Hi Guys!
Well, here's the final update and the completion of the build! First, let me post a few preliminary weathering photos. After the last post, I gave the model a wash of Van Dyke brown. This is a slightly darker shade than the standard "Raw Umber"; really almost a "black-brown". I also took my "dust" mix, and streaked itdown the sides a bit.
Same thing with the wheels, although on this case some carefully applied pin washes brought out the bolt and rim detail.
In this build, I altered my aproach to painting the wheels--I still paint them off-the-model, but instead of painting the whole rubber part of the wheel, I simply drybrushed a grayish-black around the edges, and slurred a thinned application of it sloppily across the wheel's rubber sections in order to get a dusty/old rubber look.
Meanwhile, while that was drying, I tooka bit of Olive Green oil paint, and mixing it with white and a touch of yellow, I applied a little of "color modulation" to the hull; basically, adding varying shades of the base coat in order to impart a richer tone to the coor. I did NOT go for the "Oil Dot Method" on this build.
Here's what you can't do when you paint tracks on the vehicle--weathering the insides of the tracks; the track along which the wheels actually travel, and the guide horns--here receiving a drybrushing of silver.
Tools for joining the tracks: a candle, and a block of wood with a small nail stuck in it. The wood stops the transfer of heat into your fingers.
Heat up the nail...
Press it to the pns...
..and what ya get...notice the realism of the insides of the tracks?
And gentlemen, I present to you the 1/35 Revell Jagdpanzer Kanone!!! nu nu nUUUUU!!!
I painted up the old Verlinden "NATO tank crew" (thanks, stickpusher, for the recommendation! ) and installed them in the hatches--one reason alone, IMO, to buy the Modelbau hull update, as the Revell hatches are horribly deficient in the open position.
You know, I seriously thought about adding weathering powders to the hull, but I liked the look of the "Glue Technique" so much that I didn't want to cover it up with powders. A little bit of "Old School Weathering" seemed to suffice here on the JaPaKa!
A close up of the figures--I have to say that these were the fastest figures I've ever painted--done in two days! Oh, and the periscopes were painted gloss black first, and then Model Master Gloss Green Metallic--looks the part, from when I went climbing around the Leopards at Wolfhagen...
Some tools detail--a very simple technique here. Paint with tan, wash with raw sienna oil, and then when dry, streak with a thicker slurry of the same...the metal was painted Pollly S oily black, then DB'ed with Tamiya Metallic Gray and Testor's silver, then dabbed with my "Dust" mix for continuity.
I tried something here--putting "boot prints" up to the hatches. I also added a length of the Modelbau tracks on the rear there....in tribute!
Well that's a wrap! Time to clean the desk and start writing the article! I hope you enjoyed this foray into modern armor for me, and as always, comments, questions, and criticisms are enthusiatically and gratefully welcomed!
The doog....