Hi, I am going to be posting photos of my build of a Tamiya Mk5 (sort of...) Chieftain tank in Iranian service. I am aiming for this to depict a Mk3/P as closely as possible. My main goal with this project is improve on the following techniques:

Colour modulation
Texturing
Weathering
Applying decals

I am using Takom treads as a replacement for the horrible Tamiya elastic bands.









Constructive criticism is appreciated and sort-after at every stage of this build, thank you. I will be updating this regularly as I work through the kit.

This morning I have done some work on the turret. I have replaced the plastic grab handles with wire versions I made myself. I think these look better.





I have also filled in the gap around the gun barrel within the mantle with putty backed with some lead foil for support. All the photos I have seen show this area being covered in a canvas-like material so when I paint this area I will try and replicate that. The "Green Stuff" that I used is the liquid version which is really easy to manipulate and does not shrink when it dries.

Using heavily thinned Vallejo Iraqi Sand, I have spray-painted the Chieftain's base coat. For the primer I used Tamiya grey from a can to help give it a relatively light hue without going overboard. I am relatively pleased with the turret texturing post-paint application - it does not come out well in the photos sadly due to my mobile camera's poor quality.



Next up is colour modulation...Suggestions for this would be appreciated!

Hi David, I don't know that much about modelling Chieftain tanks, but as you requested feedback...
The texturing looks good, from what I can tell Chieftains had a kind of slightly uneven but actually quite smooth texture, so I think you have been appropriately subtle with that.
One thing I noticed in the photos of the gun is a trace of mould lines on the top of the thermal sleeve and the side of that corrugated barrel sleeve near the mantlet. Did you make sure that those were eliminated before you started painting? If not, I would fix them know before painting any more. At the moment retouching sanded down areas would be quite easy.

On the modulation, there are some features on here on the subject, and plenty has been written... but basically you're trying to add shading and highlights (my view anyway) so I would think about whether you want to start from a light colour and apply darker shades, or start with your darkest shade and then apply lighter shades. Personally, I think starting dark and working your way up the model with lighter shades is easier to deal with, partly I can more easily visualise what I'm trying to get to, I think.

There was a feature here on Iranian Chieftains by an Iranian modeler that you may find interesting:
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/features/7035

On your photo posting, I think you're copying the url of the gallery page rather than the photo itself. The easiest way I find to copy the image url is to right click on the big image, pick File Properties then copy the url+file name from there, that way you don't get any of the other bits you don't need. Then just bracket that within the [img... code.

Hi Matthew, thank you very much for all of your feedback. In regards to the mould line on the barrel, I have now gone back and sanded that out - I think that is all sorted.

As for the images, I am having a few issues following your suggested method due to my browser. I will need to investigate this, unfortunately I don't have time today but I will sort this out going forward asap.

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449888/ppuser/73645

For colour modulation I have attempted to introduce highlighting and shadows: on the lower hull I have sprayed a darkened mixture of the base colour. I then used a slightly lighter version of the base colour to highlight the tops of hatches and any raised areas (such as the top of the turret and sides of the engine compartment). Following this I sprayed the model with a light dusting of light grey to simulate general dust accumulation. I then highlighted rivets and handles in the light version of the base colour.

My thoughts after all of this is that perhaps a sand colour was not the best colour to practice colour modulation! I have also invested in a better airbrush as mine is just a cheap bottom of the range one and I was struggling to regulate coverage (it does not have a flow regulator for example).

Regardless of these issues hopefully I have made the model a little more interesting and have introduced some realistic shadows and highlights. Thoughts?


After this step and also after spraying the model in a light coat of matt varnish I have begun adding rust patches. https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449885/ppuser/73645
I am using the following photo as inspiration: http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/1/images/member_albums/140470/620076.jpg
Looking at this photo I think that a lot of the colour has been washed out hence why I am going for a more bold look with the rust. https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449890/ppuser/73645
https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449889/ppuser/73645
I also quite like the image I have in mind of a very tired Chieftain late in the conflict. The technique I am using for the rust patches is to paint on large areas of brown, before adding dark grey patches over these and outlining the rusted areas with a light version of the base colour. I will then blend a different rusty brown over the top. Looking at farming equipment (I don't have a tank museum nearby!) and in the relative absence of top-down photos of tanks, I am concentrating the rust and peeling paint on the engine compartment on the basis that the heat produced in this area accelerates paint degradation. - What do people think of this may I ask?

I have also begun painting the tank commander figure. The flesh needs a second coat. https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449887/ppuser/73645

I have also added some crew-added graffiti: https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/449886/ppuser/73645

Any thoughts on where I can improve, etc, would be welcomed!

David, not sure what anyone else thinks but I think you're going for an interesting look, and I assume from the photos and what you wrote that this is just the start of the rust painting, and you will be kind of blending it in with some further filter / glazes / dust layers etc.

Looking at that archive photo I think I may be right in saying that it is the non-armoured bits that are showing rust, so the lockers on the track guard, some of the fittings on the skirts, but not the skirts themselves, and notice how the armour plate at the back near the bottom is not very stained at all.

On the crew, as he is Iranian, I think he is OK to be clean shaven, although you could consider facial hair... I think on the other hand their adversaries pretty much all had moustaches

That link I posted before to that feature, he had a link to the same photo, plus a couple of others.

Hi, sorry for the very slow reply, unfortunately I have been very busy with work, etc. Thank you again for the feedback, it is much appreciated and I have (I hope) made some changes which answer the issues raised (such as his facial features - good shout!)

I have also been busy with a few other things as well, including:

- Finishing the rusting and chipping (I hope I have emphasised the non-armoured aspects being rustier than the armour - the top of the engine I am not sure about as I think I went too far, but it was certainly an interesting lesson in painting heavy rusting/ wear & tear!)

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450317/ppuser/73645

- Overall filter across the model

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450316/ppuser/73645

- Painting the tracks and fitting them

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450315/ppuser/73645

- Painting and fitting the side skirts

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450319/ppuser/73645

- Adding a further filter to hint at dirt and rain effects

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450318/ppuser/73645

- Adding some accessories courtesy of Meng (another jerry can and a cooler, along with a few smaller containers)

https://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/450314/ppuser/73645


I now think I am at the "tidy-up" stage, so, what do people think I need to improve on?

From examining the photos, I think I need some more light paint chipping on the side side skirts. I also have to paint the lights at the front. I think perhaps another filter to make it a bit more dusty - thoughts? I am also not happy with the vision blocks as I think they look a bit clumsy so I want to re-do them so any ideas on these would be handy as well.

As always, feedback is asked for and appreciated, thank you!