It has been a few weeks since my last post but I've made a great deal of progress in the interim. I should really have taken photos as I went along but was so engrossed that this didn't happen. Best laid plans, etc...
As you can see we now have a completed hull and turret, while weathering is done. I last left this model just before applying the decals and as you can see below these went on flawlessly. I used Mr Mark Setter and Mr Mark Softer, then allowed them to settle for a couple of days before going over the model with Vallejo Matt varnish.
As predicted the layers of varnish have changed the colour of the paint, making it both darker and less yellow. Nonetheless, the matt finish provided exactly the base needed for the weathering, while also protecting the paint and decals.
As you can see, I also fitted a tow cable. This is by R B Models and is made from galvanised steel. It's OK but doesn't respond well to attempts at being bent into shape; it's a bit too rigid for my liking and if I can get hold of some made from copper I suspect these will be more user-friendly. The cable was given a base of Vallejo black primer followed by XF-64 Red Brown.
Before plunging into the weathering there were various fittings to be painted. I wanted to be sure that everything was done to ease the weathering process but also to make sure that I didn't end up with fittings painted after the weathering, so making them rather too clean.
The port side tail light was painted with Vallejo 307 Red Tail Light. The interior surfaces of the various year lights were painted with 790 Silver.
Tyres were done with 306 Dark Rubber. Marcus Nicholls has been a real advocate for this colour and he's absolutely correct - it has just the write colour and satin sheen for rubber. Above all it isn't black, but is a dark grey.
The leather in the hatches was given a base of 984 Flat Brown, with highlights from the base colour plus 981 Orange Brown and lowlights with 822 German Camo Black Brown.
The spare tracks were fitted some time ago and of course this meant that the spattering approach which was used with the main tracks wasn't possible. This time, then, everything had to be done by hand and with care to keep things tight. The tracks (and of course the guides sticking out of the sides) were given a base of 950 Black, then a layer of thinned 304 Track Primer. I then used a sponge to apply random dots of 302 Dark Rust, 301 Light Rust, and finally 303 Yellowish Rust.
The masking over the periscopes was removed, as you might be able to make out above, and I painted the interior surface of the periscope which sits within the commander's hatch with 897 Bronze Green, which can just about be seen below.
Then it was down to the weathering. My approach to this is to build up layers, but not to overdo any one of those layers, to the extent that some are only applied to specific parts of the vehicle. Vertical and horizontal surfaces need to be treated differently, while there are various raised surfaces which are more likely to be worn or chipped than others. In addition I'm also wary of killing off previous work with which I'm pleased. So, the weathering is there in order to add variety, to unify previous painting, and to give a sense of weight, depth and substance to what is a tiny piece of plastic. I really enjoy this process but also approach it with a healthy respect because it can go horribly wrong. Who hasn't ended up removing chunks of paint, wrecking decals, or producing something which bears little resemblance to the original plan, and not in a happy way either? It helps to have an idea of the effects one is trying to achieve, and so with my imagined Sherman firmly at the forefront of my mind I began by using small pieces of sponge to apply chipping over the whole tank with 822 German Camo Black Brown. This process concentrated upon edges, corners, raised areas, etc.
This was followed by some chipping with 301 Light Rust, again using a sponge in a very limited way. Then I got out the airbrush and applied a thin mix of XF64 and black for the muzzle, exhausts, etc. The Harder & Steenbeck was then used to apply heavily thinned XF-10 Brown, then XF-52 Flat Earth, then XF-57 Buff layered onto the wheels, the lower sides of hull and the turret. Buff was also dusted over the model as a whole. This effect was quite subtle, to the extent that much of it is invisible on the finished model, but it does help to add depth. In future I might well use this effect more visibly while reducing or removing some other methods such as oil spotting.
At this stage the Sherman was starting to look like a vehicle which was being used unrelentingly in a pretty extreme environment.
I normally apply a heavily thinned wash of oils at this stage, but I've had some AK Interactive Dark Wash for Green Vehicles in reserve for some time and wanted to give it a try. This was applied very selectively along panel lines, etc, and left to dry overnight. I didn't apply an overall wash since this would have overwhelmed the previous paint job. The result was OK and gave a nice effect, but was no better or worse to use than an oil wash really.
AK Interactive's Streaking Grime was then used selectively on vertical surfaces, left to dry for about 15 minutes, and then streaked with Enamel Thinners. Some of this effect can be seen below, although some of it was removed or hidden by subsequent layers of weathering. Again this was left to dry overnight.
Mig Oil and Grease, thinned with enamel thinners, was applied in a very limited way to areas like the turret ring, fuel caps, etc. Again this was left to dry overnight - there's a pattern emerging here and this is based on my desire to let each stage settle down.
