British Wartime Colour: SCCNo2 - Acrylic paint comparisons

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Rob Matthews
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British Wartime Colour: SCCNo2 - Acrylic paint comparisons

Post by Rob Matthews »

HI Team

This colour was used on British and Commonwealth vehicles from approximately 1941 up to March 1944. it replaced Khaki Green No 3 and itself was replaced by SCC15 Olive Drab. SCC 2 was often referred to as Service brown or Service Drab. The Colour is often represented on models as a "beigey" brown but wartime pics clearly show a much darker coffee/brown colour. Like Dunkelgelb, it poses a potential heartache for modellers in representing the correct shade.
Mike Starmer is the well respected and acclaimed guru on British wartime colours and has "published" authentic mixes though only for the most part using Tamiya acrylic or Humbrol enamel paints.

http://www.mafva.net/other%20pages/starmer%20camo.htm

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47208/th ... x+Database

I've used Mr Starmer's mixes here and sprayed other colours sold as representing "SCC 2" and mixed some of my own using Vallejo Model Air or Mig Ammo paints. I've never used Tamiya paints and I'm keen to have an authentic easy to use Water based Acrylic mix. The Mike Starmer SCC2 sets a comparative standard.

An old Italeri Spitfire was chosen as the test vehicle. It was primed with Mig Ammo Grey primer.

Image

Image

Key:

1) Mike Starmer Tamiya SCC2 mix. ( See above for Tamiya recipe)
2) Mike Starmer mix with tadge of Grey to "Scale"
3) Mig Ammo - SCC2 : Rust Racks 3 : 2
4) Mig Ammo - SCC2 : Dark Tracks 2 : 1
5) Vallejo Model Air - Dark Earth : Dirt 2 : 1
6) Vallejo Model Air - Dark Earth
7) Mig Ammo - SCC2
8) Vallejo model Air - Dark Earth : Mud Brown 3 : 1
9) Vallejo Model Air - Camouflage Medium Brown : Mud Brown 3 : 1
10 Vallejo model Air - Camouflage Medium Brown : Dirt 3 : 1
11) Hataka - SCC2
12) Vallego Model Air - Camouflage Medium Brown
13) Vallejo Model Air - Dark Earth : Ca, Med Brown ; Dirt 2 : 1 : 1
14) Vallejo Model Air - Dark Earth : Light Cam Brown 2 : 1

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Comments

The Mike Starmer mixes (1 & 2) are darker colours than those seen on mot presented models. I am happy that these accurately represent wartime SCCNo2. Being unused to Tamiya paint I was surprised how matt it dried to. iused Tamiay Lacquer thinners. The above pics show the Tamia with an overspray of "Klear" to Gloss it

The Mig Ammo colour straight from the bottle (7) is VERY light and attempts to cut it with darker reddy browns (3 & 4) fail to match the Mike Starmer mix. It would to my mind closer represent the Italian campaign "Light Mud".

Vallejo Model air Dark Earth alone (6) is too Dark and not Red enough.

Vallejo Model Air Dark Earth cut with Dirt 2 : 1 is too light

Vallejo MA Dark Earth : Mud Brown 3 : 1 (8) is begining to get closer

Vallejo MA Camouflage Med brown : Mud Brown 3 : 1 and Cam Med Brown : Dirt 3 : 1 ( 9 & 10) are similarly getting very close

Hataka SCC2 - (11) is too light N.B I've had trouble spraying this but eventually found that it will spray optimally (at least for me) with paint to Hataka diluent 50 : 50 with a geneorus dollop of Vallejo Airbrush cleaner to further break surface tension. It still sprays the least well of any of the acrylics here

Vallejo Model Air - Camouflage Med Brown (12) is very close

Vallejo MA Dark Earth : Cam med Brown : Dirt 2 : 1 : 1 on the fuselage panel (13) is for me the closest - a dark chocolate brown with a reddy tinge!!

Vallejo MA Dark Earth : Light Cam Brown 2 : 1 is similarly very close

Conclusion

That SCC2 is a chocolate brown colour with a reddy tinge as exemplified by the Mike Starmer mix. it is considerably darker than propietary colours from Mig Ammo or Hataka. DOA do a shade but I do not have theirs yet.

Vallejo Model Air Dark Earth : Cam Med Brown : Dirt at 2 : 1 : 1 is a very close match to the Mike Starmer shades as is ..
Vallejo Model Air Dark Earth : Light Camouflage Brown at 2 : 1

HTH

Rob :ugeek: :ugeek:
Last edited by Rob Matthews on 03 Apr 2016, 20:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Philipp Gross
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Re: British Wartime Colour: SCCNo2 - Acrylic paint compariso

Post by Philipp Gross »

Thanks Rob for this quite useful comparison. Yes, that helps indeed. Looks like my Valentine is way too light but I blame that on dust and sun exposure during the transit through the Persian Corridor :lol:

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Re: British Wartime Colour: SCCNo2 - Acrylic paint compariso

Post by Shawn Ramsey »

This one as well.

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Gary Boxall
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Re: British Wartime Colour: SCCNo2 - Acrylic paint compariso

Post by Gary Boxall »

Thank you Rob. Perfect for when I paint my Oke :D

Gary
Hi. My name is Gary and I'm an ex-Shermaholic....

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