1/48 Tamiya PanzerKampfwagen III Ausf.L in Tunisia

[sinhow]

Nice color, the stowages very nice too!

[PlaStix]

13 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Another armour masterclass Stix,beautiful paintwork as usual

Thank you very much Steve - you are way to kind! 

 

4 hours ago, sinhow said:

Nice color, the stowages very nice too!

Thank you very much for your kind comments sinhow.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

[TheFoolio]

Hi Stix... It was pictures of your Crusader which got me back into modelling and just saw these 🙂

 

More fantastic pictures, although my phone doesn't do them justice. I need to look again ok my pc at home.

 

I'm wondering if you use pigments (or anything else) for dust effects and if so how you seal them without using an airbrush?

[PlaStix]

On 23/11/2016 at 8:42 AM, TheFoolio said:

Hi Stix... It was pictures of your Crusader which got me back into modelling and just saw these 🙂

More fantastic pictures, although my phone doesn't do them justice. I need to look again ok my pc at home.

I'm wondering if you use pigments (or anything else) for dust effects and if so how you seal them without using an airbrush?

Hi TheFoolio. Thank you very much for your very kind comments.

I don't use pigments on my builds as I don't have an airbrush to fix them on with varnish coats afterwards. I do use Humbrol rattlecan matt varnish on my aircraft builds but I don't tend to give my AFV builds any varnish coats at all - apart from very thinned matt acrylic varnish ones over the decals but applied by flat brush. I like all the different paint effects to show - so oil stains are slightly shiny, etc. On aircraft I don't tend to do as much heavy(ish) weathering.

 

My painting/weathering process for AFVs is pretty much:

1. First I apply several thinned (with water) coats of the base colour - in this case Humbrol 93, Desert Yellow. I apply these coats with a wide flat brush - letting each coat dry before adding the next - which often doesn't take that long with acrylic paints.

2. Once the above are properly dry I apply a wash all over of very, very thinned Revell Gunship Grey. I use a soft, older brush for this. Now acrylic paints sometimes pull away from the edges of some detail where you want it to be so, while the wash coat is still drying, I use the soft brush to even out the tide lines that can develop. The wash tends to tone down the base colour and create artificial, light shadow effects in and around detail.It also has the appearance of being dusty/slightly dirty.

3. Then I then use a very fine pointed brush to apply very, very thinned Revell Anthracite in and around raised or inset detail - like around bolt heads and in panel lines, etc. This deepens the appearance of the shadow effects around or in these areas.

4. Once the Anthracite has dried I then dry-brush over all the surface areas using a lightened version of the base coat. I use a flat, wide, soft older brush for this. I usually mix in some white with the original colour to do this. I tend to judge the amount of white I add depending on the final look I'm going for and I don't tend to worry if some batches are slightly lighter or darker - as some areas can be different and I can always add some of the different variations over the previously applied applications if I think it adds to the effect.

5. If I apply a camo colour I tend to do it at this stage. If the original camo was particularly hard edged then I use a flat brush to apply the thinned coats of paint (in this case Humbrol 116) but if it's slightly faded or worn, then I apply extremely thinned coats using a stippling brush and build up the colours slowly. Using a stippling brush allows me to get the softer edge camo appearnace.  With both of the Tigers it was quite difficult to see the camo in many of the period photos of them. It almost looks as if they are just dirtier in some areas so this is why I used the stippling method for these two.

6. I have found that if I use a lightened version of the camo colour to dry-brush over these areas it doesn't have the same overall look compared to when I dry-brush over them with a lightened version of the base coat - Humbrol's Desert Sand in this case. It sort of ties everything together. I then re-apply the thinned Anthracite to any areas where it doesn't show well through the camo layer.

7. Once dry again I then apply thinned Humbrol's Gunmetal, using a fine pointed brush, to any areas where I think the paint coat could have been knocked off or worn away with use on the actual tank - so like bolt heads, rims, corners, etc. The gunmetal does need to be very thinned so it doesn't look like a raised area rather than one where the paint has been removed. Modellers with air-brushes can do this using a technique called chipping.

8. I then use very, very thinned RailMatch's Light Rust sparingly in some areas. You have to be careful with how much you use. A lot of tanks, especially in WW2, didn't survive long enough to look extremely rusty and many were made of metals that didn't rust. I use it around areas where the primer coat may be showing through (it was a similar red colour in some cases) and where small fittings (tool clips, bolts, hinges, etc) may have been made or replaced with lower quality materials. I use it for effect as it adds interest to the final appearance - if not exactly accurate.

9. Then I use Citadel's Nuln Oil around any areas that might have oil applied or spilled over - usually applied neat with a fine pointed brush.

