I didn't want to step on Firecap4's Normandy Sherman thread with pictures of mine but wanted to post since I said I was building the same kit. It's not finished yet and it's only my 3rd armor model but I am wide open to suggestions. I think I over did the washes. I still have some detail work to finish and add some pigments. I want to build a base with simple groundwork before the pigments though. Also want add a commander in the open hatch and maybe a couple of figures to the groundwork.

Albert, looking good from my point of view,maybe some photos with better lighting will show the details better. Especially good for your 3rd Armor model!

Maybe try to get a better wood effect on the tools (I always put on a first coat of sand color and then add a very thin layer of brown, trying to make streaks in one direction to simulate wood grain). Maybe some dirt on the tracks/bogies?

Cheers!
Stefan

That's looking good, Albert. I kind of wish I would have built mine with the hatches open, but when I originally started on it it was going to be a "slammer", as when I first started it it was just something to keep me busy during down time while I was living out of a motel room during my 2 weeks active duty with the Reserves. I think the positioning of the Tonto "nose art" and stars are more in the correct location than on mine.

One suggestion as well: it may be the lighting, but the .50 cal looks a little dark to me; based on a suggestion from another thread I painted mine with Tamiya German Grey as a base color, then scraped a small pile of graphite powder off of a pencil lead using an Xacto blade, then picked it up with a Q-tip (cotton bud for our UK friends) and rubbed it on the barrel and received assembly...looks fantastic after you finish. I also used this techinique to add wear around the rim of the TC's hatch ring and along the edges of the hatches.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions on the tool handles and MG. I will work on them a bit more and see how it goes. I have a WW II M1 Garand and M1 Carbine and I was trying to replicate the color of it's finish. It has a grayish color. It's not as close as I had wanted.

The German Grey treatment with graphite rub will look just like that when you're done.

Sounds great. I will give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

I used your technique of rubbing graphite on the MG but I just did it over the paint it had. It's a big improvement IMO. Thanks for the great tip.

Nice job on this M4. I like how you were able to get the decals to lie flat over the applique armour.

I would suggest more dust and some dry dirt on the lower hull as these tanks were pretty dusty at the time.

Thanks for the comments. I used lots of Micro Sol on the decals. It lays them right down after a few applications.

I am going to use pigments for the first time on this project. I want to mount it to a base first. It will just be some simple groundwork. My plan is to try to have wet mud on the road wheels and lowest parts and dryer as it goes up. I like that look.