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All posts for the month April, 2015

Brummbar – chipping update…

Posted by yansick on April 12, 2015
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Here is the progress on the chipping of my 1/35 Brummbar.

Simple technique: a small piece of sponge is dipped in dark acrylic paint and (painstakingly) used to create small dents and scratches on all the edges of the armour. Then, with a fine brush, I paint some highlights around many paint chips to simulate paint that was scratched and revealed a slightly lighter color than the area were the paint is completely “missing”.

Tedious process. But really worthwhile.

For the records, I am using Vallejo Model Color 150 German C. Black Brown for the darker color, with a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Model Color 116 Dark Yellow and Tamiya Buff (XF-57) for the lighter color (scratches and chip edges). I am planning to use a bit of Tamiya Hull Red (XF-9) to break the uniform dark color of the largest paint chips.

Contrasts are a bit too harsh for now, but I’ll do a wash, add some rust stains, drips and streaks, then a final “dusting” with pigments. This should all help to make color transitions more subtle and natural in the end… hopefully.

Chipping is in progress on the pics: most of the top, front panels and main gun is 90% done. The rest of the tank is 50% chipped.

I am going for the heavy weathering again. Is it realistic for a vehicle to look so beaten up after 2-3 years of service, even in times of War? Not sure. Let’s say it is “artistic interpretation”…

Overall view.
Closeup.
Rear view (the engine deck is not finished).

Brummbar – update 1

Posted by yansick on April 4, 2015
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I worked a bit on my Brummbar. To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed. First, the kit is old (lacking details). And I had problems with the first coat of primer, which resulted in a grainy rough finish: I should have stripped the paint and sanded the model to repaint it to a smoother finish, but I wanted to be done with this kit and so I repainted over the old paint directly…

Then, I had some more problems with the decals (they were old and brittle and started breaking when I applied them…). I had to make use of scratches and weathering to mask the poor quality of application.

As if it wasn’t enough, the (cheap) oil paint I used to make my first wash had coarse pigments in it… and I forgot to put a semi-gloss varnish prior to washing… So the surface was too textured and matte, and pigments gripped to it like crazy. I had a hard time creating gradual shadows around things and I had to correct a lot of dirty pooling messes everywhere. Argghhhh!

I used Tamiya Hull Red color for the scratches, but I am not pleased with that either. I should have used Raw Umber (very dark brown) instead, as the reddish tinge of the Hull Red is too strong a contrast for the yellow of the Dunkelgelb in my opinion. But that will probably be corrected with subsequent weathering (dusting, rust, mud etc…)

Overall, it is still an interesting looking beast. Not precise, easy or quick, but cool.

It is also my first real attempt at a vehicle painted mostly in Dunkelgelb.

The pics show the model with part of the chipping done. Still a lot of (not so much fun) work to do…

Anyhow: Enjoy the pics!

Overall view: chipping done on one skirt, left side of vehicle and wheels.
Closer…
Even closer: notice the scratches hiding the problems I had with the decals…
I used the Hairspray technique to make chipping paint on the rusty exhaust. Not 100% done (still too clean) but nice looking.