My friends, it's a proper Heiland now!
First I added the black outlines with a paintbrush, then gave the sides one extra layer of higlights using very diluted Deck Tan.
Then it was stencil time... I've had these stencils for the longest time! They were made by another modeler for me and some of them were quite complex, for example, the cross on the back consisted of 4 in...
2022-04-23 06:50:57 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, here's the basic coloring done! It might not look like it, but this was in all seriousness a matter of two afternoons and evenings! The shading isn't finished yet though, I need to add the black outlines, markings, and then give it a good Ammo Shader treatment!
Pictures are in reverse order, as usual. So how did I approach it?
Well, I started with a black primer. A...
2022-04-21 21:36:55 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, here are some phone pictures taken on a white background since I already prepared it for a proper photo shoot with a DSLR, and also so you can see the details more clearly.
I added a ton of mess on the ground according to the original inspiration photo. Here's something I tried keeping in mind: placing some of the broken pieces of wood so they'd hang out of the scene. On...
2022-04-17 17:32:38 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, the trench is finished (quite literally!) and I've got the basic ground texture down.
Making the destroyed trench section was heaps of fun compared to the intact portions, although it required a lot of planning. I'm super stoked to have that crazy shape cut into the veneer!
Also, the VMS smart mud feels almost like moist peat. It also behaves in the same way....
2022-04-15 22:36:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Interior... when it's worth the effort and when it's not :)
2022-04-15 16:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, here's finally some share-worthy progress. Let's start from the end of the gallery!
The cross idea seemed a tiny bit far-fetched to me, but a quick Google search has proven me wrong (or correct). A cross on a battlefield in two different times - check out the bombed and then completely levelled monastery behind it. So I'm totally going with it!
In other news,...
2022-04-13 20:13:50 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, this diorama will be called "Savior". Or maybe "Fallen Savior"? My original idea was "Big Game Hunting", but because the A7V was nicknamed Heiland, it all makes better sense! But hey, here's the important stuff...
These photos show how the composition evolved, from the final form to the initial sketch roughly based on the inspirational photo. I kept messing around with a...
2022-04-11 15:18:55 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, I can close the interior so all of this will never be seen again🤣
Before the weathering commenced, I divided it into sections depending on how visible they were going to be. The front section with the cannon has been left in basic colors and a pin wash. The missing side armor doesn't even have a pin wash. The roof has some washes and details picked out in a lighter co...
2022-04-08 16:53:15 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, everything is painted in its respective colors and outlined with a pin wash. I used enamel this time, mostly because I wanted to proceed swiftly and there was no time to wait for oils to drain!
I used the AK Interiors Wash for the white parts and Dark Streaking Grime for the rest. I really appreciated how the streaking grime flowed nicely around everything and how I coul...
2022-04-06 19:49:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, this was interesting! At least I finally learned (hopefully I'll remember it) how to properly spray white without the initial sputter that's oh-so-common with this color. As usual, I have no idea about thinning ratios, just experimenting and adding more thinner until it sprays smoothly! 🤣
My impression is that the interior most likely wasn't painted in pure white, rather the more...
2022-04-04 20:30:49 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, after tediously putting the tank together it was time to break it apart for interior painting!
First was the obligatory coat of black Surfacer (this took quite a lot of time!) and then the base color for the floor and some other components. There's not much info on the correct paint here, some sources say grey, others white, others green. I went with something in between...
2022-04-03 20:56:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Held together by tape and covered in dust...
Not the A7V we deserve, but the best A7V we're getting for now 🤣
2022-04-02 19:43:22 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, just so you all know what to look (or not) forward to 🤣 This is the specific A7V that I'm building, hull Nr. 540 "Heiland".
I tried to reconstruct the camouflage as closely as possible, and where it wasn't possible, I tried to make it somewhat aesthetically pleasing, because in reality the paint job must've been a huge mess!
And yes, it will be part of a t...
2022-04-01 08:32:35 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, this model took WAY longer than I anticipated! It felt a bit frustrating at times, because at the end of the day it's just a "simple" out of the box build! But it's an interior kit, and a riveted tank that needed some modifications... and working with a riveted tank is very different compared to a regular, welded model. The overall workmanship has to be more precise, there's very li...
2022-04-01 08:07:10 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, the construction is nearing the finish line, but the worst part is still ahead - the driver's cabin! Meng has the additional armor plates molded on these parts, but the tank I'm modelling was running around without them. I'll have to sand them all down and then replace the hinges, bolts and rivets 🥲
In other news, I completed the sides. This required texturing, adding the r...
2022-03-28 08:42:22 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, I've got most of the interior done, just the roof details remain. So far I followed the instructions to the dot because there was no legit reason to do it "my way", lol.
It's getting time to move outside of the tank and focus on the exterior. So far I've modified the front plate where only one hatch is supposed to be. Meng kit reproduces the tank called "Schnuck" with tw...
2022-03-25 09:10:41 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, something I didn't anticipate about building a full interior kit is the amount of tiny, weird-ass shaped parts. And the amount of cleanup... the horror! Especially those uncomfy chairs for MG gunners... those cursed chairs, each consisting of 5 parts!
Also, unlike other interior models (I presume), there will be a ton of parts left for separate painting. I think that wil...
2022-03-23 10:30:20 +0000 UTC View Post
New projecto starto!
At first I wanted to be very mysterious, but at this point it's pretty obvious what is it 😁
Yes, another WW1 subject, but this time with full interior. And the diorama will feature an abandoned trench.
The inspirational photo is actually photoshopped and totally fake, but it makes for a very nice diorama subject!
2022-03-21 09:25:49 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, I managed to finish the diorama without any major accidents!
I started by scraping off the raised lip left by the masking tape, quickly covering it with a coat of Tamiya clear varnish. Then I started creating the water ripples using AK Transparent Water Gel. This gel is very thick and dries relatively quickly, it becomes hard to manipulate in roughly 5 minutes depending ...
2022-03-18 10:23:11 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, yesterday I poured a second layer and left it in a box until today morning. The second pour was the same as the first one, I used the other half of the AK resin (the entire scene swallowed up 180ml of epoxy), but instead of 7 drops of Khaki, I added 6. Yeah, pointless science 😅
The first thing today was removing the tape and I immediately snapped these pictures. Then I shee...
2022-03-16 10:34:04 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, today is the day when we write history! 😆 My first pour of epoxy water was a (partial) success (for the most part).
Let me start with the most obvious mistake. I was too afraid to tint the resin too much and make it overly opaque. This turned out to be my downfall, because you can still see where the tank was cut in half. I'm not 100% desperate at the moment because I still...
2022-03-14 14:08:35 +0000 UTC View Post
My friends, I've got the base ready over the weekend. First thing was to create a dam from Tamiya masking tape. I was worried the adhesive wouldn't create a bond that would be waterproof enough, so I heated it up with a small blowtorch and pressed firmly against the wood. The tape was a bit flimsy, so I gave it another layer with a double sided tape to make the dam thicker and more durable.&nbs...
2022-03-14 08:59:41 +0000 UTC View Post
Not even the power outage on my street could stop an early video!
2022-03-11 17:01:04 +0000 UTC View Post
