Where did our host go?

Very nicely done Ben, she has come out great.

For your sig you can only have so many cvharectors. Once you get more than a couple of badges, you need to either put them into one GIF image or useing a photo editor put them all into one image.

Thanks TigerII....

Nice job! The first pics of that camo pattern were awesome but it made it look too stark, but your wash, weathering and pastels really brought it down. this baby looks like it can hide in the underbrush and ambush a whole column of enemy tanks. Excellent work sir.

Thanks KC..

Drums. Good job!!!

Thanks guys....

Also,....no masking, all freehand....

Ben

Drums that turned out great! Lots of masking it appears, but worth it.

Happy Holidays!

Mike

Oh wow she looks great Ben! As I said the camo looks fantastic and the mud looks just right.

KY: Well, you could go with the darker colour and then apply the lighter to the upper surfaces for colour modulation.

Well, here is the reveal of the STRV 103 MBT

Followed your suggestions of a dark wash, followed by Tamiya weathering rubs, oils, and pastels. The photos look a little glossy but it is indeed a flat finish. I am done, comments welcome.... another GB to move to.....

One question, how do I add the GB badge to my signature block? I have several and when I try the multiple images cannot be saved,.... help!

v/r,

Ben

I've got a question. I'm not that far along but like to already have things worked out ahead of time.

The Meng M2A3 Bradley calls for using Vallejo Sand Yellow 71.028. I have that but I also have AK  US Modern Vechicles AK 122 that I used on a M1A2 a couple years ago. I plan building another M1A2 Sep TUSK II later next year.

The AK 122 is lighter then the Vallejo 71.028.

Which paint to use???? I plan to weather it quite a bit with washes to bring out all those lines in the Bradley. Should I use the same paint on all the US vechicles I listed here?

Coming on nicely there Tiger.

DRUMS01

Bish, that was it. I was with them for the majority of the visit. I also coordinated some extra-curricular activities for them such as a trip to Carlsbad Caverns (very large caves) and a meal at the original Cattlemans Steakhouse (along with other events). Tank gunnery and Scout SCPC training was very interesting and fun too. Thanks for showing me that link, it brought back some good memories...

Tiger2, looking real nice so far..... I am liking the desert scheme too....

Ben

 

Sounds like you had a great time with those guys. I only had one trip to the US, spent 5 weeks at El Centro assisting the Merlin Helicopters in some training. Its certainly nice to see how others do things.

TigerII: Ohhhhhhh, looks sharp! 

PS: The frelling machine gun for the gunner's hatch on my Abrams has vanished and I'm kinda stuck. I'm ready to put down a primer coat but don't want to have to paint the machine gun and the protective shield separtly from the rest of the tank. 

Bish, that was it. I was with them for the majority of the visit. I also coordinated some extra-curricular activities for them such as a trip to Carlsbad Caverns (very large caves) and a meal at the original Cattlemans Steakhouse (along with other events). Tank gunnery and Scout SCPC training was very interesting and fun too. Thanks for showing me that link, it brought back some good memories...

Tiger2, looking real nice so far..... I am liking the desert scheme too....

Ben

Hey all, I was away on vacation and then took some time off from building. I'm glad this GB is for a year, but I got to work again and basically did some more painting, gluing and preliminary weathering. I gave my tank an acrylic wash to darken the color and then an oil wash to highlight the highlights. I'll give it some more weathering as I see fit. I'm ready to start putting it all together now. 

Coming on nicely there AA.

Ben, i had not heard of Gobi Dust, so i googled it and found this from the 4 and 7 RTR websiye, i am guessing its the same excersise.

http://www.4and7royaltankregiment.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/images_rh8286_rh13_34.pdf

Both those units now no longer exist, being amalgamated in 92 and the 16th/5th being merged several more times since.

Work in progress on the BMP-2:

Svenne: Yeah, I tend to sand down any tread pattern on road wheels. I don't know any other way to get rid of some of the mold lines right on the outside. It's where the tire would wear anyway so I don't see any point not to. 

Ben: That sounds good! You can also mix and spray some clear flat with a little tan or sand mixed in to tone down the contrast between the camo colours if you want.  

