want it to look as crisp as possible. What do you guys use for this?

Masking tape? Stencil?

Either. Whatever works best for you, but tape is probably the easier way to go.

If you want to take it to the next level, get some thin plasticard and draw a tactical arrow over an outline of the hatch, then cut it out and glue it in place on the hatch before you begin priming. This extra touch is super easy to do and looks awesome.

Im just about to do the same for my rhinos. I'm going to use masking tape. Im not quite sure what the dimensions need to be but im sure that will be easy to look up.

CappyBen wrote:Im just about to do the same for my rhinos. I'm going to use masking tape. Im not quite sure what the dimensions need to be but im sure that will be easy to look up.

If you're going to do this, buy some blue painter's masking tape from Masters or Bunnings. It does the same job, but holds edges far better and doesn't leave a sticky residue like standard masking tape does.

Freehand it like a boss.

If you use a tape mask, keep your paint thick - more like overbrushing than detail painting - and burnish the tape's edges down well. If you thin the paints as you might for freehand work, it will invariably run under the tape and ruin the crisp edge you're looking for (ever wonder why craftspeople stipple undiluted acrylic paint when using stencils?).

@scipio.au, can I have a link to the Masters/Bunnings masking tape. I am from the US and I haven't seen these brands.

@Gavin, if I understand correctly, you suggest that I make a stencil of the symbol out of a plasticard? Or are you suggesting that I make a plastic symbol and stick it on?

@oadie, thank you for the tip regarding not diluting paint so it won't run underneath my stencil.

+1 to cutting the symbol out of plasticard for the doors, that's what I'm doing for my Iron Warriors, once painted it looks awesome, similar to buying forgeworld doors.

For the blue tape in the US, go to pretty much any hardware dept. or store, go to the paint section and ask for the blue painter's tape. Pretty standard stuff regardless of brand name, it all works pretty well.

Masking tape all the way. Get some painter's/art tape and you should do fine.

I mark insignia like that with a pencil and a piece of plasticard strip, then paint it by hand carefully. Mask using tamiya tape and paper screens if you have an airbrush, but by hand, simply painting carefully is quicker and easier. Use a light grey first (fortress grey / VMC pale grey) before layering up with mixes toward white around the edges of the insignia. Apply chips by painting over the insignia with the base colour.

That is an awesome Rhino you got there winterdyne.

@Shaman5695: Can I have some pictures of your Plasticard door?

I'll be doing some squad designations myself. I discovered this wonderful stuff here:

Link:

Bit more expensive, but does a great job. I'd love to try the plasticard idea, but (of course) my designs are too complicated to do such a thing... I gotta learn to only act within my abilities lol.

I just paint them on freehand. Lightly pencil in your design and use a fine brush to get your outer edge. Then fill it in. BLAM!