Red Army, Berlin?, 1945?

M-72 build – Part 1:Introduction
M-72 build – Part 2:Assembly
M-72 build – Part 3:Painting
M-72 build – Part 4:Weathering

• A small amount of chipping was applied with a sponge using Vallejo Model Color “German Camouflage Black Brown” (70822).
• The entire vehicle and figures were washed with a dilute mixture of Winsor & Newton “Raw Umber” and “Lamp Black” (roughly 5:1 ratio) oil paint in enamel thinner.
• The diorama base was treated with AMMO “Starship Filth” oil paint between the cobblestones, with the excess wiped away.
• The tyres were treated with AMMO “Dusty Earth” oil paint, with the excess wiped away.
• Everything was then sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Flat Clear” (182) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner.
• As it was an urban scene, I used AMMO “Rubble” (A.MIG-3013) and “Brick Dust” (A.MIG-3015) pigments on various parts of the vehicle, base and figures, loosely fixed by the addition of Humbrol enamel thinner.
• The exhausts were lightly treated with AK Interactive “Dark Steel” (AK-086) and AMMO “Light Rust” (A.MIG-3006) pigments.
• Various stains on the base were created using Abteilung 502 “Engine Grease” (ABT160) and “Bitumen” (ABT004) oil paint in enamel thinners. To simulate thicker oil stains, “Engine Grease” oil paint was mixed with Humbrol “Gloss Cote” and applied in a few patches with a brush.
• As the figures were clearly celebrating victory, I placed a battered Nazi poster on the ground, ready to be run over by the oncoming Soviet vehicles.

Primer: Mr.Hobby “Mr.Primer Surfacer 1000“. Yes, this company’s products have strange names! But I was getting dissatisfied with using the Tamiya “Fine Surface Primer”, either direct from the can or decanted – I was getting a more uneven surface (dust? paint drying too soon?) than I would like. I have never had any joy using any other type of primer either. So, given that I use the Mr.Hobby “Mr.Color” range of paints a lot these days, I thought I would give their primer a go. I thinned it as I do their paints (1:2 mixture in Mr.Color leveling thinner), spraying in two separate light coats. Once dry, it looks a nice finish to me. I haven’t tested it on covering metal or resin, but, I expect it will work fine.

Base coat: Firstly, a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner was sprayed all over. Then, a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Russian Green (2) – USSR tank late WWII” (136) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner was then sprayed over the black base. After this, 4:1 mixture of Mr.Color “Russian Green (2) – USSR tank late WWII” (136) and Mr.Color “Character White” (107) in Mr.Color Leveling Thinner (1:2 ratio of paint mixture to thinner) was sprayed onto the upper surfaces to lighten it somewhat.

Details: The details were painted with the various paints shown in the inset picture. I don’t doubt that the finish is somewhat simplified, especially the engine, as it was hard to get to it with a brush in the assembled model. A 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner was sprayed over the entire model and the decals applied, which were then protected with gloss paint again.

Figures: The figures were painted with the various paints shown in the inset pictures. I have to doubt that the accordion is authentically painted, but it’s good enough for me. After that, they were sprayed with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner.

Diorama base: As this is quite a small model, I thought I would use a suitable base for it to rest upon. A simple cobblestone roadway from Fields of Glory Models seemed ideal to me. I sprayed it with Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black and then Tamiya “RLM Grey” (XF-22) – a 1:2 mixture of paint and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner. Then, drybrushing with Vallejo Panzer Aces “Light Rubber” (305) and spraying with a 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner.

Unknown unit, Soviet Union, 1942-43.

M3 Lee build – Part 1:Introduction
M3 Lee build – Part 2:Assembly
M3 Lee build – Part 3:Painting
M3 Lee build – Part 4:Weathering (chipping and wash)
M3 Lee build – Part 5:Weathering (fading, streaks, dust)
M3 Lee build – Part 6:Tracks
M3 Lee build – Part 7:Weathering (dirt and mud, fuel stains)

• To start with, a mixture of AMMO “Dark Earth” and “Europe Earth” pigments were dropped onto the lower hull and fixed with a 1:1 mixture of AMMO “Pigment Fixer” (A.MIG-3000) and enamel thinners, added by brush.
• To create a thicker mud mixture, I followed a recipe – roughly equal amounts of AMMO “Dark Earth” pigment, dried dirt, sand, plaster and grass flock mixture were mixed with Vallejo “Matt Medium” (73540) and water, to create a thick, dark paste. I applied this to the lower hull, running gear and tracks. Once dry, I chipped off a few of the oversized clumps. Otherwise, I quite liked the look of it – it seemed quite robust and ready to accept further weathering.
• To the upper hull and turret I applied the same pigments as the first step – not too dirty, but adequately used looking.
• The  machine guns, gun barrel ends and metal tools were lightly brushed with Vallejo “Carbon Black” pigment.
• Dilute mixtures of Wilder “Brown Shadow” (LS25), Abteilung 502 “Engine Grease” (ABT160) and “Bitumen” (ABT004) oil paint in enamel thinners were flicked from a brush onto the surfaces of the hull, running gear and tracks, to represent the subtlest stains or patches.
• The “Engine Grease” oil paint, in thick concentration with added Humbrol “Gloss Cote”, was added to certain wheels to represent new oil leaks.
• “Bitumen” and “Engine Grease” oil paint in various concentrations and glossiness was added to the areas of the fuel filling caps, to simulate fuel leaks and stains.