1/35 Historic Models Sdkfz 232 - Russian Service

Hi guys, this isnt really a proper post, simply something Ive been pottering with for a while.
Bought this kit in France just for something to do. Overall, detail and build quality was quite poor with part fit causing several headaches :D . However, few parts meant it was constructed fairly fast.

 Once complete, a coat of Vallejo Black Grey was laid down, quickly followed by AK Worn Effects. Multiple mists of acrylic white were to provide the illusion of Winter camo before weathering could commence. Darker, more cream/brown shades of white were used on the lower hull and in crevices to suggest a dirtier paint finish. After applying German decals, only then did I decided Russian markings would be more appealing :D :D :D

Warm water, toothpicks and a synthetic bristled brush were my tools to turn this new looking vehicle into a beaten work horse of the Red Army. Rubbing gently and scrubbing on lower areas I slowly eroded the white camo to reveal it's past life in the Whermacht. Once finished chipping, a red star was placed on the bonnet and given a coat of the excellent Vallejo Matte Varnish.

Diluted white paint was spattered all over the vehicle to represent some form of  irregularities. This was followed by streaks of various Abteilung Oil Paints which were then dragged down using a brush moistened in thinners to create fading and rain marks. A pin wash of black and brown was used to accentuate the few details present such as hinges and bolts. I utilised the AK Dark Earth pigment to insinuate dirt on horizontal/shallow incline panels such as the upper bonnet.

A recognition tarpaulin was placed on the front as if to help identify that, although the vehicle is German, it is on Russian service. This was painted orange, given a brown wash and dry brushed. The base was made from insulation foam with a large hole scooped out before fixing the Sdkfz into said hole. Polyfilla mixed with sall stones, sand and paint was then used to represent mud, where the vehicle has become stuck. Eventually I will put a layer of artificial water on the base along with some Soviet figures. My idea is to have some soldiers posing on the hull whilst one takes a photo from the banking.
Got any questions? Email me - Sovietboy2291@hotmail.co.uk

1/35 Eastern Express BT-42

Hi guys, sorry again for the delay, had exams :(
I started this kit back in October just as something to build at the club. I have noticed that a magoirty of the models I do are older ones I only start for something to do rather than focusing on the newer, better kits I have. Weird. Anyway, for its age and manufacturer, I was very pleasantly surprised as superb surface detail and ease of construction led to a simple build. My only additions were a texturing of the BT-7 turret section (probably not accurate but adds interest), exhaust and installation of spare track mounting pins. Games Work Shop 'Liquid Green Stuff' was stippled on for the rough effect seen on the fore-mentioned parts. The front left fender was damaged with a drill before being given the 'Green Effect'. The suspension was also very subtly weighted at the back to create the illusion of traversing the sloped terrain I had envisaged from the start.

To begin with, I sprayed the model with Model Air Matt Black to provide initial depth. next came highlights of white before a final coat of a bright green which I made from various colours. As usual, I am no happy with the way my airbrushing went and feel I must put more effort into this area. Anyway, this was followed by the usual process of Vallejo Olive Green with black infill. The mighty Adam Wilder's 'Speckling' technique was empolyed to add a finer level of chipping. Worn areas were then given shine using a  pencil. One of the fuel tanks was given a layer of the excellent AK Interactive 'Worn Effects' before being painted white. Warm water and a synthetic bristled brush was used to reveal the underlying green. Many stowage boxed are supplied and I painted them all but in the end only  used two :D . Im sure you've become to expect this but, I painted my own markings using a fine brush for the inverted swastika and a home made mask for the razor teeth (the slogan on the right, rear stowage box supposedly reads 'Forward').

Weathering took the form of multiple washes including AK's 'Dark Brown For Green'. Once these washes had dried, AK's 'Kursk Earth' or 'Kurks Earth' as it is spelt on the bottle :D :D, was used in conjunction with various oils from the Mig Abteilung range for creating streaky effects. Concentrations of black were used below the 'air intakes' and exhaust tips to suggest soot expulsion from these ports. Small areas on horizontal surfaces were given patches of different toned browns to replicate dirt build-up. Highly diluted acrylic black was then used to form dried up blotches of oil around the engine access panels etc. Rust was kept minimal as I made the presumption of these vehicles having been recently refurbished. The exhaust screen was the only exception being victim to heavy orange washes before rubbed with graphite. AK's 'Dark Earth' pigment was used frequently throughout this build as it is probably my favorite colour of powder you can get and has nice adhesion qualities