Japanese Colors

[Spectrar Ghost]

I've just received my 1:6000 Figurehead Japanese, and am trying to figure out what the best all around paint scheme for them will be. The most information I've been able to find was Wikipedia's statement that they "largely retained their pre-war dark grey paint scheme".

As such, my initial thought is to do the following. All paints are Citadel, as those are the ones I have available. Hull and superstructure in Codex Grey (neutral grey), deck in Snakebite Leather (medium yellow-brown), wash of thinned Badab Black (black wash). Are cranes and such best picked out in metallics, or were they painted? Any more specific recommendations?

 

[rcbecker1]

you will find that dark to light with dry brushing with grays will look very nice. not much need for metallics. there were a few carriers with camo decks and latter japan started using a gray/ flat green paint rather than just gray.
ray

 

[vitalis6969]

I would definitely add some drybrushing to what you are doing. It will really really help pick out the details, very important since you are running such a small scale.

As for what gets painted. When my Dad was in the navy during the 60's, he said that large bolts and such sometimes were just big gray shapeless blobs from having been painted over and over and over again. If you had to remove the bolt you would have to chip serious amounts of paint off of it.

My cousin who served on Arleigh-Burke class destroyers said basically the same thing. Paint paint and more paint, on just about everything.

Saltwater is extremely corrosive, the only protection is good paint and lots of it.

So, that is a real long description to tell you that pretty much nothing would be left base metal.

Since I don't usually mess with washes I would paint this way:

Base in black.

Heavy drybrush with medium gray.

Light drybrush with very light gray.

Pick out details with white.

Done.

-V