Painting tires is something I’ve always liked doing. I guess you could say I never get… tired of it. 😊
In all seriousness though, getting the tires on a model looking good is a lot of fun for me. Regardless of whether they’re on an airplane, a military vehicle, a car, or whatever else, there’s actually a lot of cool detail that goes into them. That’s the focus of this episode in the Warhammer 40K Chimera build, a kit from Games Workshop.
In a way, they are a sort of microcosm for the whole modeling process. It starts with adding some damage to them. It might be a little, or a lot. Sanding down the treads, adding scrapes and abrasions, maybe even making them look a bit deflated.
Painting tires – getting the color right
Once the tires are prepped, it’s time to get some color on them. This is the key to good looking tires. While we often describe tires as black, they’re not actually pure black. In fact, a well worn tire generally ends up looking a bit blue gray. Even when brand new they have a blue hue to them. So getting a good foundation is key.
Once the color is on, it then becomes a process of replicating the wear on the tires. This can be from environmental effects, such as sun, rain, and heat. And earth effects contribute to wear also. This can be in the form of mud, snow, dust, and more.
Of course, the degree to which a tire is worn and weathered will be dependent on the model. A shiny Corvette will have very different tires from a worn military vehicle.
Regardless of what your model is, this video can give some food for thought that may be helpful. And it’s not a “Mandalorian” method. It’s not THE way, it’s just A way.
So when it comes to painting your tires, don’t let it be ground you fear to… TREAD on!
😊
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