:-) My Panzer II for the Barbarossa campaign. The first piece of armour I've done in a very long time. It has taken an age just to get this far. Not because of difficulty but lack of motivation. It has reminded me why I built aircraft. I am determind to finish it though and I haven't been put off armour, totally. Just require a bit of advice. There are still a couple of seams to sort and It's ready for a primer coat. I can't decide if I should pre-shade? Also should I lighten the panzer grey? What is the best way to paint the head lights? I wont be adding much in the way of stowage, cos I aint got any, but I have seen pics of German AFV's with flags draped over the rear so that friendly aircraft can recognise them. Did this occur during Barbarossa?




Mal

Mal---First off, welcome back to armor

Is this the Tamiya kit (just curious)?

Here is something you might consider when painting your Panzer.

Apply your base coat color, (unaltered), from the bottle, covering the entire tank.

Next, lighten your base coat with some white ---- and cloud pattern the larger flat areas of the vehicle. This will give you the preshading look in the nooks and crannies.

Last, dry brush with your lightened based coat---lightened a tad bit more. This method gives you three different shades of grey adding depth to the vehicle.

Then weather with mud/dirt/rust as you see fit ---adding even more color for the eye.

For the lights---Dave Tong aka SS-74 adamantly maintains that certain AFV lights should be hollowed out, the cup painted silver, and then filled with a clear glue-that once dry---replicates a glass lens reflected off the silver back. A simpler method is to dry brush the front of the lights with a steel/silver mixture, and hit them with some weathering to dirty them up.

Good luck and welcome to the Good Side of the Force

Steve

Bah!! Don't worry about those seams. Those silly treadheads just cover them with mud or equipment.

Looks good so far.

Hi Mal

Nice one, once the wings and undercarriage are on it should great! :-) oops! sorry!

Steve's technique for "progressive lightening" is pretty much what I do on a/c interiors. I folow up with a coat of Klear, do a wash, followed by a flat coat and pastels... then seal. :-)

I've got a couple of armour kits stashed away somewhere... maybe I'll have a bash one day... Oh! the Darkside is calling... getting ever nearer... there's something at the door....

All the best

Rowan

:-) Hi Steve,
Yep, the Tamiya kit :-)
Mmmmm, Get the idea, Think I might just try a little variation. Grey primer (an aircraft thing) black pre-shading, then as you suggest. :-)
A bit late, maybe, to drill out the lights Any other suggestions?

Rowan,
The kit instructions are a bit vague, I'm not sure where the prop goes. I think I might have lost the sprue with the wings

Tim,
Got ya, mud to cover the seams thanks.

Mal

Oooh lashings and lashings of panzer grey, some lovely caked brown dirt, she's gonna be lovely

Nice build so far

:-) Skii


This is something I need clarifying, wasn't Brabarossa started in the summer? what were the weather conditions like? I assumed it was dry and probably dusty? So would caked mud be correct?
Mal

would be mud & crud on it as not every day in the summer is dry and army group south/center both had to go through the pripet marshes which were very wet

Thanks Mike but this panzer is attatched to Army group North:-) , was it dry(ish) up there:-) . I would prefer not to slap mud all over it :-)
Mal

First of all, forget what all these airdales are saying, you just keep right on making ground stuff. Now if you'll just make some of the "good guys" you'll really be on the right track. (sorry for the pun.) I can't tell but did you drill out your barrels? Just remember a little mud, and some draped tissue paper bed rolls goes a long way to hiding any inperfections.

BTW, I could tell you were English as soon as I saw that extra u in Armour. Trust the Brits to put in letters where they don't belong. Just look at my name.

:-) Rodger


Yep barrels are drilled out :-) You can just see in the second pic.


I think it's more a case of the yanks removing letters? Not sure what you mean about your name? Over here it is spelt without the "d"?
Mal

Hey I put the u in armour when I'm tryin to be fancy!I also prefer aeroplane over airplane!

Nothing fancy about spelling correctly
Mal

armour armour armour armour armour armour armour armour armour armour!

woah..too much fancy.....well...back to redneck! We be model buildin'!

I say say Old Boy! Hold on there...

Next thing you know these young nippersnappers will askin' us to drop one of the "l"s from modeller!!

No... that's simply not cricket... and won't go down at all well with Lord and lady Muck! :-)

Take care

Rowan