1/35 Leopard 2A4 *Gefechtsbereit*

[Tobi]

Aug 24, 2013 20:49:33 GMT -5 @dogfish7 said:

Heck, just take it down to your local paint store and have them match it

You're right, Bruce! Many people think, just because a colour has a RAL-code, all you have to do is buy a can of that paint and there you go. Fact is, you'll never be able to achieve matching results from the can/bottle, even on freshly painted surfaces. Here is how touch-ups on a fielded vehicle will look like that way, and that's the reason why no WWII tank plant would have been able to paint "THE" consistent dark-yellow (or OD, or 4B0). Modern paintshops in automotive industry use spectral analysis and computerized mixing machines to achieve the constancy needed, as the paints from the can will vary way too much, even from one and the same producer.



Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Now it's time for base painting. But before I could start I had to do a little extra work, as I had neglected the MG mount. I added a hand guard and also a rail for the belt feeding.



Reading the Leopard build of Spencer Pollard in the TMMI, I noticed a little addition on the skirts he'd made. A quick check of my references and I found these missing conical bolt-heads. Added them just in time. Though he may probably never read this: THX Spencer!



30 hours of spraying work would bring me here. Still some way to go. I had three different painting instructions and three books constantly at hand, always cross-checking and trying to figure out which is the right shape and position of the blotches. On the real machines, deviations in form and placement up to a one-digit centimeter range are admissible!

[Tobi]

Another ten hours would see finishing and retouches. I did use an IWATA HP-B Plus with 0,2mm nozzle. The paint was a little thinner than milk and the air pressure just a breeze, probably 0,8bar/12psi.

[Leon]

Awesome work on the camo Tobi.Looking really good.

[deafpanzer]

LOVE the camo!!! Great job!

[406 Silverado]

Great to see this in paint/camo Tobi. VERY informative updates on the paint colors. Thing with new colors/painted vehicles is that they will be exact....for a while. once they hit the field,sun beats on it and gets dirty/dusty the colors change. I ran an S4 section back in Germany and we had 5 HEMTT M978 that were all the same model/year. Two were usually kept back on post and the others were always in the field and on the road. The used vehicles colors were so faded that the black was a gray color. This is the case for many vehicles, from my experience in the 8 yrs in the military.

This is a great blog so I'm following.

[ceresvesta]

Superb thread Tobi! Just read it from start to finish. I do enjoy youre inçredible attention to details and your ability to transmit your knowledge.
Keep this up my friend.
Phil.

[Tobi]

Aug 25, 2013 9:49:21 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Great to see this in paint/camo Tobi. VERY informative updates on the paint colors. Thing with new colors/painted vehicles is that they will be exact....for a while. once they hit the field,sun beats on it and gets dirty/dusty the colors change. I ran an S4 section back in Germany and we had 5 HEMTT M978 that were all the same model/year. Two were usually kept back on post and the others were always in the field and on the road. The used vehicles colors were so faded that the black was a gray color. This is the case for many vehicles, from my experience in the 8 yrs in the military.

This is a great blog so I'm following.

Yes Rob, that's another point. But also talking to the guy who runs the paintshop in my company he would tell me, taking two cans of the same paint from the same manufacturer and painting two sheet samples with it, will give two results! This is somewhere between science and black magic! Only computers can achieve reproducible results by analyzing the pigments and our colour samples (on sheet metal because printed cardboard isn't exact enough!) are stored away in a dark room and replaced on a regular basis.

Cheers,
Tobi

[wbill76]

Nice paint work on the camo pattern Tobi.

[Deleted]

quality work old chap lovin it!

[Tobi]

Hi gents,

no update at the moment due to my job and correlated with that a massive lack of motivation. On the plus side I was able to take a few more pictures on my latest business trip, this time illustrating French camo!

If the German green is difficult to photograph, the French is even harder, but I think it's becoming clear from the photos that the Tamiya colours, though close, just are not the thing, again!
Regarding the brown, the XF-64/XF-52 would also here proof a suitable mix.

What you see in the last picture is not just an olive drab vehicle with a "French" tank, in fact it is Italian base colour against French for the 3-tone camo! I think you can't illustrate any better the huge differences existing in the paint jobs of different modern armies, where some people think it's just all the same. With so much modelling subjects of these two nations available now, I hope some of you might be able to put my research to good use...

[Deleted]

Stunning work Tobi!

[Tobi]

Thx guys, highly appreciated!

I just have to sort out some "real" tech issues at work in the moment. In 4-6 weeks it should be better again. I don't understand the managers. If something is required by law, then I cannot postpone the decision to start working on it for a year(!). It won't develop itself and if I have no solution at the due date, I'm not gonna sell anything! They wouldn't even have an idea what they want to sell and where in the future, Engineering department has to tell them. Mmmh, er, yes. Great, Marketing at it's finest!

Now I have to beat the clock again and come up with the most feasible suggestions in no time, because major decisions have to be made at the beginning of a project where they will cost nearly zero, not towards the end. Every 3rd semester engineering student is knowing that. It's not like, er, well let's get started and we will see where this is heading...

Sorry for my anger. I have to stay cool and keep my head clear. Luckily on Monday I have a day off, compensation for the last business trip.

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

A small update at last. Yesterday I started the chipping process. I'm using different methods as these will also provide different chips. At least I hope so! I'm gonna take my time for it. It's difficult to find the right balance here, as the vehicle shall be pretty chipped, but mustn't look beat up.

First method I used was the "dry-brushing with thinner" by Mike Rinaldi. Provided some neat results on the commander's cupola, though I found it works for me only on really sharp edges and only with one coat of colour. I tried to remove two coats but that ended in a mess. Maybe I'm doing it wrong and the brush was still too moist? I dunno. Weather is overcast today so the quality of the pics is not optimal. All the effects look better in the flesh.