Then I used the method of dotting oils onto the vertical surfaces, leaving them to dry and then streaking them downward with a brush dipped in enamel thinner. Burnt Umber and Buff Titanium were used, left overnight, and then more was removed the next day. This is the advantage of oils - they take so long to dry that you can always go back again. At this stage the pre-shading and highlighting which was done in the original painting were really brought together. There is a risk that such painting gives an unrealistic impression but the weathering helps to fool the eye. Above all the streaking gives the impression of dust being washed downwards by rain and so the model gains a used surface.
Mig Rainmarks were used at the base of the turret and on the bottom of the side skirts. Again this is something I've had for a while and wanted to try but I wasn't that taken with it really. The effect is probably better realised with airbrushed acrylics.
While I let the vehicle settle down after this multiplicity of weathering effects I revisited the tracks. I was pleased with the initial effect but rust and mud have a physical presence which can't be reproduced entirely with acrylics. The only solution is to use pigments, but these are very easily overdone. Apply these in one dollop and you're confronted by a real problem because it's difficult to remove them and the maxim that it's easier to add more paint than to remove it is even more useful when dealing with pigments. There are also numerous different methods of applying them, each with their own benefits in different circumstances. For the tracks I mixed a small amount of pigment with a lot of Tamiya thinner, so making a kind of suspension for the pigments which can be applied like a wash. When the thinner evaporates you're left with a residue of pigment and this method is particularly useful when you want to avoid overdoing things while also getting the pigment to run into tight areas. Mig Old Rust with a tiny amount of Standard Rust was used here and on the spare tracks. This was left to dry then it was followed by a heavily thinned mix of Europe Dust which was itself allowed to dry before I followed the same procedure with Dry Mud. It's essential that each layer is left to dry so that you then have a sense of whether further work is needed before moving on to the next colour. Without this you end up piling on ever more pigments while gaining the impression that they're not having the desired effect. These layers then dry and you're confronted with a mess.
The next day this approach paid dividends since I felt a further layer was needed and for this heavily thinned Dry Mud was applied with a greater proportion of pigment to thinner. This was also added to the spare tracks on the front. Once the pigment was dry I went over the tracks with a stiff brush in order to blend in the effects and to remove pigments from the higher surfaces. By this stage some of the original paint effects had been buried, but enough survived to help with the overall effect.
At this point it was time to use a different method for the areas of hull alongside the wheels. I used a mix of Dark Mud and Wilder Plaster to shovel dry pigment onto these areas and this was then fixed in place by using a brush to drip Tamiya thinner onto the pigment so as not to disturb it. Once dry this was followed by Europe Dust and plaster, fixed in the same way and again, surprise, surprise, I then added Dry Mud and Plaster. As a result this material was built up over time and gives the effect of accumulated mud.
I was left with a small amount of each of these mixes of pigments and plaster, which were then pre-mixed with thinner and spattered it over parts of the hull and the wheels. AK Wet Effects were then used selectively, as you can see below. Mud tends to dry from the edges inward, so the wet effects were applied in such a way as to follow the pattern at the edge of the dried mud, so giving the impression of mud which is in the process of drying out.
During the above periods of drying I also Dry Mud in its raw form to selective areas of the turret and hull, generally horizontal areas. If overdone you can go over it with a brush and work it into the surface.
Then I went over the tracks, hull and turret with a 6B Graphite Stick. Surely 'Graphite Stick' is another name for a pencil right? Well no because these are solid graphite, but they have a protective outer layer so you can use them like a pencil without getting graphite all over yourself. Because they are solid graphite, though, you can use both the tip and the sides of the sharpened end and this makes things a lot easier than an ordinary pencil. If you're in Britain W H Smiths sell them in their art section and they're well worth it.
I used crushed up graphite (made from an artists' graphite block which I bought from an art shop some time ago and which is stored in a spare paint jar) to go over the spare tracks in order to give them a sheen. I didn't want to suggest any exposed silvery metal with these tracks since they're not in use and wouldn't be likely to have this effect.
Clear parts were fixed in place with white glue and then I fitted the tracks. I viewed this with trepidation and it was indeed suitably difficult. There is no play in the tracks at all, which is great for replicating the fall of the these particular tracks (Sherman tracks were generally quite taught), but not so great for gluing into place. I got there eventually using Tamiya cement (white label).
That's it for now but we're still not finished of course. The tools and stowage needs to be fitted, the figures need to be painted and the diorama base hasn't even been started. There's plenty left to do but we're getting there.
As ever I'm struck by the imposing nature of the Sherman. I hope I'm doing it justice.
Zigerastica
0 Yorumlar