10. Dirt streaks are applied next using a variety of shades of grey. I usually use a fine pointed brush with the paint thinned with water - but I get some of the paint off on paper - and then start at the top of where the dirt is coming from and lightly streak the paint downwards before using my finger to smudge the effect in the same downwards motion. Sometimes it all mostly comes away, which is fine, at other times part of the original line stays in place which, again, is fine as adds different appearances.

11. For more overall dust-like effects I use either heavily thinned Revell Gunship or Light Grey. This is very watered down and applied with a very small stippling brush and built up slowly - it sort of has a cloudy appearance while being put on but I keep working over the area as it dries with the stippling brush - this creates different levels of coverage.

 

It's not an exact procedure - and sometimes I'll change bits and pieces of the process to get the look I'm trying to achieve.

 

Let me know if you need any more info.

 

Kind regards,

Stix

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2016 by PlaStix

[TheFoolio]

Thanks so much for that. It's a more comprehensive (and understandable) method than I have seen on many a modeller tips pages

 

I picked up a Tamiya Sdkfz251/1 recently so I'll be putting that to the test. The North African really interests me, so I think the next few will be DAK or 8th Army.

 

I've only done a couple of models since I re-started and use Vallejo paints mostly as I find it brushes better than Tamiya, but I've not been thinning it, so will try that. Interesting you mentioned Humbrol matte varnish, I know others had recommended Testors Dullcote, but it seems really difficult to get hold of. I'll pick up a can of the Humbrol as my kids have a habit of meddling.

 

Do you use any gloss coat(s) between different stages?

[PlaStix]

Hi again TheFoolio. No problem - I hope it proves useful. I should have mentioned that before I used any of the techniques above I practiced them on scrap stuff first. It took a while to get to a point where I was reasonably confident about what I was doing.

The Tamiya Sdkfz251/1 you've got looks like a good kit from the reviews I've seen and should build into a great model. It'll be a good testbed to try some weathering, etc.

I need to offer some advice about the Humbrol rattlecan matt varnish. It works really well for me but the conditions it's used in need to be right. If you use it in a room which is too warm or too cold, or damp, it can cause the varnish to end up with a white, almost powdery finish. I don't know why. I have to spray my models out in the shed, which can be too cold and damp in the winter, or very warm in summer. If the varnish itself is too cold itself it can go white as well. I have found that, if I keep the varnish in my trouser pocket for 10 minutes or so before using it, it seems to work well. When I do spray with it I only mist in on in several fine layers rather than trying to do it in fewer thicker coats. Again - it's worth practicing on some spare stuff first. I usually try to find a way of holding the kit with one hand and the very well shaken can in the other. I start spraying next to the kit itself, rather than over it, and then drift the spray across the model and beyond it. I think this avoids getting any splatter from the start and stop of the spraying. I try to spray the kit from a variety of directions to make sure everything is covered evenly. 

The above sounds a bit confusing in places so let me know if anything needs clarification.

And finally - no I don't use any gloss coats. I have used some gloss varnish, in the past, in the areas where decals go but, where I can, I cut away any of the clear carrier film so as to minimise any silvering. On both these kits the decals were applied onto the matt painted surfaces after the dry-brushing but before any other weathering. I then apply a thinned matt varnish layer, just in the area of the decals, to seal them on before adding some dry-brushing to match them in with the surrounding areas.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Bob Henry]

1 hour ago, PlaStix said:

Hi again TheFoolio. No problem - I hope it proves useful. I should have mentioned that before I used any of the techniques above I practiced them on scrap stuff first. It took a while to get to a point where I was reasonably confident about what I was doing.

The Tamiya Sdkfz251/1 you've got looks like a good kit from the reviews I've seen and should build into a great model. It'll be a good testbed to try some weathering, etc.

I need to offer some advice about the Humbrol rattlecan matt varnish. It works really well for me but the conditions it's used in need to be right. If you use it in a room which is too warm or too cold, or damp, it can cause the varnish to end up with a white, almost powdery finish. I don't know why. I have to spray my models out in the shed, which can be too cold and damp in the winter, or very warm in summer. If the varnish itself is too cold itself it can go white as well. I have found that, if I keep the varnish in my trouser pocket for 10 minutes or so before using it, it seems to work well. When I do spray with it I only mist in on in several fine layers rather than trying to do it in fewer thicker coats. Again - it's worth practicing on some spare stuff first. I usually try to find a way of holding the kit with one hand and the very well shaken can in the other. I start spraying next to the kit itself, rather than over it, and then drift the spray across the model and beyond it. I think this avoids getting any splatter from the start and stop of the spraying. I try to spray the kit from a variety of directions to make sure everything is covered evenly. 

The above sounds a bit confusing in places so let me know if anything needs clarification.

