How to Paint Tiger Stripe Camo – Tutorial

I’ve had a few people ask me how I paint Tiger Stripe camo on my Joes, and I thought I’d share my technique. Now, while this isn’t a perfect representation of TS camo, it’s the best I’m able to do on such a small scale.

So….

Step 1: Apply the Base Coat

I lay the base coat of green down on the area that is to be tiger striped. This is the result of multiple thin coats of Testors’ Model Master Dark Green (Note: this covers how I tiger striped my Stalker custom’s pants):

Step 2: Make the General Outline of the Stripes

Using Testors’ Model Master Israeli Armor Sand Gray, I make the general outlines of the stripes that will later be filled in with either black or brown paint. I try to space them out somewhat evenly with various dimensions (lenght & width). I use multiple thin coats to insure the “tan” lines are solid, at least on the outer edges:

Step 3: Applying the Black and Brown Paint to the Stripe Outlines

After the outlines of the stripes are applied, I begin to fill in the stripes with black and brown. I try to leave a thin outline of tan remaining on the stripes. Due to this, it’s somewhat time consuming slowly filling in the stripes and leaving a thin tan outline. I fill the smaller stripes with a custom mixed brown that is made up of Testors’ Model Master Acrylics Leather and either their Flat Black or Aircraft Interior Black. Just mix the 2 until you get the desired brown you’re wanting. I don’t have a ratio. Testors’ Floquil NATO Tricolor Black is used to fill in the larger stripes:

Step 4: Fill in the Gaps Between the Stripes and Final Touch-Ups

After the stripes are completed, I fill in the green gaps a bit with thin lines of the Testors’ Israeli Armor Sand Gray (the same color used for the stripe outlines). I try to make the lines as thin as possible and “wavy”. I do this to help break the green up some more. This is a tedious process as well, b/c it take multiple thin coats for each line you create to make them solid. After completing the lines, do any touch-ups that need to be done, and you’re finished:

I hope this is helpful and don’t hesitate to ask questions, if you have any!

*You can see larger images and join the discussion regarding this tutorial in our forums here.