Thanks Gamera, I am pleased with it so far. I am not sure how much wear and weathering I will put on it, as it was never a war horse. Other than training exercises, it mostly sat in motorpools.

To me this means light wear and chipping on the traffic areas (handles and hatches), light dirt / grime worn into the nooks and crannies, some fresh dust/dirt on the side cans, brestplate and undercarriage, and some rust on the tracks.

Thanks Svenne, I totally agree on the darker wash... (dark gray and dark brown mix)

More photos soon I hope....

Ben 

@ Real G

Sorry m8, need to get that confirmed. Was back at the LHS today to see if I could get some advice from the local guys and they promised to get back. 

@ Gamera

Feel your pain, just sanded of the flash on the road wheels only to realize that part of it was a thread pattern that was supposed to be there. My eyesight is loosing me...

Awesome work on the splinter scheme.
You have managed what you set out for.
That looks sharp - just like it should!
I started this kit some 10 years ago but gave up since I could not figure out how to mask it for airbrushing. Only had Tamiya acrylics back then and they do not handbrush very well.
You might want to use a dark wash on this, the brown and light green are a little pale.

Sharp as a knife!

Ben: That's outstanding!!! I tried masking a 1/48th Viggen with splinter camo  for airbrushing a few years ago and couldn't push myself to finish it. Maybe I should have handbrushed it! Just love this, beautiful work! 

Bish,

While in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (ElPaso, Texas) I was a special project officer coordinating a month long exchange between members of our 3rd Squadron with troops from your 4th Royal Tank Regiment and the 16/5th Queens Royal Lancers. It was called exercise "Gobi Dust", I believe it was in 1984 (?).  I still have some good memories that occurred during that exchange. The Chieftain MBT and Scorpion CVRT were some neat combat vehicles of that time. The English Soldiers also admired our M60A3 MBT and IFV's. Sometime in the future I would like to vist your country again as a civilian and take time to enjoy the sites.

Prior to that I was stationed in Germany and assisted in training some of the French infantry on some American small arms and crew serve weapons. I know EXACTLY what you mean..... 

Ben

Good to see they let you back in Ben. As for humour, well, i am English, its what we do best (you try living on a foggy island next to the French )

Nice paint job, thats a very interesting scheme, liking it a lot.

Hi everyone, it has been a week since I was locked out of the forum; I am happy to be back! Bish, you and Gamera are killing me with the model humor (smile).

While I was gone, I also got some work done on the STRV 103C, check it out...

I got the upper hull and all of the misc. parts assembled. The coaxial machine gun and the water foraging kit were left off until I could paint the splinter scheme. Model Master and Vallego Acrylic paints were used.

My technique was rather simple, look at the camo scheme I sourced from the web (the instructions camo pattern were in black and white??) and then free hand brush paint it. Thanks Gamera for the tip on findinig the scheme on the web.

I did that versus the airbrush and masks because I wanted to see if it could be done. The challenge was to not destroy any fine detail and not leave any brush strokes. I used red sable flat brushes 1/2 and 1/4 inch wide as well as a fine point detail brush to ensure the angles remained sharp. The painting took roughly 11 hours, over three days.

Since the photos below I've also added the other parts and completed the camoflauge. Overall I am satisfied with the results. 

Next will be the detail painting for the vents, exhaust, periscopes, rubber caps, lights, etc. When I'm done with that I will begin the weathering process. More photos to come later.

As always, your comments are encouraged...

Ben

Bish

 

 

Gamera

I am still moving forward in this corner if slowly.

 

'There was a boy who hated painting road wheels...

He was stuck with them up the gills...

He painted them all day...

He painted them all night...

Till he committed sepukku with an X-Acto knife...'

 

 

 

 

O, lots of wheels on sticks, just in time for the holidays.

 

Yeah if I could only find some peppermint flavoured paint... 

KC: Good to have you back. I was locked out for about half a week and only got back on last weekend. 

Gamera

I am still moving forward in this corner if slowly.

 

'There was a boy who hated painting road wheels...

He was stuck with them up the gills...

He painted them all day...

He painted them all night...

Till he committed sepukku with an X-Acto knife...'

 

O, lots of wheels on sticks, just in time for the holidays.

I have not been able to get on until just now. I'll be having some work done next week then after Christmas I'll start really getting the work.