FJCook Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Warning: Long post... Hello! My name's Frank and I joined IPMS earlier this year. I was inspired by what I saw at the VA Beach Nats last year. My hobby background started with tabletop gaming miniatures by Rackham, Enigma, Games Workshop, among others. This is my first scale model and it's my first, extensive, use of an airbrush; I practiced with my Paasche Talon on old water bottles and soft drink cans. A lot of these techniques are new to me. I'm following in the footsteps of color modulation guys like Sergiusz Peczek and Adam Wilder. Before scale models, my experience was with hand painting metal and plastic figures using acrylics from Vallejo, Citadel (GW), Reaper, Rackham and Privateer Press (P3 Paints). I chose the Paasche because of their reputation, the price, and the look (the Talon's very sexy). Below are WIP photos of my first scale model, Tamiya's JS-2 (no.35289). I added Voyager tow cables, Armorscale Aerial Mount, Armorscale D25-T 122mm aluminum barrel with resin mantlet, and a TANK Models 12.7mm DSHkT (not pictured). The kit will get three figures (commander and two infantry riding on the engine deck), and a wooden base. The aftermarket stuff was bought to streamline the assembly process and because I'm curious to see which retailers are reliable as well as gain the experience of working with AM stuff that doesn't always fit. The pictures are of application of filters and weathering and chipping. I need to build some shadows and dust down some things. The track assemblies will get some attention this week as I feel they've been neglected up to this point. The machine gun on the rear is broken; the turret was attached to a spray can and fell over. | | :( I'll fix it with a Mission Models super glue applicator tube (it's just like a syringe). Some fuel spill stains on the reserve fuel tanks. Began the first steps of chipping. A chipping error on top of the turret near the commander's cupola. That black staining is removed chipping that just didn't look right. I believe it can be fixed. The engine deck and rear with some spills and stains and dust. The tow cables and turnbuckles will definitely get some more dust, as will the rest of the engine deck. Too neat right now! 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aldrich Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Very NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M. Knights Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Very nice. You've done a really nice job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonL Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 That is BAD-ness! Well done. Korean war connection, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonL Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 That is BAD-ness! Well done. Korean war connection, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHonanie Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Very nice indeed, hope to see more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisTennant Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Very nice, Frank! Can't wait to see this one when you're finished with it. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffS Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Very nice job on that one Frank. Keep up the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJCook Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thanks for the compliments, everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimHortman Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Frank, Great looking model! Thanks for sharing & welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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