IS-3 Tank …a new shade

Posted by yansick on October 7, 2017
Posted in: Painting, Scale model. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

I decided to finish the IS-3 tank from Tamiya I built a while ago.

As soon as it was on my workbench again, I thought it was too dark and not “yellowish” enough. I was afraid further weathering would make it even darker and conceal the details. So I decided to do a bit more highlights.

I think its color will be much more suited now for weathering and washes.

I also decided to go for a small Budapest 1956 Diorama instead of the original Berlin Victory Parade 1945 I was planning to do, so I will be able to put the model amongst debris and barricades (also this gives me more latitude for heavier weathering, since the tank would have been in service for 11 more years by 1956). The Hungarian insurrection of 1956 was pretty violent, the streets of Budapest were a mess and a number of JS-3 were involved (event destroyed!).

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Entwicklungsfahrzeug E-10 – Part 3

Posted by yansick on October 1, 2017
Posted in: Diorama, Scale model, Step by step. Tagged: , , , , . 2 Comments

The small diorama for my E-10 tank is almost completed. Yeah!

I took some photographs during the build.

I got inspired by some pictures I saw of the Reichsautobahn and a tutorial from AK Interactive on Youtube.

I don’t have any AK’s modelling products, but I thought I could replicate the same effects with my own stuff.

In case you’re wondering, this project was super-quick! It tooked only 2 days to build this little diorama. I think that without the overnight required for the drying of the ground material, it could have been completed in a single day. Which is sad, in a way: I love building dioramas. This one was too quick to build…  😦

I added a description for each picture, to explain the process.

Enjoy the pictures!

A small wooden base I had lying around. I might repaint it later, since I don’t like its glossy finish.
A paper template, to plan the layout.
The main elements of the diorama are placed on the paper. to visualse the composition.
I traced with a pen the position of the elements on the template. “A” is for the main attachement for the tank, “F” for figure, “D” for drum, and “W” for water.
I used cork sheets for the road surface, since the texture of it is quite close to the texture I want. Plus, it is quite easy to damage the cork and make it look like broken concrete or asphalt.
See? Quite easy! This little dent will be one side of the small water pool.
I glued the cork on the wooden base with my hot glue gun. Quick and simple.
Prior to gluing the cork in place, I scratched and dented the surface for better adherence.
I’m using wood filler as the base material for the ground work.
Once it was a bit dry (after a few hours) I used a smal brush and tools to give the paste a earth-like texture. The wood filler was applied quite thick, so I had to let the whole thing set overnight.
The surface of the concrete road was brushed with a mixture of glue, wood filler and fine sand. I brushed this liquid mix leaving some brush strokes to simulate concrete road texture. A strip of foam was added to represent the asphat expansion joint between the concrete slabs.
Various small rocks and sand was glued using diluted PVA glue.
I used a mix of Liquitex Ultra-Flat Medium, Mod Podge and water as a fixative after the PVA was dry.
Overall view.
Basecoat with acrylic paints.
First, a wash of earth brown and sand colors. Followed by a dusting in various pigments. The whole thing was then held in place with fixative. Then I painted the rocks various shades of grey and beige to make them pop.
The bottom of the water hole was painted a darker shade of brown.
Stains and dust details on the concrete surface…
Airbrush time! Two darker line were made on the concrete to represent the trails left by rubber tires on the surface. A white line was painted (actually, it is more a pale grey line as pure white would have been too bright). I also dusted the whole surface with just a little bit of Tamiya Desert Yellow (XF-59).
A little bit of black was painted in the cracks and with a small sponge dipped in gray-brown, I added the chipping for the white line.
Overall look.
Vegetation is a mix of various small plants, roots and grass turf I had. The larger plant in the foreground is handmade (tutorial comming soon, maybe…)
Another view of the vegetation. The small leaves are basil leaves.
Water effect (Woodland Scenic) was tinted with beige acrylic paint and poured in the hole.
I might have to pour a second coat on top when this one will be dry, because the suff tends do “sag” in the middle (it contracts when drying).
A preview of the diorama with the tank. I still have to work on some details, but overall it is almost done!
A preview of the diorama with the tank. I still have to work on some details, but overall it is almost done!
A preview of the diorama with the tank. I still have to work on some details, but overall it is almost done!

 

Entwicklungsfahrzeug E-10 – Part 1

Posted by yansick on August 7, 2017
Posted in: Scale model. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

This summer, I am pretty busy doing some 1:1 crafting (renovation of the family room in the basement). So, I haven’t done much progress on my dioramas and tanks. I have still managed to put together a nice kit by trumpeter; the Entwicklungsfahrzeug E-10.

This is a so-called “paper tank”, like my E-50 and E-100. It never entered production (only a wooden mockup was built). It is reminiscent of the Hetzer, a small mobile tank destroyer, but with a key special feature: A “kneeling” suspension, meaning that the tank could lower its profile while in shooting position (from 176cm to 140cm according to Wikipedia).

A nice kit overall, which is quick to put together (if you go with the rubber band tracks, instead of the individual link ones like I did…)

I haven’t decided yet if I am going to use the photo-etched schürzen provided in the kit (I feel it would be a shame to hide those nice looking tracks).

The jack and machine gun are missing in the pictures: I will paint these separately. You will also notice some blue tack holding the tracks together. The tracks are glued in 2 “strips” per side, so they can be removed for painting. The wheels aren’t glued either for now.

I kept the scratch building to a minimum on this model. I added some numbers on the gun mantlet, replaced the 2 parts main gun with a 1 part Hetzer gun (no seams!) I had around and repaired one of the tow cables I accidentally broke with a spare one. I also drilled the hole in the machine-gun barrel.

Enjoy the pics!

E-50 Standardpanzer – diorama part 2 (done!)

Posted by yansick on May 21, 2017
Posted in: Diorama, Scale model. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

Yeah! I am done with my E-50 diorama. I’m quite pleased with the base (rubbles, sandbags and all).

It just needs a miniature or two. I have them on the way (stay tuned for future posts).

Wait… there are still some little things to complete… Like adding antennas to the tank… and some barbwiresin the rubbles.

Let’s call this one 99% done, ok?

Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) – part 1

Posted by yansick on May 4, 2017
Posted in: Scale model. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

A couple of months ago, I picked up a panzer 35(t) kit (Academy #13313).

These small Czech tanks were captured by the germans in mars 1939. They were used during the invasion of Poland and France at the start of WWII. They saw combats up until 1941, being by then totally outmatched by more recent enemy tanks (especially on the eastern front).

I find that this tank has an “old school” look to it, due mainly to the countless protruding rivets, small size and small gun. It looks a bit WWI-ish to me.

Anyway.

I am sorry for not posting the first steps of this (simple) build. I am already done with priming, pre-shading, base coat, decals and main details (like tools and exhaust).

This little fellow is varnished and ready for weathering (chipping, oils washes and pigments).

Fun time!

E-100 part 5 DONE!

Posted by yansick on April 29, 2017
Posted in: Diorama, Scale model. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Here are the pictures of my E-100 tank diorama, finally!

I added a german officer figure on the base. For the uniform, I got inspired by camouflage patterns used by the SS near the end of WWII. But I have chosen a more “sandy” colors, as I find it more interesting on this kind of terrain (soft earth tones). Since it is a paper tank after all, the uniform doesn’t need to be historically accurate.

I also added a touch of vegetation, with some branches, leaves and dried grass. The barren, all mud and earth base was not visually satisfying without plants, in my opinion.

So, it is 99.9999% done (I still have to put a bit of gloss varnish on the tail light).

Enjoy the pics!