Hard Edge Camo Pattern on Japanese Chi Ha Tank

I'm not big fan of the silly putty technique for hard edge camo. If you not careful, a ridge of paint can develop along the silly putty edge. When I do hard edge camo, I use Tamiya masking tape. The trick is to start with really thin strips to outline the camo. The thin strips allow a lot of flexibility in the tape. I cuts strips about a 1/16th to an 1/8th thick. After outlining the camo, I go back and fill in the area not to be painted with larger strips. After painting, some touching-up will have to be done especially in tight areas. That's easy to do with a brush.

Here's a few shots of camo done with masking.  Notice all of the tight areas along the ribbing on the sides:

-Jesse

Bone Crew Chief wrote:

What is the best way paint on a hard edge camo pattern? I am getting ready to paint my Japanese Chi Ha tanks and would like to paint the jungle camo patterns that they used on them during WW2. I typically airbrush all of my models but have noticed some individuals hand brush painting on their camo patterns with great results as if they airbrushed them. I don't like to hand paint models because it seems to thick, takes long to dry and shows brush stroke lines. If I go the route of hand brushing my camo pattern, what brushes should I use and the consistency of the paint being applied? Any help would be appreciated.

My fellow armor modelers and myself would love to see your work in the armor section. So post some pics of your Japanese Chi Ha tanks in the armor section.