1/35 Trumpeter's - E100 Heavy Tank (Part 4)

Hello everyone! I'm back again with some more update photos of this project. As a raw, recently-manufactured and unpainted turret on a 'red-oxide' hull was by far too much of the same tonal value/s (and not pleasing to my eyes), I  decided to use some camo to break up the colour and add some interest. 

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In reality, had this been a real machine I can assume only the side-skirts would have received camouflage, and maybe the front/rear hull, however, as I am planning to have some of the side-skirts missing I decided to continue the camo pattern across the upper deck.  In these photos you might notice I have started to chip the yellow and also added a pin-wash.  

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More soon...............  

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1/35 Trumpeter's - E100 Heavy Tank (Part 3)

Being a semi-fictional subject (the hull existed while this particular turret didn't) I am not strictly tied to any particular colour scheme, so decided to paint my turret to represent a recently manufactured turret that hasn't even had its primer coat applied.

Photo above: just as I did with the hull in my previous post, I applied texture using Mr. Surfacer (click here for more info) and as there are no welds represented on this kit as supplied by Trumpeter, I made my own using putty (click here for more info).

Photo above: first I used the 'black & white technique' to create some interesting tonal contrasts under the base coat. Second came the base coat itself, and this was produced using highly diluted rusty tones which represent steel plate that has been exposed to the elements. I concentrated my darker tones in the lower turret areas and regions that would be in shadow, while the higher areas, especially the top surfaces where light would naturally fall, were significantly lightened.  The reason the paint is highly diluted is to allow the 'black & white technique' beneath to heighten the tonal effects I'm trying to create.     

Finally, I carefully airbrushed some black along my welds to represent burn marks, and then went in with some silver colored paint for the welds themselves which although may now look overly bright, will be knocked right back down with future weathering techniques.  Like I mentioned in my last post, I have learned to go really bright at this stage if I plan to weather my model - and I mean really over-exaggerate the colours - because if I don't, all my previous hard work will be more or less obliterated.

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1/35 Academy Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer' (part 5 - completed!)

Last night I was up until the early hours finishing this one off. 

It depicts Germany, Summer, 1945. A British tank crew discovered an abandoned Hetzer with strange camo; they were well acquainted with the beast, having being knocked out by it two days before the war in Europe ended. However, it seemed the American 463rd Ordnance Evacuation Battalion had already laid claim to the machine, their scrawl adorning the sun-bleached hull, ear-marking this vehicle to be picked up by one of their Dragon Wagon transporters.

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1/35 Academy Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer' (Part 4 - added chips, mud, and dust effects).

Here we are one more time with some more progress.  It might seem a long, drawn out build, and in fact it is - however, the stages of weathering take time and patience, and I need to rest and regroup in between modelling sessions.

In the photo above it's clear to see the chips I have begun to add.  It's a tedious, sweat inducing task, and that's no joke. To damage one's model at this stage, after so much effort had been injected would be upsetting, to say the least.  The darker areas represent the older, rusted steel (applied by sponge and brush), while the surrounding areas are carefully brush painted on, in this case using a my 'red-oxide' paint to represent fresh chips.

I still have to work on the tracks, but until I've decided about my base, they can wait.  

For the chipping I used both a sponge and a good quality brush.  

I like my Hetzer both with and without the armoured skirts, so I spent a while taking them on and off. There're very delicately attached so I can I always change them around and I have some spares all painted up and ready to go (I made extra just in case...........). As you can see, I chipped the tool box with my darker, old rust mix.  Any part of the vehicle that is being constantly opened and closed or handled will chip - just look at an old metal tool box in your garage!

For the mud spatter I mixed a small amount of white wood glue with water and added some Mig pigments (Dry Earth and European Dust).

The mixture was first tested on paper and then I used an old brush with cut down, stiff bristles, dipped in my muddy/dusty mixture and the bristles were carefully manipulated with my finger to flick dirt on the hull. I had to be careful to get the scale of the splashes looking natural.  I hold a post-it note in front of any areas I want kept relatively clean.

And finally here's a top view of the weathered machine.  As you can see, the vivid colours have been nicely muted, much to the crew's relief!

See the final reveal HERE

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