Saturday 4 April 2015

1/35 VK1602 Leopard update (Part 5 - completed model! )



Above: I think this is my favourite build thus far. I'll admit, I've not built many models since I picked-up my childhood hobby once more, but yes, this is my favourite.


Above: I was originally going to have this tank depicted as a captured machine and had even hand-painted my white allied star on the hull, however, it just didn't look right to my eyes. I will save this idea for another build.


Above: a mud mixture with grass scatter works well to add some realism, even though my aim is not to try to solely make it look real - which sounds weird, I know, but to create an interesting model which is visually satisfying in its own right, whether or not it looks real or not; a realistic model is, of course, a nice bonus.


Above: I just had to use the lovely photo-etch hinge/bracket supplied with the kit. I used my trusty artist pastels to rust it up and fixed it with thinner - this might be my favourite little area of the tank simply because I love the colour contrast it provides and think it also looks quite convincing as rusty metal.


Above: I added both Mig dry and damp mud pigments to the underside of the hull and behind the tracks/running gear.


Above: cheap jewelry chain from an art shop adds some visual interest to the engine deck. It's weathered using pastels and pigments.  The red-oxide thing to the far left is a scratch-built spare road wheel holder and securing clamp.


Above:  a plain black base 'frames' the model nicely without distracting the viewer from all my hard work.


Above: I did plan to have a spare road wheel/extra armour on both sides, but wanted to have a different look to the model on both sides, thus opted for one to the port side - that meant on the opposite side I could show off my scratch built wheel bracket.


Above: oil and fuel stains finished off the engine deck


Above: using brass wire I added loops to the turret which enabled me to hang any natural vegetation the crew wanted to camo their machine with.


I often find that the little extras like a bucket finishes off a machine nicely and adds a human element, after all, without a human this machine is just a static piece of steel. The exhaust pipes were weathered using artists' pastels fixed with thinner.

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