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My First Commission


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Finally finished my first commission. It was more work than I thought it would be. As I had lots of photographs I thought it would be straightforward, what I've come to realise is that fighting vehicles don't stay the same, over a period insignia, finish and spec changes and even if you're fortunate enough to have pictures from different angles, if they are taken at different times the vehicle alters.

I wanted it 'Parade Ground Finish' as well which was an exercise in self restraint.

I also ended up printing all of the decals which could have better in all honesty.

Anyway, here's my best shot, the acid test is when the guy's dad gets to see it and tells me all the stuff that's wrong with it!

Here's the build log anyway: Linky

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Thanks for looking

Nick

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Here's what I was aiming for:-

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And here's a quick go at emulating the photo with the Model:-

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Edited by nick
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love it, especially the parade ground finish, can just imagine it trundling past some generals. The open white hatch really adds some contrast and makes the model look so much bigger than it is, with a hint of what may be inside. Plus you've got the sheen just right. :goodjob:

Edited by turnerdad
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Wow, these are really great comments ,this is the third tank I've ever built and I really have no idea about the subject, I could bore a reasonable person to death at thirty paces about any aircraft they care to mention, but these things! well they're made of iron aren't they, so regardless of how big of a proper (jet) engine you nail to them they're just never going to get off the deck. Confession time, I have found this experience quite uncomfortable - OK, I kinda know how to build models, but here I am applying this to a subject I know little to nothing about, to build a representation of something this guy lived in for about 5 years. well. I don't normaly suffer from humility, but I am quite concerned about how this will be received.

Probably won't do me any harm

Nick

Edited by nick
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Lovely work. Its nice to see a model without the fashionable 'weathering', and it shows off the quality of the build.

I am not sure if the white interior is correct, my few reference pics of post war Comets seem to show silver on the drivers port.

What paint did you use for the Deep Bronze Green?

Regards Dave

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Guest snipersmudge

looks very nice indeed, love the colour. the RTR crests on the turret are the wrong way round, the tank should be facing forwards not backwards I bet the chap would notice that straight away if he's ex RTR Sorry Nick I wish I had noticed it sooner.

pete

Edited by snipersmudge
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Lovely work. Its nice to see a model without the fashionable 'weathering', and it shows off the quality of the build.

I am not sure if the white interior is correct, my few reference pics of post war Comets seem to show silver on the drivers port.

What paint did you use for the Deep Bronze Green?

Regards Dave

The photos I have certainly look white, although it could be silver in a BW picture. This tank still exists in Bovington and it's white today:-

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The Bronze Green is Vallejo, it doesnt 'stick' very well over Mr Surfacer

Nick

Edited by nick
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looks very nice indeed, love the colour. the RTR crests on the turret are the wrong way round, the tank should be facing forwards not backwards I bet the chap would notice that straight away if he's ex RTR Sorry Nick I wish I had noticed it sooner.

pete

Bugger, good spot. OK I was going off the tank as-is at Bovington, however looking at this picture, the logo is larger and doesn't appear to be in a red square as it is today-

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So seeing as I'm going to have to redo it anyway does this look like the correct colour scheme for the 1950 version (minus the II by the look of it)?

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This looks closer to me, the crown looks more the proportions in the old photo

RTR.gif

Nick

Edited by nick
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yes I would say that is a spot on match to the photo.

OK thanks for spotting that. Feel some more photo-shopping coming on to reverse the tank for the other side of the turret. Won't do that again! as I say I don't know what I'm doing with these things

Nick

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Looks good that Nick... Shame about the crest, but if it wasn't ex-crew that you were giving it to, you probably could have got away with it ;)

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Looks good that Nick... Shame about the crest, but if it wasn't ex-crew that you were giving it to, you probably could have got away with it ;)

To be honest that was the only decal I didn't print and it was a bit rubbish anyway. I have printed my own now as well as having a stab at the formation logo - can't find any references at all for it so have printed something that looks like a red wedding ring on a black background - at that scale should get away with it hopefully. I suspect it may be text but it's unreadable.

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We'll see when my printed decals have dried!

Nick

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Very nice work Nick. The parade ground finish looks spot on. Its more usual to 'matte' AFV builds to a totally flat finish, but the fact is the British expended a great deal of effort trying to make truly Matt paint for their tanks and never achieved it, so your satin finish is spot on

Depending on the date of the photograph, the likelihood is that the interior would have been silver (actually, closer to aluminium). I recently got inside a churchill crocodile. I expected it to be white as from around 1942 to late 44/ early 45, british tanks were white inside due to shortages of the aluminium needed to make the 'silver' paint. However this one had been refurbed ready to be shipped to Suez (never actually left) and had been repainted silver inside. If this is (as I suspect) a post-war Comet rather than a late war/ early production Comet, then it would most likely be silver inside

Bovington has a habit of being a bit unreliable with their paint schemes, I wouldn't trust any museum examples for paint accuracy (or indeed parts accuracy as often they are frankenstein examples assembled from various original vehicles of different marks)

Which all sounds negative, and far from it. I think this is a beautiful build and I am certain the gent concerned will be very very pleased with it :)

To be honest that was the only decal I didn't print and it was a bit rubbish anyway. I have printed my own now as well as having a stab at the formation logo - can't find any references at all for it so have printed something that looks like a red wedding ring on a black background - at that scale should get away with it hopefully. I suspect it may be text but it's unreadable.

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We'll see when my printed decals have dried!

Nick

Which formation is it? I might be able to help

Chris

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Guest snipersmudge

glad you can get the decals printed off Nick. Maybe you could do a how to regarding Photo shop and printing decals off for those of us who are a bit thick regarding these processes! i.e me! :banghead:

Got to agree with Chris regarding bovi's paint finishes they are not always accurate as he says.

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glad you can get the decals printed off Nick. Maybe you could do a how to regarding Photo shop and printing decals off for those of us who are a bit thick regarding these processes! i.e me! :banghead:

Got to agree with Chris regarding bovi's paint finishes they are not always accurate as he says.

Hmm, that's a bit of a tall order. You almost certainly don't want to start with photoshop if you're dabbling. Depends what you're trying to achieve, beleive it or not MS word will do most of what you want these days.

I'll have a go at knocking something up, what sort of level are we talking about here? I guess everyone is computer literate to some extent by virtue of the fact they're on here!

Nick

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Try again. Really finished this time. Hear what you're saying about the silver, but it really does look white in the pictures I have, I've compared the formation badge that I know to be white with the interior and it's precisely the same tone value, I would expect a small variation if it was silver. I guess I'll find out when it gets given to the owner.

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As I hoped, you can't really tell what the hell this is at this scale

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Edited by nick
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Guest snipersmudge
Hmm, that's a bit of a tall order. You almost certainly don't want to start with photoshop if you're dabbling. Depends what you're trying to achieve, beleive it or not MS word will do most of what you want these days.

I'll have a go at knocking something up, what sort of level are we talking about here? I guess everyone is computer literate to some extent by virtue of the fact they're on here!

Nick

The model looks much better now Nick very smart indeed. as for the above just a basic idea of how it's done would suffice

Pete

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