Maginot

Very nice WW1 camouflage scheme you are pursuing.

That's a cracker.

Brush painting; experiment 2 Back down from the hills, I continue with: i) a second camouflage pattern with larger splodges (scuse technical jargon) that more accurately mimic the size of most of the splodges on the Škoda; ii) applying the second coat of paint and dark line to the first camouflage pattern. Some observations: I achieved a more even spread of paint with hardly any brush marks on the larger splodges with a flat head paintbrush rather than a pointed head. Applying a second coat evens out the colour density, disappears most brush marks but will require careful rubbing back in places. Mixing retarder into the paint makes for a more workable paint viscosity than: i) straight paint; ii) paint mixed with airbrush flow improver; iii) paint mixed with iso-propyl alcohol (which just works as a thinning agent like distilled water). Adding a single drop of retarder from the pipette to enough paint to load 6-7 brushes (3 large and 4 small splodges worth with reserve) makes a viscose solution that applies similarly to enamel paint. Adding a small amount of distilled water as you work will prevent the paint mix from drying on the palette, but not too much. I must have got the % retarder more consistent this time and a better mix out of the paint pot. The paint dried quickly and more evenly. A black permanent marker pen of 0.7mm was used for the dark line around the splodges. This worked well, but the colour given in the instructions is brown violet (XF-51 Khaki drab in the Tamiya chart; see below), so I'll have to hunt down a pen with that or similar colour. "Tamiya colours XF-49 Khaki and XF-20 Medium Grey are almost indistinguishable." That's because you used XF-49 Khaki for both splodges, you nong (see below). Of interest, at least to me, is the manufacturer of the uni pin permanent marker I used for the dark line; Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. Founded in Tokyo in 1887, as far as I can tell there is no connection to the mob that brought us the famous A6M Type '0'.

Mighty modelling, that. Love a good Scammell.

Nicely modelled, well photographed.

yes, a bit different. Very nicely modelled.

Looks great.

Super job!

She's a beaut! Well done.

The best part about modelling figures is drinking heaps of red wine and saving the corks to use as bases. Nice work, I reckon.

Very nice work. Colour scheme is excellent.

Hello @planecrazee aka Kris. The acrylic retarder is by Atelier, an Australian company. So far, it works fine with Tamiya acrylics. I'll be trying it with other acrylic brands, such as the apparently fussy Lifecolor. I tried Atelier after reading that a modeller in the UK was using Winsor & Newton retarder that worked well with modellers acrylics, so I think it's worth experimenting with other brands, too. It's an economical way to go. For twice the price, you get 6 times the retarder, though this may be a false economy considering the tiny amount used in each application. I've got my eye on other products from the artist suppliers to try, including clear varnishes in rattle cans used for sealing artworks. These come in glossy, satin and matt.

Wow!

Brush painting; experiment I Having a weekend away in the hills with native wildflowers, birds and lots of roos. Very peaceful. Brought my project with me. I laid a coat of primer onto a softdrink bottle, drew up and painted a facsimile Škoda camouflage pattern. Some observations: Scanned the web for info on brush painting acrylics. I'm comfortable brushing enamels, but have had limited success with acrylics in the past. There are some good brushing resources on this forum and across the web. I found @PlaStix posts and video particularly interesting, although the Škoda painting challenge is a little different, being an array of small splodges (scuse technical jargon). Following Stix's technique, I used a china plate as a palette (finest bone china from the op shop if you don't mind!). On this I was able to i) daub a working amount of paint and close the lid on the paint jar immediately (thereby keeping contents in A1 nick); ii) mix paint with a drop of retarder; iii) and by keeping it tilted, pool an amount of distilled water at the other end of the plate ready to mix with the paint for thinning, to stop it drying and to unload the brush of paint. Try flat and round head brushes. The acrylic paint retarder is from an artist supplies shop. No more than 10% by volume should be added to paint. It helps make a viscous solution, certainly slows down drying and seems to help with leveling. Best to leave the painted work overnight to dry when using this retarder. Some paint was still sticky 6 hours after application. Before applying a second coat, leave the work overnight. As you can see from the test piece, I spoiled the finish of the first coat in places by being impatient and applying a second coat before the first was fully dry. The drying time varied between different colours, probably because of insufficient paint mixing and varying the % of retarder. Tamiya colours XF-49 Khaki and XF-20 Medium Grey are almost indistinguishable. So far, she's looking very rough. Using a translucent plastic bottle allows light through from under the paint, highlighting every imperfection. Getting the painting right on this medium will virtually guarantee a good finish on the model. The way ahead: Apply second coat now work is fully dry. Try very fine rub back with 2500 wet and dry emery paper. Draw up and paint another patch of camouflage pattern for practice with brushwork and paint mixing. Substitute airbrush flow improver for retarder. Hope this is of some use to others attempting brush painting. Thanks for looking. ps: It's a treat exploring the nooks and crannies of the local artist supplies shop for my painting gubbins.

A thing of beauty.