Looks great Karl, studying your work here to try to learn a little something for my own stuff.

I might have to pick up some of the dark brown filter for olive drab, I really like the results you got there. Have you used and would recommend his shadow washes?

Hi all,

Got a weathering update here: I started off by using Adam Wilder's "Nitro Line" filter, choosing "Vibrant Green Filter" to add some color variation and depth to the finish.

A close-up of the results...

The gun shields showing the color gradient..

I then added some pinwashes with Black oil...

Detail...you can see it on the treaded walkway

Next, I mixed some Tamiya Buff with Light Gray, and airbrushed this on the suspension and bottom hull...

I also sprayed some on the walkway as the crew's shoes would have tracked it here...

...and misted it up over the hull bottoms. The underside is also coated in it, of course.

The tracks got it too..lightly...

Next, I used MIG's 502 oils of "Light Mud, Industrial Earth", and Grumbacher Dark Umber to make a mud potion in various shades and applied that by stabbing a brush on the model top.

I also put it on the bottom hull near the bottom and top, and pulled it in the opposite direction to make a nasty look. I also used some of Wilder's "Orange Rust" as a medium to mix the oils into. In this way, I got all this variance of color and shades. This takes less than 5 minutes to do if you do it right. Just keep dabbing into a different color and slop it on.

Of course the tracks and wheels got exactly the same treatment..

Here's where I am now....leaving off for a day or two to let those oils dry...then comes pigments..

I'll try to get to the figures next while everything is drying.  Thanks for looking in, and following along!

Thanks, Hugo--you're just in time for another update! While these oils are drying, it will be a good time to do the figures tutorial. Stay tuned!

My man!, what can I say....it is not complete and it already looks amazing. I really like the difference in the colors from dark to light...I have tried so many times to get this right....

Also, your tutorial on painting figures would be very very much appreciated!!

As you know, I cannot paint a decent figure, not to mention faces......

Keep us posted on the figure painting.

See you around.

Thanks, Bill! It will be good to get back to the dirt and grime after that pristine Tomcat that I put together! Yeee-HAAAWWW!!

Johan, ha ha, that's true about my little "Doxie". SOmetimes I swear he has just as MUCH power as a Viper, the way he tears around here. It's quite a sight to see this fuzzy little low tube of doogness blazing around the couch in circles.

Color modulation is a cool trick, but it takes practice to get right. I"m only now starting to feel like I have a handle on it. :)

Thanks Bish, yeah, I was actually surprised at myself for not seeing that sooner. Just goes to show how spoiled as a modeler I've become! Nowadays you don't even think of checking the undersides of the fenders unless you're building an oldie!

Really starting to come alive now Karl, on to the real fun with the whitewash and weathering!

Hi the doog,

Very nice work and a lot of useful tips as always!

Will definitely try your color modulation formula.

Very Best Regards

Johan

PS. Gotta love the Dachs, the ratio of dog to kilo is like with HP in a Dodge Viper :)

Looking sweet there Karl. Looks like you caught the underside of the fenders just in time.

jibber

Doog you've done one great job on that paint, the modulation between those colors jumps off the page. Very nice. The figures looks like they won't be an easy job, theres a lot going on there but one great build Doog. Love your little buddy...

And my little modeling boddy is doing fine too..his hair is getting long--the "long-haired Dachshund" part of him starting to show. He's looking positively rebellious now. lol

Thanks, Gamera! I appreciate it!

Thanks, Steve. It's good to be back at the bench!

Thanks for looking in, RX7850. Glad to have you along, and happy to share!

And as sure as what I said.....

 "The real magic is (as always) when you do the paint".

Doog you've done one great job on that paint, the modulation between those colors jumps off the page. Very nice. The figures looks like they won't be an easy job, theres a lot going on there but one great build Doog. Love your little buddy...

Looks great as usual Karl, really enjoy following along with your work.

This is coming along real nice. Appreciate the insights to your painting technique.

OK, painting is 75% finished. What I mean is, there will be a whitewash, eventually. But here's what I got this weekend.

I got it primered with Tamiya Gray primer decanted and airbrushed, then realized---DUH?--I should have blocked off under the fenders. Yeah, can you believe that? The Trumpeter kit goes "retro" on the missing fender/hull fills.

The blanks cut from .040 styrene sheet were 144mm x 15.5 mm. and laid on braces under the hull sides.

And then here's the paints I used.

First I did an overall black base coat.

... here's the first two applications: the Black-Green base coat with the first highlight coat of JA Green.

And here's the last highlight coat added from Olive Green + Yellow. Note how the gun shields were "color modulated" by careful masking.

The wheels got all but the final highlight coat...

