I've been enjoying my new found eyesight (big magnifiers still needed but I'm a whole lot better off). I started building motorcycles as a couple arrived on my doorstep and others (10) are in my stash.
Below are pictures of the results of the first build, a MiniArt WLA kit which is challenging but a great build. It has more PE than I thought I could handle, but 'tis a faint heart that never kissed a pig!
My good friend John painted the figure and has done his usual great job. Here are a few pics and then I'll describe some of the techniques.
The wall is Armand Bayardi, a manufacturer (an artisan) I love for the consistency of product, good price and oft times unusual products. Most of the groundwork is just that and a layer of Milliput.
The figure is a Hornet figure from awhile back. John uses Vallejo paints exclusively only using oil-based for highlights and washes. The MP's markings are all hand-painted by John. The groundwork is sprayed with Tamiya acrylics and highlighted with Vallejo.
The wooden base is a local Toronto product John has a connection to who creates to order as long as it's several of the same size and finish.
For the headlights and tail lights I typically use M.V. Lenses when I can get them.
I'm not a purist when it comes to using one company for paints, but on the whole I have stuck with Tamiya acryllics usually sprayed very watery over a Nato Black base coat. My highlighting/lowlighting paints of choice at the moment are Reaper paints as they react consistently with water as a nice messy soup for metal parts and rust areas. I am slowly going over to Vallejo because there is no supplier of Reaper in Toronto.
Finally, after painting, decals and washes, I burnish the model using dollar-store Q-Tips. I sometimes add a bit of thinner to it to remove and move colors around a model area.
One last little secret are the pigments. Sorry to say, MIG pigments are good, but I found through my railway buddies something even better. A.I.M. pigments out of the US. I need no fixer and when they bite on a surface they hold. They mix well and are way cheaper than MIG. I highly recommend them as the best kept secret for armor and softskins.
Well there you have a great little kit for the mid-level modeller. MiniArt has some great touches in their kit (the jigs and PE spokes) and they also have fit issues with keeping the frame true and the front mud skirt is a
to fit. Since this kit, I am endeavoring to build another 13 unique WWII motorbikes by various manufacturers. Hope you've enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed building!Now.... where's that beer? Aaaahhhhhhhh.......
