Mr. Color - FS34087 olivová tmavá

An olive to the American standard

The number in the name comes from the federal standard of shades used by the American government and armed forces. Its five-digit code carries more information than it seems: the leading digit describes the degree of sheen. A three at the start means a matte finish, so this paint dries without sheen and can be used straight away as a final coat.

The tone itself is a dark olive, a green subdued toward brown and gray, that is exactly what is expected of a camouflage color. It covered American ground vehicles and it also appears on the airframes of aircraft and helicopters. On a model it is rewarding, because it is dark enough to look serious but not so dark that rivets and panel lines disappear in it.

A matte surface has one practical consequence: decals do not lay down well on it by themselves and silvering appears where the film sits. Overcoat the area with a gloss clear, let it dry, lay the decals down and bring the matte look back only with a final matte clear. Weathering, on the other hand, takes to a matte base excellently.

The package holds 10 ml and the formula is lacquer based. It is thinned with the brand's own thinner, commonly in a ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 depending on the consistency; it does not work with water. Application with an airbrush gives the most even result and the dried film resists subsequent work with pigments and oil paints.

With vehicles that served for a longer period, check whether the subject still carried a single-color olive finish or already a later multi-tone camouflage. The difference is obvious at first glance and mixing them up is one of the most frequent mistakes on otherwise nicely built models.