TAMXF88 - Tamiya - Dark Yellow 2 Acrylic - 10mL Bottle

TAMXF88 - Tamiya - Dark Yellow 2 - 10mL Bottle

Tamiya XF-88 Flat Dark Yellow 2 is described by Tamiya itself as "perfect for recreating the yellow seen in the typical 3-color camouflage employed on German WWII vehicles" and as "a slightly lighter hue to allow for application of weathering." It is Tamiya's second dedicated Dunkelgelb formulation, introduced alongside XF-89 Dark Green 2 and XF-90 Dark Red 2 as a matched three-colour German late-war AFV camouflage set. Compared to XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-88 is noticeably lighter and more chromatic — closer to a pure sand yellow with less of the brown-tan shift of XF-60 — making it particularly well-regarded for DAK (Deutsche Afrika Korps) subjects where the tropical sun fading of Dunkelgelb produced a lighter, cleaner yellow tone, and for modellers who apply subsequent washes, filters, and pigment weathering that will darken and tone the final result. The community broadly recommends XF-60 for European theatre Dunkelgelb and XF-88 for North African subjects or pre-weathering modulation approaches.

Tamiya Acrylic paints are a hybrid acrylic formula built on water-soluble resin — they can be thinned with water, isopropyl alcohol, or lacquer thinner, and clean up easily with water before curing. When thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, the paint lays down faster, dries harder, and bonds more aggressively to the substrate. The hybrid resin chemistry means the paint film remains slightly soluble after initial drying — subsequent brush strokes can reactivate and lift the layer below if applied without restraint. For this reason, airbrushing is strongly recommended for large surface coverage. Brush painting is workable for detail and touch-up work, but requires a gentle, deliberate stroke and a fully cured base layer. See our Tamiya Acrylic vs. Enamel vs. Lacquer guide for a full breakdown of paint type differences.

• Dunkelgelb three-colour base for European and Eastern Front AFVs — as a pre-lightened, weathering-ready Dunkelgelb, XF-88 is designed as the base coat for the standard German late-war three-colour camouflage scheme (Dunkelgelb / Olivgrün / Rotbraun) on Tiger I, Panther, Panzer IV, StuG III G, Jagdpanther, and Tiger II subjects from February 1943 through May 1945; Tamiya designates it as suitable for "typical 3-color camouflage" and calls it out in kit instructions for this scheme alongside XF-89 and XF-90
• North African / Tunisia subjects — particularly well-regarded for DAK vehicles in Tunisia (January–May 1943) where Dunkelgelb was beginning to replace the RAL 8020 tropical scheme; the lighter, more yellow-clean character of XF-88 captures the sun-bleached appearance of freshly applied or field-faded tropical yellow better than the darker, more tan XF-60; applicable to Panzer IV Ausf. G and H, Panzer III Ausf. L/M, and StuG III Ausf. F subjects arriving in Tunisia during the final North African campaign
• Pre-weathering modulation approach — XF-88's built-in pre-lightening makes it ideal for modellers who apply a systematic modulation and weathering process; the lighter yellow base allows subsequent enamel panel line washes, AK Interactive filters, and pigment dust effects to darken and tone the surface toward the correct final appearance without the final result going too dark; this is the primary reason Tamiya introduced XF-88 as distinct from XF-60
• Matched three-colour set with XF-89 and XF-90 — XF-88 is specifically designed to be used alongside XF-89 Dark Green 2 and XF-90 Dark Red 2; all three colours are formulated as a pre-lightened, weathering-ready matched set for German late-war three-colour camouflage subjects; purchasing all three together provides the complete base palette for any WWII German AFV in the standard late-war scheme
• Dunkelgelb nach Muster (Battle of Kursk) — XF-88's lighter, more purely yellow character is a closer match to the transitional Dunkelgelb nach Muster used during the Battle of Kursk (July 1943) than the darker XF-60; this transitional version of Dunkelgelb was a lighter, more yellow tone that preceded the formal RAL 7028 adoption, and XF-88 provides a workable approximation for Kursk-period Tiger I and Panther D subjects
• XF-60 vs XF-88 choice guidance — the community consensus: use XF-60 for European and Eastern Front Dunkelgelb subjects (1943–45) where a more tan, slightly darker result is appropriate, or when no subsequent weathering will darken the base; use XF-88 when a lighter, more yellow starting point is needed for DAK transition subjects, Kursk-period vehicles, or any build where systematic multi-layer weathering will follow the base coat

For full Tamiya paint colour references and modelling compatibility charts, visit our Tamiya Paint Colour Chart — Complete Guide for Scale Modellers.

Thin and airbrush with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, Mr. Color Thinner, or Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.

• 10ml glass jar
• Part of the Tamiya Acrylic paint range