@Calvin: thanks for the compliments. I'm not enthused about entering any model contests, but I'll give it a shot.
@Steve R.: it's certainly not my last one. This one needs figures and a base first, though. I'm just wondering what to build next.
@Bill B.: I'm using the Paasche Talon, their new airbrush released recently. If I could I'd love to spend a day with all the recommended airbrushes from Iwata, Harder & Steenbeck, Badger, etc. The JS-2 is one of those kits you hear that "builds itself."
Some painting and weathering details:
I originally started the base coat with Tamiya Deep Green (XF-26), but it’s too blue. I wanted to use Tamiya NATO Green, but the local Hobbytown doesn’t carry it (it’s XF-67 and the rack stops at XF-66!). I didn’t want to order any off the Internet, so went with what the shop had, Testors Model Master Acryl Russian Armor Green (4807). Because I already had the bluish Deep Green on the model, it served as an excellent shade for the Russian Armor Green. To that I slowly added drops of Polly Scale Japanese Deep Yellow (F505282) and finally Tamiya Buff (XF-57). I chose the Japanese Deep Yellow only because that’s the only airbrush-ready yellow I had on hand. In the future, I’d go with a more subtle yellow, one tending more towards white rather than orange/red.
Pouring the remainder of my airbrushed paint into a spare jar, I added to that a little more Buff and hand-brushed selected high relief items such as fuel and oil caps, edges of fender braces, loader’s hatch torsion spring, edges of the mantlet cover, hand rails, some spots on the commander’s cupola, etc.
Weathering began with a filter of Burnt Umber oil paint diluted with mineral spirits (called "white spirits" outside of the US/Canada). This was applied to all of the model’s green surfaces. After a few hours, I loaded the airbrush with heavily thinned (5:1) Tamiya Buff (XF-57) and applied it to most of the lower portions of the tank, especially all over the suspension, road wheels and track assemblies. This was followed by adding some Tamiya Flat Earth (XF-52) to the Buff and then applying it into the tank’s recesses, nooks and crannies. This gave me the base for dusting and mudding of the tank's tracks, running gear and bottom half.
Later, I mixed Burnt Umber with Titanium White thinned heavily with mineral spirits to give me a light brown tone. I used a series of pin washes into areas where dust tends to accumulate on a combat vehicle operating in the field. I used a large set of photos from my Marine Corps days for reference as well as quite a few JS-2 photos found on the Internet.
Testors Rubber (1183) enamel was thinned to begin pin washes for areas requiring delineation such as around the large panel and hatch on the engine deck, some parts of the tank fenders, hatches, etc. I’ll follow up this with Testors Black enamel.
The exhausts were painted using Vallejo Model Color acrylics, starting with dark browns and slowly adding oranges to that, making sure it stays thin. Then I dusted it with rust colored pigment, washed with mineral spirits, which has better results than using thinner. I airbrushed Polly Scale's Steam Power Black (F414110) around the exhaust and reserve fuel tanks. This is a model railroading color and gives you a really sooty, oily, black. Be careful or you'll end up with results you don't like. Then I lightly drybrushed Vallejo Game Color Gun Metal on some edges, followed by black pigment powder.
Additional weathering includes exhaust and fuel spills on the reserve fuel tanks and the engine deck. I used Tamiya Smoke (X-19) to simulate greasy buildup/spills. The diesel fuel has a pinkish hue added with Vallejo Orange Brown. The tow cables need to be prepped to appear that their coats of grease have been covered with several layers of dirt. The rear of tanks do not stay clean!
The tank’s suspension needs some caked on dirt, and the drive sprockets and road wheels need a dark metallic finish where the bare metal comes into contact with the track assemblies. Those will receive additional weathering and highlighting on high-contact surfaces such as the tread on the blocks and the teeth.
From there, I begin with some light chipping and scratching. I’m also experimenting with pieces of erasures to form 1/35 scale boot prints, which will end up here and there (engine deck, top of turret). This stage can’t be overdone as you can easily get carried away and make the thing look like it’s been sitting at a museum for the last few decades rather than an operating combat vehicle in eastern Europe.
The 12.7mm DSHkT by TANK Models is an awesome resin compliment to this kit (the kit does not come with one). I’m researching this gun a bit to ensure I get its bluing or Parkerizing correct. It’s easy to just paint it black and then drybrush it with metallics but I’d like it to look better than that as it’s a big gun and it sits on top of the turret and therefore will be noticed immediately.
I'll fix it with a Mission Models super glue applicator tube (it's just like a syringe).