Second method was classic chipping with a fine brush and acrylic colour.



Last but not least I made a mix of acrylic oils (water soluble) and first dry-brushed them on with an old toothbrush, then blended and removed a good part of it again with a clean moist brush. For the long scrapes I used the same colour thinned well and a fan brush. Again cleaning and retouching afterward. In between came a coat of clear cote to preserve the achieved effects.



Today I will refine and enhance the chipping further, also keeping in mind that the dusting will cover up a lot of the effects. I'm thinking about using HS under the dust layer, so it will be possible to clean the edges again and make some more scratches.

[Leon]

Tobi,your achieving some very nice effects on this.

[Thomas_M]

Toby, you made me stay on this thread from page one the last hour! This is most impressive work here, also your background information and explanations are a most valuable read!

I had no idea that such mastery modelling happens about 45 minutes away from my home!

[wbill76]

Very nice and subtle effects on the scratching and chipping.

[Tobi]

Thank you all for your kind comments. Last few weeks didn't allow for much time at the bench, but finally I was able to make enough progress again to show it here.

I started with making some dusty footprints from acrylic oils mixed in a lighter tone of the camo colors and applied with Calibre35 stamps. I used the US Modern Ranger set, as these are close how Bundeswehr soles look like. The oils were preserved under some gloss coat on which went the decals. 



The decals from Revell are fantastic with one exception. The iron crosses suffered form a little offset with the white outlines being smaller on one side. I went through my stash searching for replacements and eventually found some better ones. I noted this very problem occurs very often and also that the Hobby Boss ones just don't look right, be it size, nor shape. Therefore I ordered spares from Archer Dry Transfers for my future projects which proofed to be better. I found it hard to determine from the instructions how to apply the maintenance hints correctly, so I looked up my books. Like Revell supplied the decals you have to apply them in a manner, so you can read all of them looking from the top with the vehicle facing away from you. I made a bloody mistake with the Gearbox oil / Engine oil sticker, as I applied it rotated as per my references, noting too late that the words are swapped, reading Motoröl / Getriebeöl instead! Bad luck! The model then received a thin filter-washing (don't know how to describe it other) made from AK Track Wash mixed with a good amount of thinner.




For the horizontal rain marks I thought of something new. Everyone knows how to make streaks on vertical surfaces, but how to make nice interesting effects on the top? Maybe you know the point-shaped dust accumulations on your car after it'd rained and dried again. The surface tension of the water pulls the dust together, that's what I wanted to achieve. I bought me a vaporizer from the Amazones and mixed a dispersion (important!) from 90% water, 10% thinner, a drop of Vallejo paint (French tanker highlight) and some MIG pigment powder (European light earth). The thinner makes sure the water does not accumulate in puddles on the wet surface but stays in many little sprinkles. Also don't spray directly on the model or you will get to see the characteristics of the nozzle. Spray horizontally instead and let the mist settle from above just like real rain. I made touch-ups with a brush as long as the surface was still wet and later with a Q-tip moistened with thinner after everything had dried. At first the effect is rather stark, but as the mix contains pigments it will become more subtle after some clear coating and match the dusty footprints perfectly. I will go and build up more layers of dirt on my model, next I'm gonna use some hairspray.

[paulh]

Nice update- as always Tobi

[Leon]

Very nicely done Tobi.

[Deleted]

superb effects old chap very nice

[wbill76]

Now that's some cool, and subtle, attention to detail!

[deafpanzer]

Love the boot prints!!! How clever!!! Everybody is building either Leopard, Abrams and Chally II, huh? You started it...

[Tobi]

Nov 2, 2013 14:52:20 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Love the boot prints!!! How clever!!! Everybody is building either Leopard, Abrams and Chally II, huh? You started it...

Then what about you Andyman? I'm just doing what pleases me every single time. Next is probably Wehrmacht again, or a Bf109 or even a Fletcher Class destroyer. Also bought me a Tamiya motorbike recently, and still got that crazy 1:72 Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, we'll see...

Cheers,
Tobi

[macmcconnell]

Tobi
Great to see you back on this love the weathering foot prints are first class like the detail in the tread that's come out well. Camo is spot on nice and tight edges with scale distance between the camo all round first class.

Mac

[Deleted]

Real darn sharp looking Tobi .

[deafpanzer]

Nov 3, 2013 3:41:51 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Nov 2, 2013 14:52:20 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Love the boot prints!!! How clever!!! Everybody is building either Leopard, Abrams and Chally II, huh? You started it...

Then what about you Andyman? I'm just doing what pleases me every single time. Next is probably Wehrmacht again, or a Bf109 or even a Fletcher Class destroyer. Also bought me a Tamiya motorbike recently, and still got that crazy 1:72 Millenium Falcon from Star Wars, we'll see...

Believe it or not I am building a Chally II right now... look for the dual thread with Dicky. LOL

[Tobi]

Time for another tiny(!) update. Been away from the bench for a long time, 'cause of a lot of business trips lately and "social" duties on almost every weekend.

I already forgot what I'd planned next. I'd wanted to add a semi-gloss coat on the iron crosses, as these are stickers on the real vehicles. Well, never mind.

So I continued with the weathering instead by using some HS. Over this I misted thinned Tamiya Buff acrylics, then rubbed it of with brushes and toothpicks. The turret is already finished, the hull is still untreated for comparison. I like how it turned out for a start, I will further emphasize the effects later with AK NATO rain marks.

I also played around a little with the loader's hatch, according to a photograph.

[danb]

some fantastic weathering going on there Tobi looking forward to the next set of photos

Dan B

[Deleted]

interesting method Tobi and a very nice effect