.. and Mig Jimmenez haha so here we go. This was the DML 1:35 T34-85 Bedspring armour version.. I say "was" as I ended up not using the bedspring armour after all.. i'll save it for another build. So this is "out of the box".
Vallejo "air" paints
AK interactive weathering
Here it is I have to say its a very nice kit. I know the Fruili tracks are shown but as you will see they were not used in the end.
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')There was one flaw with the kit, the lower hull was really bowed. Once attached to the upper hull it was ok, but I had to apply a fair bit of pressure to hold the shape once glued and wait for it to set.
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') The kit requires you cut off the front fenders and replace them. This went really well and required no filling. Plus I have added and "dented" some photoetch.
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') Here is some more photoetch going on with a few "dings" added. Just to note you can't add the fuel tanks AND the bedspring armour, so this is the point I made my choice to save it for another build. I used the included dented tanks which I think are a great feature of the kit.
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') I decided to try some 'non masked' modulation i.e. no straight edges. So Its just like pre shading but with 4 or 5 colours instead of 2 or 3.
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') This pic and the last are just the first two shading and base colours, these went on over Vallejo grey primer.
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') So here you can see the next three colours going on only the higher surfaces. I have learnt that you really need to go overboard on how light the upper surfaces should be if your going to weather them as they will really dull down from multiple washes and fades etc.
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') The darkest colour is still there on the surfaces that would be naturally hidden from light. p.s. I made the mistake of putting the ariel on .. a bit early, I must have broken it off 3 times before I gave up gluing it back on. I also added some lead wire to complete the fuel lines to the absent rear tanks.
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') Once the base colour was on I sprayed a coat of future and let it dry for 24 hours or so, then a coat of AK chipping fluid over the whole model, waited 15 mins and then sprayed a couple of coats of white. Well it turned out ok I think.. but either I waited too long to spray the white top coat, sprayed to little fluid or I waited too long to start chipping? but I had to use a really stiff bristled brush and a lot of water to get things started. Credit goes to Mig Jimenez (and Future floor polish), I kept at it for a while, soaking with water and working with the stiff brush and it slowly began to work with out going back to bare plastic. I was amazed as I thought I would scrub through to bare plastic I was brushing so hard.
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')To improve on the chipping (which hadn't gone perfectly) I wanted to refine the detail. I used the 'sponge method' to dab on the base coat colour on the edges all over the model to try and replicate more wear on the winter camo in those areas. I was hoping this along with many layers of detail from dark to light and back again would bring it back.
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')Getting there. Here you can see all the sponge chipping, The last two layers were white acrylic mainly in spots that were unlikely to be worn away ( but some edges very sparingly) and the opposite with a really dark grey with a tiny bit of red to emulate the bare metal of unrusted hull. Also in this picture I had brush painted on a few tiny areas of pure white humbrol enamel, let it dry a little and then blended it back with white spirit in some of the protected areas that wouldn't have been as hard worn. After this I started to paint on chips around doors and hatches, and fine white lines in recessed edges with a 00 brush.
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') Here is some closer detail of the really fine white lines where the winter camo was unworn deep in a ridge on a high edge, and coarse looking chips. These will be faded back a bit once I start the weathering filters and streaking.
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') I also used the the sponge to drag a few scratches along the direction of travel as if it had gone through a wall or two
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') On to the weathering.. emm .. went a bit hard here but as you will see it will be blended in.
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')Skipping a stage .. sorry I forgot to take photos. Here I have also applied a really light filter (or two) to bring it all together, and streaking as well as blending in the above photos edge wash. I have also finished the tracks which were my first attempt at individual links.. I now hate them [smile] but it wasn't so bad just really, hard to build all the links.. and then fitting them once together !!! a real pain. I need to learn more about how to do this. I used some graphite to get the metallic sheen which I think looks good, I used this effect on the proud edges of the hull that I felt would be worn by use.
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')Some graphite on the handles and proud edges of the things most likely to be used/worn, like the commanders hatch and the tie down hooks.
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') Some more views of the graphite edging and the rusty exhausts.
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') Some extra layers of white Humbrol (blended in) and a few small final touches with all the same techniques shown above. This is basicly the end of the hull weathering.
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') Mud ! So I air brushed a 1 drop of tan brown to 4 thinner to the lower hull, really light to keep it transparent. Then I tried pigments dropped on from a dry brush then I used white spirit soaked into it after application to hold it in place.. I hope [smile] p.s. Ive been doing the same to the wheel hubs all along.
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') Ohhh tracks ! So hard ! I guess I just need practice but it never seems to go smoothly.
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') This is how I got the sag in the tracks. I used lots of extra thin glue here.
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') Reveal time [smile] Some final touches like the rusted spare tracks and I flicked some "mud mix" ( a thick, dryish, plaster and mud colour enamel paint and pigment mix) on to the hull. I also added some tiny 1/35 leaves held on with matte varnish. I also overcoated the whole model with matte varnish. I hope you like it.
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') Let me know what you think.
Constructive criticism, and any comments welcome [smile]
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