Thanks BB! You are too kind...

NH, I take almost all my WIP shots on my workbench, but I have so much going on there... not to mention that the visually "busy" surface of my workbench is a horrible back drop- the camera often focuses on that rather than the subject kit... I would build at an even SLOWER pace than I do now if I removed all the stuff to cover it with a sheet for completion photos...

OK, I gotcha Stik.  Actually I can kind of relate.  since my workbench doubles as my photography area I have to clean the mess that is my work area any time I want to snap a few shots....which is why I didn't take any of this project until now.

Brian

I think it looks friggin' awesome!  

Steve, thank you for the kind words.

NH,  my work lights in the garage are this: a flourescent desk lamp, the type meant for a office work desk with pencil holder etc.; a flourescent ring type magnifyer work lamp on swivel arm attached to my work bench; and a halogen floor lamp that projects upward and I have reflecting off of the stuff in the rafters to give a bit more help in there.... but none are really movable from their spots to create a better photo set up, and doing my photos on the work bench would mean moving a ton of stuff- not practical at all with my mess... I would kill for a properly illuminated set up work area (actually I would kill for a lot less but...)

Very well done. The weathering looks very good.

stikpusher

Yes I use a flash. Lighting situation is not conducive to photos without a flash and I do not own a tripod.  To my eye, it definitely looks better in natural light.

By chance do you have some work lights around the garage?  I ask because I basically I have a poor man's light box....I use 3 work lights (one above, 2 on either side) and soften the harshness a bit by covering the front of the light with tracing paper.  At that point all ya gotta do is set the camera on something solid (stack of books or something) of the right elevation you want and use the camera's timer function.  Voila!  Cheap, easy and it can do a surprisingly good job!  Believe me, I laughed when I first saw the price of an actual photo light box in the MicroMark catalog knowing I did the same exact thing for pennies! (well, I will admit I do have a tripod and a dSLR, but those were bought before I even took up scale modeling )

Brian

Yes I use a flash. Lighting situation is not conducive to photos without a flash and I do not own a tripod.  To my eye, it definitely looks better in natural light.

Looks like you're using the flash.  

This build probably would present much better if you didn't use it. Using the flash for this kind of work is  notorious for making a good paint job look washed out.

Thank you Chris. No pigments were used on this one. 1st I brushed Future onto the running gear/lower hull and while it was still wet sprinkled on finely sifted dirt for texture. Once that dried I airbrushed on Model Master Acrylic Raw Umber, followed by Raw Sienna, and then finally a highly thinned coat of Tamiya Deck Tan

I love its dusty look! Did you simply spray pigments to create dust?

Karl, I may be able to rub some of that off. I used Model Master and Tamiya acrylics for the weathering coats.  But the base green is Tamiya rattle can, which I think might be a lacquer. But spraying a bit on some cardboard is a good idea for an alternate.

Thank you NH, I do have some Zvezda and Dragon tankodesantniki figures that would work for that.

Na Zdorovie comrade Stik!  All she needs now is her own horde of Red Army soldiers riding along on the back!

Brian

Carlos, what about the dust---can you scratch that, or rub some off somehow? If base coat is a rattle can, it may stand up to abuse?

Alternately, just spray the paint on a piece of cardboard and add it with a paint brush or sponge. It's just simple enamel.

Thank you F8.

Karl, I was keeping "beat up" to a minimum on this as much of the T-34 reserves at Kursk were new production and sent there to wait for the German offensive- they were trained in during the build up period, but not hard used... yet... But I certainly agree about some crew wear thru the mud and dust, just  not sure how to approach that. The base color is from a rattle can.... Oh the things to ponder...

Good finish and photography!

Not bad at all---it could use a little bit of metallic grey around the hatches and on the grab handles though, to show some use. You could also use add some areas of scratches and wear on places like the side and the front/rear fenders/muffler shrouds to show crew travel by using the base coat color --paint some fine lines and maybe some sponge-chipping in spots. T34s seem to really have gotten pretty beat up from most reference I've seen. Just suggestions... :)

Thank you sir. It's the Tamiya kit. The hull dates back to their original one from 1970 something release, but the turret is their early 1990s reboxing of that variant. Plus I added the mods that I listed above. I do have one more Zvezda and a few different Dragon T-34s in my stash still.

Wow, nice work SP! I love the dust! Is this the old Tamiya kit, Dragon, Zvesda, or something else?