Painting Heer and Luftwaffe Splinter Camouflage

November 11, 2020 | Kreighton Long | Bolt Action, Historical Reference, Models and Painting, Tutorial, Warlord Games

By Kreighton LongGerman WWII Tent Quarter & Poncho Zeltbahn Splinter Pattern Camouflage – International Military Antiques

While the Waffen SS made extensive use of camouflage uniforms, the German Heer incorporated its own pattern, albeit not to the thoroughness of their SS peers.

In this article, I would like to share my process for painting Splinter Camouflage. This pattern is applicable for both Heer as well as Luftwaffe Fallschirmjager who sported similar patterns during the mid and late-war periods.

I recommend finding examples of splinter camouflage in history books or Google Images and leaning on them to help form the shapes of the different parts of this pattern. We will be using the following Vallejo paints in this tutorial:  German Cam. Beige (821), Leather Brown (871), German Cam. Medium brown (826), Black (950), and Luftwaffe Cam. Green (823). We will also use Citadel’s Seraphim Sepia as a wash.

Step One: Begin by base coating the camouflage with a 1:1 mix of Vallejo’s German Cam. Beige (821) and Leather Brown (871).

 

Step Two: Highlight with German Cam. Beige.

 

Step Three: Add lines of a 1:1 mix of German Cam. medium Brown and Black. I aim to paint my lines in a zig-zag or lightning bolt pattern.

 

Step Four: Apply batches of a 1:1 mix of Luftwaffe Cam. Green and Black. I apply patches of green at intersections of brown lines and apply them in a triangular-ish blob.

 

Step Five: Highlight the brown lines with German Cam. Medium Brown and the green patches with Luftwaffe Cam. Green.

 

Step Six: Apply a wash of Citadel’s Seraphim Sepia. Let it fully dry before proceeding.

 

Step Seven: Highlight the visible beige undercoat with German Cam. Beige.

 

Finish painting the rest of your miniature and get it on the table.

I hope this tutorial can be helpful.  Good luck and happy painting!

A video version of this tutorial is available .

Header image used via CC 3.0: Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-586-2221-14, Frankreich, Normandie, Fallschirmjäger.jpg