My KV needs help... so do I!!

[venom1]

Hi guys, welcome to my first (mostly completed) WIP!

Let me give you a little background first. I have been visiting the Scratchmod website for some time, and inspired by Rob's work I wanted to have a crack at something myself. I decided to join the original forum (what seems like years ago now!), and armed with the 1/48 Hobbyboss KV "Big Turret" and an inquisitive mind, I set to work asking Rob for advice!

Rob was kind enough to share his knowledge with me (thanks mate!), so I assembled the kit, and popped some paint on it. The aim was to try and replicate different types of steel with different colours. This was the result:



I then had my first crack at the salt technique. The results were less than satisfying to say the least. The result is below. Trust me, it was a lot worse than the picture shows...





Disheartened, I left it for a while before breaking out the Mr Muscle, stripping off the paint and starting again. This time I kept it simple...



Coated it in hairspray, followed by a lick of paint an a feeble attempt at modulation!



I then got stuck in with the usual suspects to chip off the paint. The result was a gazillion times better!!





Feeling very pleased with myself, I had a crack at a few other things for the diorama base. The beginnings of some steel plates....



A buggered old drum.....



And finally, after faffing about and trying to get something resembling a collection of bits and pieces that look like an abandoned tank, this is where she is at the mo.......











And that's where she has sat for at least the last 12 months! A shelf queen in the true sense of the word (hence all the dust!!!) Basically, I hit a wall, didn't know how to proceed without wrecking everything, threw my hands in the air and went back to building wingy things!

So this is where I raise the HELP flag, and ask you guys for suggestions of what I should do to finish it. So, questions...

I am not sure what other colours/rusting/washes etc to do. I need to tie it into the base more. I plan to build up the dirt around the tracks, wheels and steel plate a bit more, but other than that, not sure how to proceed.

The timber blocks don't look right, they need more work. What do you guys suggest to create that old weathered timber look?

I would like to do some grass/weeds/shrubs/etc, but have no idea where to even begin!

Sorry for the novel here guys, but I really want to finish this thing off, and I don't feel confident to give it a go without a little bit of a push! In the short time I have been here, I am in awe of the skills you guys have and would really appreciate any help you may be willing to give!!

Thanx in advance,

Sam

[TRM]

I like it Sam!! Nice that you want to revive it too!!! For the finish, I would attack this with layers of pigments on the rusty areas and then some streaking, as she has been sitting for a while. Sink those road wheel into the dirt a bit....she is a big girl and wants to sink after time. Go after some brush like you said and BANG your there!!! Of course this is just my opinion!! BTW, the steel plates look superb!!!

Looking froward to your end game on this!!

[Deleted]

Hiya Sam,
Nice KV !
Yep, I'd follow what MrT said, he knows his stuff

[venom1]

Hey T and Steve,

Thanks for the positive feedback, it really means a lot to the confidence! Yeah, i was really happy with how well the steel plate and the drum came out after my very first attempt. Was pretty stoked! I will definitely have a crack at laying down the pigments to rust her up some more. I have a bunch of Mig products that I am wanting to get stuck into, so this will be the time! ;D

Still a couple of things I need help with. As far as the brush goes, I really don't know what to do as I have never tackled this before. What do I use to simulate undergrowth, brush, weeds, etc? How does one attach it to the base? CA? White glue? Is there a thread here that I could look at to give me a helping hand?

Secondly, how does one simulate old weather beaten timber? At the moment, I have just painted my wood (balsa in this case) with some grey after dragging a razor saw along each side to make the timber look old and worn. Where do you suggest I go from here? Should I paint the timber using different colors? If so what? Washes? Oils? Once again, a thread to look at? I have never had much success with making timber look old, so would appreciate a leg up with this if any of you are willing to help out a clueless modeller! ;D

If I can get a little help with these couple of things I should be able to Get stuck in and finally finish this baby!! ;D WOOHOO!!!

Once again, sorry for bugging you all like this, and thanks to all for looking in!

Cheers,

Sam

[TRM]

It's all good Sam!! Only way to get a handle on it is to ask and then do and do and do ;D

Attaching grassy, brush and undergrowth....start with PVA (White glue) small amounts is all that is needed as the PVA is pretty strong after it dries! The smaller amount will keep the shine down too when it dries. If you do see some, just hit it with some dirt pigments or even a drop of matte clear coat. Not tooting my own horn but the fine folks over on Armor Farm were kind enough to pop the KV Turret up on the site as a short SBS on applying the product. This is the same application I just explained...

armorfarm.com/step-by-step-tutorials/

The timber....you are heading in the right direction. Just experiment by adding washes of dark brown, rusty , grays, whites...anything really. Best is to google "weathered wood" Look at some references. You will see the ends will typically weather different from the middle....sometime there will be oil stains, rust stains, old paint drops on them. Some time nothing, just like you have them. Adding different things will add points of interest and they are fun to make up!

Getting late here and work calls early, but I will chime back in with some pigment help in the morning...if that works!!

[venom1]

Wow, thanks so much for the feedback T, you are a gentleman and a scholar and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!! ;D

I will check out that link shortly. This ol' girl might just get finished!!!

Cheers,

Sam

[madairbrush]

In my opinion the tank itself looks really good. I would use some reference photography of original rusted tanks to get some ideas for unique rust effects. The rust effect is a little bit too even. Maybe you could add some darker and lighter rust effects (with pigments and/ or acrylic paint) The cloth on the tank looks superb. How did you do this?

[venom1]

Hey madairbrush, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I figured that the rust looked a bit even. I will definitely be going back over it and doing some work with washes and pigments to try and add a bit more life to it.

Both the blue tarp and the oily rag on the deck are both made from facial tissue. I do up a 50/50 mix of water and white glue, and wet the tissue (pre cut to the required size) while it is laid flat. I then pick it up at two corners with tweezers and lay it on the (in this case) tank in the rough position I want it. I the gently manipulate it with a paintbrush and tweezers or something similar to fine tune the sit, add or manipulate folds and get the hang just right. You will need to be gentle tho, as the tissue is very fragile when it is wet. Once it is in place where you want it, just leave it to dry. It will set very hard and maintain its position. You can then paint and weather it to your hearts content!

I have a couple of other examples in my gallery entry. My F-15 Aggressor has intake and exhaust covers which use tissue to good effect. I also did it on my Scimitar for the gun cover and tarp on the back.

Hope this helps! ;D

Cheers,

Sam