That's some nice camouflage!

Is that the new 1/35 M48A2G? You did great work! More photos please!

and oh yes, welcome to the dark side!

Thank you for the comments on this one MM and SP ! Yep that is the one SP. Great kit for value, fit and finish. Only small nit is the plastic is on the hard side but no big deal. Here is more pics. Dash

I'm starting my first tank, too. I'm wondering... should I prime and put down a dark base color on the chassis, under the skirts, before I attach the road wheels and such? It seems like it will be difficult to paint that area after the wheels are on.

Pics look beautiful, btw.  

Well done for your first or fiftieth build.

JohnMatt

I'm starting my first tank, too. I'm wondering... should I prime and put down a dark base color on the chassis, under the skirts, before I attach the road wheels and such? It seems like it will be difficult to paint that area after the wheels are on.

 

Pics look beautiful, btw.  

 

Dash

Dash, thanks for the info and more photos! That kit has been on my wish list since it came out. Your build just reinforces that. 

John, you can put a dark earth base color on the suspension before or after complete assembly. It all depends upon what look you want to achieve. And also the vehicle as well. Some are easier to paint in that area than others. Will you be airbrushing or hand brushing that build?

tigerman

Well done for your first or fiftieth build.

 

This one is on my wish list as well. Nicely done, Dash.

Welcome to the dark side. I hope you stay a while.  :)

Really nice, would not have said that was your first. Nice job on the mud as well,noit to over done. That has some nice texture on there.

That's looks great!  Way better than my first one!

Toshi

Nice job.

Wow, that looks great - nice work!  Really nice paint job!

Hooked on armor lol

Runs out to the local hobby store to buy another. Thank you very much for the comments everyone ! I really apprecaite it !

Dash from Canada

Dash8

Hooked on armor lol

Runs out to the local hobby store to buy another. 

 

Dash8

Hooked on armor lol

Runs out to the local hobby store to buy another. 

 

 

Lollll SP I almost slipped back, I had a Revell Foose 2015 Corvett in my hand at the hobby store today that would have look real great done in candy apple blue but I passed.

Dash from Canada

stikpusher

John, you can put a dark earth base color on the suspension before or after complete assembly. It all depends upon what look you want to achieve. And also the vehicle as well. Some are easier to paint in that area than others. Will you be airbrushing or hand brushing that build?

Airbrushing, mostly. I'm wary of building the kit and then having difficulty reaching the areas of the chassis obscured by the wheels and tracks and such.  But I have a tendency to make things more difficult than is really necessary... it's a habit I'm trying to break.

I've watched a zillion YT videos but I don't think I've seen this covered before.

Very nice work. I like the West German/NATO tri color camouflage. The weathering is very good.

Dash8

. Also a cool trick is to use a cardboard template for the road wheels. You airbrush the black/grey rubber first then put the template hole over the rim and airbrush the rim with base color.

I saw a variation on that I liked.  I had been using a draftsman's circle template, trying to cut perfect circles into the masking tape.  But it always came out a little ragged no matter how hard I tried.

Then I saw a video of a guy that simply used the template itself as the mask.  He put masking tape over the adjacent holes to keep them clean, then simply put each wheel up 'into' the template and sprayed.

When he was done he just wiped the template clean.  Genius!

So I went out and found a cheap ($5 plus shipping) template that came in half millimeter increments (ordered two of 'em).  

Here.  Dew Drafting, Timely 89TM

http://www.draftingsuppliesdew.com/timely-89tm-metric-circles-template

JohnMatt

 

 

Dash8

. Also a cool trick is to use a cardboard template for the road wheels. You airbrush the black/grey rubber first then put the template hole over the rim and airbrush the rim with base color.

 

 

I saw a variation on that I liked.  I had been using a draftsman's circle template, trying to cut perfect circles into the masking tape.  But it always came out a little ragged no matter how hard I tried.

Then I saw a video of a guy that simply used the template itself as the mask.  He put masking tape over the adjacent holes to keep them clean, then simply put each wheel up 'into' the template and sprayed.

When he was done he just wiped the template clean.  Genius!

So I went out and found a cheap ($5 plus shipping) template that came in half millimeter increments (ordered two of 'em).  

Here.  Dew Drafting, Timely 89TM

http://www.draftingsuppliesdew.com/timely-89tm-metric-circles-template

 

Dash from Canada

Yeah, so just to be clear:  When he had a tire to paint, he just sprayed the whole thing black, not worrying too much if some got sprayed on the rim.

Then he used his masking trick to protect the black tire and spray the rim whatever color he needed.

Wait... I went looking for the video and this looks even better!  Something called QuickWheel.  Paint all of them at once!  I'll have to look into this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJP0s8Bkn00

Great job esp on the camo! 

I've been painting the whole wheel a dark grey rubber and then using a template on the metal centers for some time. Seems to work for me at least. 

The circle template method is certainly simple. I've used it many times as well. Beats the pants off of hand trimming each one lol!

I also sometimes just spray to centers freehand. It depends on how much dirt I want to depict later. 

Leaving a bit of dark rubber or grey-black around the rims can give the wheels extra shadows and help make them look more grimy.

All depends on how you want them to look when you're done.  :)

JohnMatt

Yeah, so just to be clear:  When he had a tire to paint, he just sprayed the whole thing black, not worrying too much if some got sprayed on the rim.

Then he used his masking trick to protect the black tire and spray the rim whatever color he needed.

Wait... I went looking for the video and this looks even better!  Something called QuickWheel.  Paint all of them at once!  I'll have to look into this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJP0s8Bkn00

 

The only problem with the quick wheel is that they have limited use. Each one is designed for a certain size wheel. I got one with a set of 251 wheels and wasn't to keen, the circle template is much more useful, and cheaper.

ManCityFan

Great job! First armor?! Very nice. I think you should build more....way more. You got the knack!

 

Dash from Canada

TigerII

 

Very nice work. I like the West German/NATO tri color camouflage. The weathering is very good.