From Warlord website

STEP BY STEP: PAINTING THE CAUNTER SCHEME

Andy: In this article, I look at a step by step guide to masking a tank wearing the
distinctive Caunter scheme used in the Western desert by British forces in the
Second World War.
With the DAK part of my Operation Sand dune series being mostly complete now,
Im slowly turning my attention to the British 8th army (In-between working on
Winter SS, expanding my Fallschirmjger and Volksgrenadiers, and all my
Antares armies).

One of the most enigmatic and striking parts of the war in the desert, is the
Caunter camouflage scheme used by the British army in the early stages of the
Second World War in North Africa. Caunter scheme was a type of dazzle
camouflage, with specific patterns for each type of vehicle it was applied too.
Colours for the scheme have been hotly debated for decades, with some
suggesting a pale sand, pale blue and a darker blue, and others suggesting pale
sand, pale green, and a darker green, and several variations upon this too
To ease myself into creating this scheme on potentially several vehicles, (and
also as an excuse to build the lovely new M3 Stuart), I opted to attempt to
replicate this pattern on an M3 of the 7th armoured division, around the time of
the Battle of El Alamein. I was largely guided by colours I liked than being 100%
accurate, however it does seem to be relatively close to at least some of the
theories
Caunter scheme is pretty complex, with lots of hard edges and tight angles so to
do the scheme justice Ive had to do some fairly extensive masking. For this Ive
used 6mm Kabuki tape, though Tamiya tape works just as well, and you can find
it at most model shops. Its worth spending the extra for this, as its got a slightly
rubbery texture that conforms to detail better, but has a lower tack too so wont
damage your paint either.
Ive also used some liquid mask for some of the trickier areas, and this time used
Vallejo, although theres plenty of types out there and your local model shop
should have some in.
STEP 1
So, at this stage Ive built the model, primed it black, and then sprayed it with
my sand colour and finally put the first masks on. Proper drying times are pretty
essential, so I left the model over night after priming before putting any paint on,
and then overnight again after spraying it sand before putting on the first mask.
This mask is done using the tape, and conforms to the outline of the pale blue
colour Ill be putting down next.

STEP 2
To ensure the tape is properly sealing to the model, and fitting around detail, I
apply some gentle pressure with a cocktail stick pressing the tape in and around
any details. This will serve to prevent any paint bleeding through, hopefully!

STEP 3
In this step, Ive painted on some liquid mask. This is a type of latex material,
and forms a protective skin on the model. Its especially useful for masking
around complex shapes, but is quite delicate, so be careful not to touch it even
when dry. Here Ive used it to mask the top of the fenders, and the disruptive
pattern on the front of the hull. Once painted on, I leave the liquid mask to dry
for at least a few hours. Its also really massively important to use an old brush
you dont need any more, as the liquid mask will ruin the brush you use!

STEP 4
To save masking tape, Ive used some old paper to act as a broader mask for the
models.
Using a paint brush airbrush is advised, but if you are using a rattle can for the
next stage, ensure that you have covered all the parts that you dont want paint
to reach, rattle cans an get messy.

STEP 5
In this stage, I spray the blue onto the model, and again leave the tank to dry
overnight.

STEP 6
Once the paint applied in step 5 is dry, Ive repeated steps 2 and 3 on the turret.
Note that Ive not masked the hull, this is because I will be holding the turret
whilst spraying, so its not required.

STEP 7
Here, we start to remove the masks. Acrylic paint tends to form a skin when its
applied, so to break any build up that may have formed around the mask, Im
running a brand new knife blade along the edge of the mask, being careful not to
press the blade into the model itself, and letting the weight of the blade pull
itself along the edge of the tape. I do the same with the join between the
masking fluid and painted surface as well, and then carefully pull the tape away.
The masking fluid needs a little more care, however I use an older brush to
gently scrub it from the surface.

STEP 8
Heres the tank, freshly painted and unmasked, and ready for transfers. There
are a few places where the paint has lifted with the mask, however, Ill be
weathering and chipping the tank anyway so they wont be noticed.

And thats it! It sounds a convoluted process; however it is fairly simple once you
get used to the process, and the most important thing is allowing each layer of
paint a solid 12-24 hours to dry as a minimum.

PAINTS USED
Although Ive used Vallejo, Ive listed some fairly close matches from the army
painter and Games Workshop ranges too.

Vallejo Games Workshop equivalent Warlord Paint equivalent

Vallejo 976 Buf
Karak Stone Skeleton Bone

Vallejo 972 Light green Blue Blue Horror Wolf Grey (may need mixing with
white).

Vallejo 920 German Uniform

Thunderhawk Blue Greenskin

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FOR THE KING!