There are many ways to paint a model of a vehicle that actually exists, and Games Workshop's 40K universe allows you a basically infinite scope with its collection of future tanks from several different races. Being an approximate 1/48th scale, its tanks are usually quite substantially sized models, and here lies the first trap for the inexperienced. Most enthusiasts enter the 40K world in their early years - often from the age of about 10, others will be their parents with no prior modelling experience. They buy a model and some GW paints & brushes, then set off to create their masterpiece, and wonder why their first attempt looks so different to the published photos on the box. This can often put people off the hobby, as GW models are expensive (especially compared to the "thoroughbred" model making companies like Tamiya, Revell, Italeri etc) and they want their model (which could cost ~£50 after buying the paint & brushes to finish it) to look fantastic (don't we all!). Out come the paints, on they go and ...oh, dear...disappointment...

So what's the problem? Well, big models are difficult to cover effectively with a small brush, so the answer often tends to be using a medium brush and lots of paint. This tends to lead to paint build up, obscured details and general "gloopiness", which all contribute to make a pretty ugly finish. There's also the problem of the actual colours for things like tracks - many tend to be painted silver or spattered randomly with brown and green.

So how do you paint a tank to make it look good for your 40K game? Well, there are several pointers and tricks of the trade here...

Firstly, I must say I never paint tanks with brushes. Large surfaces and camouflage just scream out "AIRBRUSH"!, which is (IMHO) the best way to finish any vehicle - spraying gives good coverage, is quick and produces excellent results, perfectly preserving details. Of course, the great majority of people who read this guide won't have access to one, and I don't recommend going out and buying one just to do this, as it takes a lot of time and practice to master an airbrush to any degree (I've been using one for about 15 years and still get frustrated!).

Fortunately, there is an alternative that's easier for the amateur enthusiast - spray cans. These are available in all kinds of colours from model shops - Tamiya acrylic sprays are probably among the best. Don't use car spray paint until you've checked it's acrylic - if it isn't it'll melt the plastic on your model, which isn't what you want (unless you want to simulate a meltagun attack!). But before you go zipping off and spraying your model, you should prime it.

Priming

You can use Citadel primers if you want, or there are a wide variety of acrylic can spray primers available for plastic now from any car accessory shop (and a good deal of other places too - hardware shops etc). Priming provides a good "key" for your paint, and also exposes any blemishes that need dealing with before you paint (see my other guide to making plastic models for further details). If you can, you should always try to prime your models (and any subsequent spraying) outdoors - the solvents in spray cans aren't good for you, and you'll also get paint everywhere - this is known as overspray. You can contain overspray by using a spray booth - cut the top and one side out of a large cardboard box and you've a cheap and pretty effective one. Put down some newspaper under and around your model and spraybooth (even outside and using a spraybooth, you'll still get overspray!), then spray the model evenly from a distance of about 30cm. Try to move the can all the time as you spray so you don't get paint just being sprayed on one part of the model at a time - you want light "dustings" rather than saturation - if the model starts to look "wet" with paint then stop! Leave the model to dry (this should only take 5-10 minutes) then rotate it 120 degrees or so and spray again from that angle. Spray again after rotating another 120 degrees so you get good all round coverage. Alternatively, if you've an old lazy susan or record deck you can rotate the model and spray again before it dries - this just speeds the process up. Leave to dry again (make sure it's really dry this time!) then turn onto one side (this is why it needs to be really dry, otherwise it'll stick and bits of paint will get pulled off when you take it off the paper again) and spray again to get at the areas that were naturally shaded from the initial sprays. Again leave to dry and turn onto the opposite side and repeat. With a lazy susan/record deck you can always put the model on its top and do this in one step - again saving time.

As for primer colour - I prefer white or light grey - they give better definition of colours applied over them and you can see what you're doing. It also allows you to do pre-shading and you can see what you're doing and spot any problems with the model or your finish before you go on. Black creates a darker model and I find the lack of contrast it gives whilst your working can make it difficult to spot problems. On the other hand, creating false shade is a doddle, so it all depends on the individual model and finish I'm trying to achieve.

Main Spraying

Ok, so armed with our dried, primed model, it's time to paint. If you're spraying a single colour this is easy - just follow the same procedure as for priming but use your chosen colour. If you're using more than one colour (for a camoflage pattern), then use the lighter colour first on a light primer, the darker on a black primer. Spray as for a single flat colour, then allow to dry overnight. Then mask the areas you wish to keep in that colour with paper, tape, Maskol fluid (available from model shops) - or alternatively plain old Blu-tak. Spray again with your second colour and allow to dry before removing the masking.

Decalling

OK, so you've got a sprayed model, now what? Well decals are a good place to start. I see a lot of models with very badly applied decals, but there's actually a couple of tricks to making their use simple and very effective. To start with, brush your entire model with Johnson's Klear (Future floor polish if you're in the US). This sounds mad, but stick with it as it is effectively a water-soluble gloss varnish. When this is dry, apply your decal as normal, but apply more Klear to where you're going to apply the decal and brush Klear over it. Perfect results every time.

Washing

After decalling, I'll use an oil wash to enhance detail, add depth and introduce some measure of "grime". To do this, take some oil paint (lamp black or burnt sienna are a good start) and mix a little white spirit in. Keep adding white spirit until you have a dilute wash with an even texture. Then, in an area with good ventilation, brush white spirit over the model with a broad (10mm) brush, and then run the wash into the panel lines and crevises off the model using a small brush (size 1 or 0), then set the model aside to dry. When dry, you can take a soft cloth moistened with white spirit and brush over the model to remove the excess wash on the raised areas of the model, producing a much better contrast and realistic effect. Allow to dry again and I then seal the work with a mineral based matt varnish. This then gives a good surface to dry-brush the entire model to really pull out the detail.

Painting

After this, you need to brush paint the detail bits - tracks, guns etc. The most important thing when doing this is to make sure you thin your paint - about 2:1 to 1:1 with water seems to work about right for Citadel paints. Tracks, bolters etc I paint black, canvas shrouds etc with something like Snakebike leather or Graveyard earth before highlighting with lighter shades to add depth. The metal items I've painted black I'll "metal" by either drybrusing with Boltgun metal or powdered graphite. Glass will be painted red or blue pretty much as GW recommends.

Weathering

Next I will weather the model using a variety of methods - paint chipping with black paint followed by boltgun metal, track and side dusting with dry pastels applied by brush, oil streaks and leaks with wet pastels applied with a fine detail brush. This stage can really make or break a model, and the trick is lots of small steps - don't try to rush things and do too much at once, as this usually ends in disaster!

Summary

Well, there you have it - a quick whistle-stop tour to some tips and techniques to creating some great vehicles - the more time & effort you put in the better your models will look, but knowing what works well is a good start, and you don't have to go all-out on every model - it's best to try one or two techniques out at a time and find your own style and what works for you. At least now you have an idea of some of what goes into the models I sell here on ebay!