And finally - no I don't use any gloss coats. I have used some gloss varnish, in the past, in the areas where decals go but, where I can, I cut away any of the clear carrier film so as to minimise any silvering. On both these kits the decals were applied onto the matt painted surfaces after the dry-brushing but before any other weathering. I then apply a thinned matt varnish layer, just in the area of the decals, to seal them on before adding some dry-brushing to match them in with the surrounding areas.

Kind regards,

Stix

Hey Stix, you may want to try a technique that I use regularly and it works well. Whenever I have to use any sort of rattle can (spray can) paint or clear cote, I go to the kitchen sink and grab a small container that is a little bit bigger in diameter than the can. Then I draw some tap water that is from the "Hot" side, just get it as hot as possible before filling the container. Then place the rattle can inside the container for 5 to 7 minutes or so. Every time that I do this the paint flows much better. I follow this practice no matter what the ambient temperature happens to be. Just make sure that you use a paper towel to wipe off any water droplets on the can. You don't want any water dripping on your freshly painted project. ( be sure to shake it well before spraying ). I don't know how it will work on the Humbrol Matt varnish but maybe you can "Experiment' on something. Hopefully this will be helpful.         Bob H.

[longshanks]

Beautiful work

 

Thanks for the tutorial on painting, most useful

 

Kev

[Bullbasket]

On ‎05‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 7:51 PM, PlaStix said:

Hi John. That's very kind of you to say. I actually am a big fan of German armour but The Pz.III is something special. Are there any photos of your kit on BM?

Hi Stix,

Sorry it's taken so long (1400 mile round trip to Telford), but here are some photos of my 1/48th Pzlll. It was one of the first AFV kits that I built around 10 years ago, after building "things with wings" for thirty years. Hopefully, my weathering techniques have improved a little.

 

 

 

 

 

John.

 

PS. Tell Mrs. Styx, the bulldozer is coming along fine..

[celt]

I am not a fan of tigers or panthers,these early panzers have more character.Your model has this in spades,well tidy.

[PlaStix]

On 11/25/2016 at 9:43 PM, Bob Henry said:

Hey Stix, you may want to try a technique that I use regularly and it works well. Whenever I have to use any sort of rattle can (spray can) paint or clear cote, I go to the kitchen sink and grab a small container that is a little bit bigger in diameter than the can. Then I draw some tap water that is from the "Hot" side, just get it as hot as possible before filling the container. Then place the rattle can inside the container for 5 to 7 minutes or so. Every time that I do this the paint flows much better. I follow this practice no matter what the ambient temperature happens to be. Just make sure that you use a paper towel to wipe off any water droplets on the can. You don't want any water dripping on your freshly painted project. ( be sure to shake it well before spraying ). I don't know how it will work on the Humbrol Matt varnish but maybe you can "Experiment' on something. Hopefully this will be helpful.         Bob H.

Hi Bob. That's a great tip - thank you. I will try that next time - probably when I spray some matt varnish on the Fw-190 I'm currently building in the MTO GB.

 

On 11/26/2016 at 8:31 AM, longshanks said:

Beautiful work

Thanks for the tutorial on painting, most useful

Kev

Thank you very much Kev and I'm pleased you thought the tutorial was useful - thank you.

 

On 11/27/2016 at 5:27 PM, Bullbasket said:

Hi Stix,

Sorry it's taken so long (1400 mile round trip to Telford), but here are some photos of my 1/48th Pzlll. It was one of the first AFV kits that I built around 10 years ago, after building "things with wings" for thirty years. Hopefully, my weathering techniques have improved a little.

John.

PS. Tell Mrs. Styx, the bulldozer is coming along fine..

Thank you for letting me see your Pz.III. For a first kit built 10 years ago I think you did an absolutely superb job. I wish my first kits had looked anywhere near as good as that! And looking at your trophy winning Stuart 1 shows how your skills have developed. Beautiful modelling. Very well done. 

 

On 11/27/2016 at 6:48 PM, celt said:

I am not a fan of tigers or panthers,these early panzers have more character.Your model has this in spades,well tidy.

Hi celt and thank you very much. I understand what you mean but I must admit I do like most German armour from WW2.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

Edited November 30, 2016 by PlaStix

[TheFoolio]

On ‎25‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 8:12 PM, PlaStix said:

Hi again TheFoolio. No problem - I hope it proves useful. I should have mentioned that before I used any of the techniques above I practiced them on scrap stuff first. It took a while to get to a point where I was reasonably confident about what I was doing.

The Tamiya Sdkfz251/1 you've got looks like a good kit from the reviews I've seen and should build into a great model. It'll be a good testbed to try some weathering, etc.