The tracks got a coat of black, plus my own "Tracks" mixture of Brown + Black, and then I mixed Red Brown and Orange to get a Rust color, which I sprayed around the edges, leaving the insides of the tracks darker.

The figures; I'm going to do a short tutorial on skin tones here. They start off with a Tamiya Gray prinmer coat, followed by a White coat sprayed from above to leave some shadows, They will be then painted with acrylics from Windsor & Newton.....more on that later...

Thanks again for looking in, guys. Any comments always welcomed, and I'll promise to respond in a more timely fashion! 

I have to admit that I"m a little freaked out that I didn't reply to all these posts here; I must have gotten to traveling and got busy...I'm sorry for the poor manners., guys. Coulda sworn I"d replied...

Steve, I normally don't put the tracks on before painting, but this was easy to do the tracks on this model, and they're pretty solid. So I thought the photo would be cool...

Josiah, Sprue, and Bill, thanks for looking in, and forgive my tardiness in replying!

Hey Karl,

  Everything here appears to be in cut and proper order. 

    The real magic is (as always) when you do the paint.

Oh, just wondering. I thought you painted in progression

       rather than after the construction is complete .

          Have a great Holiday........

Looks big and mean while waiting for paint there Karl! Have fun hunting and feasting with the fam!

Great progress Karl...make sure to post pics when you get back, both of this thing painted and anything you may find in the woods while you are away!

Serious detailed mods and progress, Doog.

… and new Doog 

Red Green

Hi Karl. Just a note about the road wheel spacing,they are off-set because the torsion bars are nearly as long as the hull is wide.Take a look at the Panther 2's road wheel config. for each side  byrden.com/.../WheelSpacings2.html. Awsome looking Tomcat by the way!

The model is finished an ready for paint!

Here is a shot of the modification that I had to do to the rear ladder mounts. The mounts for them are just too far apart. I had to cut the molded-on mounts off with a single-edge razor, and re-attach them about 2mm closer on both side. It was impossible to get the ladder edges to meet them where they were supposed to join. I had all this documented in photos, but my memory card got screwed up and I lost the photos in the re-formatting!

The gun parts un-assembled.

This gun cradle has a gear that engages the gun's undercarriage, and "rope" that is wound around the wheels. This is twine, which comes in the kit. I wet it somewhat with white glue, and wrapped it around while still wet. I'll have to mask it somehow when I paint it.

Don't know what I would do without this Micro-Mark precision cutter when removing delicate parts like these leg braces for the front shields! A "MUST have" for every modeler!

By the way, if you want to position the front shields "down", they act as "floor pans" for the crew when lowered. Check it out here: and you can also store the "ladders" on the other end UP if you want, for travel.

Here's the model, finished. Notice that there is a pesky circular PE piece in the barrel that simulates the grooving in the barrel. Two figures from Helo Miniatures will finish this one off.

I have to say that I found the plastic used in this kit to be somewhat unexpectedly brittle. I actually broke two different pieces in half--they rather "crumbled" when I applied some force to them to better fit or make them "seal" against each other with glue. I don't know if this is just an anomaly with my kit, or if others will experience the same strange quality?
The only thing missing is the two tow cables, which will be added after painting.

Note the extended "ladders" on the rear. I have no idea what they were actually for, or how they functioned.

Gratuitous "modelling buddy" photo...

Well, I'm dying to get painting on this, but it'll have to wait two weeks until I return home from up North. Thanksgiving visits and deer hunting with Dad. I can't wait to get started! A winter scheme is going to look awesome on this big beast!

Comments always welcomed! Have a Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Thanks, all of you guys, for the comments and the information!

I should be done with it and ready for paint in a few hours! Pics to come!!!

Hi Karl. Just a note about the road wheel spacing,they are off-set because the torsion bars are nearly as long as the hull is wide.Take a look at the Panther 2's road wheel config. for each side  byrden.com/.../WheelSpacings2.html. Awsome looking Tomcat by the way!

Very cool Karl, some of the German paper panzers were wild but I'm very happy to see some of this crazy Soviet stuff that's been coming out recently.

And congrads on the new doog too!!!

Neat build, doog. I like the look of that thing, and it's not hard to see why it never made it into production....

the doog

Wayne, Wow, a "Railroad" GB, now that's ambitious!

Congratulations on your Unimog triumphs! That's great!!! Next step is to take it to a regional, or National contest! Or better yet, an AMPS!

 1/35 choo choos are big and have lots of pieces. i don't think they are anymore complicated than some of the truck frames i build

In local contests this year it took a 1st, 2nd, and a 3rd in commercial trucks in three local contests and a first in commercial trucks in  region 10 regional. time to retire it until nats next year. and send some pics into FSM.