¹⁄35

Greetings from the Eastern Front

Painting
Admittedly I did not adhere to the rule 30% tinkering, 70% painting, since otherwise this project would have been finished by next year. As so much has already been written about the " correct " painting technique, I can drop exact specification.

Only as much: I used the so-called pre-shading-technique, that is applying a base coat of dark brown, followed by spraying a light cover of dark yellow basic tank color. One should be careful, not to let the darker spots disappear by extensive spraying. Subsequently, I applied several "filters". This is a technique that is intensified up to masterlyness by Miguel Jimenez, a Spanish modeler (see Internet-reference for more information). Old and new engagement damages and lacquer wear were represented with micro painting before and after the different filters. Slight drybrushing and applying pastel chalks (usually I scratch across the pastel chalk with a medium hard brush and paint this onto the surface, sometimes I make a mix with scratched pastel powder and dull varnish) the basic weathering is completed. By means of aluminum color (Humbrol) and a pencil, used grasps and worn places at the tank surface were obtained. The kill rings developed by means of a spray gun after previous masking.

Dirt at the tracks and the lower hull can be represented very realistically with a mash made out of earth, sand, white glue, food soda, cut off brush bristles, static grass and brown acrylic color (or at least water-based color). After drying, this mass was drybrushed with a brighter brown dithering at selected places.
A veil strongly diluted drab (70% thinner, 30% color) sprayed onto the lower vehicle portions concludes painting. Only a sealing with silk matt lacquer remains to be done. Nevertheless I forgot to tell you, that still the markings have to be applied in advance!

The emblem of the StuG Abt 191 is self made: After scanning it from the booklet " tank colors, part 3 " of Bruce Culver it is scaled down and printed on decal foil with a color laser printer.