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Hey folks,

Title says it all, I guess!

I've been painting a long time, but never found a good way to paint decent looking tyres.
Previously I'd just go with a tonne of weathering and dirt to avoid the issue, but I'm trying some SM bikes and want to face my fear not avoid it!

Suggestions very much appreciated,

I'd add some grey blue into the black mix, and possibly a matte medium. I believe some companies do make a black tyre paint.

Funnily enough, I just found a mix I'm very satisfied with - Vallejo Black mixed with Vallejo Dark Grey at a ratio of about 4:1. The paints are naturally quite matt, but my thinning mix also has a touch matt medium mixed in which knocks it back. The below pic (albeit a bit poor) shows the tyre colour vs Tamiya's Satin Black (X-18).



The key, however you do it, is to aim for a charcoal or off-black, and to matt it down so it isn't shiny. Rubber is naturally matt and generally isn't a pure black (especially after use).

I should also say - airbrushing (as above) gives the most convincing effect, but these paints do thin and cover quite nicely so you may still have luck doing it by brush

My tire recipe is:

Basecoat: Abaddon Black
Layer: Abaddon Black + Mech Grey (1:1)
Wash: Nuln Oil
Highlight: Abaddon Black + Mech Grey (1:2)
Edge: Mech Grey + Palid Wych flesh (1:1)

As with the post above, the key is breaking the preconceived notion that "black" objects in real life must be painted "black". Things that are "black" in real life are not actually black at all, but just different shades of grey.

The point here is to set the "base color" of the tires as "really dark grey" so that you have room to go darker at the crevices.

A slightly grey black with some washes (or more) in the creases is what I go with.