I need to offer some advice about the Humbrol rattlecan matt varnish. It works really well for me but the conditions it's used in need to be right. If you use it in a room which is too warm or too cold, or damp, it can cause the varnish to end up with a white, almost powdery finish. I don't know why. I have to spray my models out in the shed, which can be too cold and damp in the winter, or very warm in summer. If the varnish itself is too cold itself it can go white as well. I have found that, if I keep the varnish in my trouser pocket for 10 minutes or so before using it, it seems to work well. When I do spray with it I only mist in on in several fine layers rather than trying to do it in fewer thicker coats. Again - it's worth practicing on some spare stuff first. I usually try to find a way of holding the kit with one hand and the very well shaken can in the other. I start spraying next to the kit itself, rather than over it, and then drift the spray across the model and beyond it. I think this avoids getting any splatter from the start and stop of the spraying. I try to spray the kit from a variety of directions to make sure everything is covered evenly. 

The above sounds a bit confusing in places so let me know if anything needs clarification.

And finally - no I don't use any gloss coats. I have used some gloss varnish, in the past, in the areas where decals go but, where I can, I cut away any of the clear carrier film so as to minimise any silvering. On both these kits the decals were applied onto the matt painted surfaces after the dry-brushing but before any other weathering. I then apply a thinned matt varnish layer, just in the area of the decals, to seal them on before adding some dry-brushing to match them in with the surrounding areas.

Kind regards,

Stix

 

Hi Stix. I've started the Sdkfz and have just given it a base colour of Panzer grey so far. I did prime it with Halfords grey, but not sure if I will do in the future, as I'm not sure it's necessary.

 

I'm still struggling to avoid brush marks at the moment, but I guess there is a knack. I wasn't sure whether to leave the interior grey or use the same yellow as on the exterior. I remember reading somewhere about not having time to paint the interior the same colour as the exterior when getting to Africa. Makes sense to me.

 

I have a jar of the Humbrol Mattcote, so will try that as I don't think I'll try the pigment this time as I've not practiced it. Thanks for the tips on the spray varnish though, I'll bear that in mind for next time.

[Bob Henry]

Hi Stix.  I really enjoyed your paint tutorial. You can rest assured that I will be e-mailing you before I try my first tank build !!!             Bob H.

[HL-10]

That's a cracking looking Panzer III.

I've always liked the Panzer III, especially in DAK colours

[Gremlin56]

Really excellent work Stix

[PlaStix]

On 11/30/2016 at 8:22 PM, TheFoolio said:

Hi Stix. I've started the Sdkfz and have just given it a base colour of Panzer grey so far. I did prime it with Halfords grey, but not sure if I will do in the future, as I'm not sure it's necessary.

I'm still struggling to avoid brush marks at the moment, but I guess there is a knack. I wasn't sure whether to leave the interior grey or use the same yellow as on the exterior. I remember reading somewhere about not having time to paint the interior the same colour as the exterior when getting to Africa. Makes sense to me.

I have a jar of the Humbrol Mattcote, so will try that as I don't think I'll try the pigment this time as I've not practiced it. Thanks for the tips on the spray varnish though, I'll bear that in mind for next time.

Sounds like you are making progress. I think the only reason I don't get brush marks too much is because the paint is so thinned it settles to well. Try thinning the paint a little more. It takes more layers to build up the colour but, I find, it gives a smoother finish.

 

On 12/1/2016 at 2:27 AM, Bob Henry said:

Hi Stix.  I really enjoyed your paint tutorial. You can rest assured that I will be e-mailing you before I try my first tank build !!!             Bob H.

Hi Bob. You feel free to email at anytime!

 

On 12/1/2016 at 7:46 AM, HL-10 said:

That's a cracking looking Panzer III.

I've always liked the Panzer III, especially in DAK colours

Thank you too HL-10......and I totally agree - there was something a bit special about the Pz.IIIs.

 

On 12/2/2016 at 6:42 AM, Gremlin56 said:

Really excellent work Stix

Thank you very much Julian.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

[PlaStix]

I have now managed to get the whole diorama project finished and the photos can be found Here.

 

I will add a couple to the first post but here's one showing the Pz.III on the base:

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

[Bob Henry]

Hey Stix, that's really neat !! Oh, by the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!                            Bob H.

[ijs302]

i like that very much i realy must get started in 1/48 armour , i like the subtle weathering some models look so heaverly weathereed   there ready for the scrap yard

[Calum]

Nice work

[PlaStix]

On 25/12/2016 at 1:13 PM, Bob Henry said:

Hey Stix, that's really neat !! Oh, by the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!                            Bob H.

Thank you very much Bob and a belated Merry Christmas too you. I hope you are having a peaceful holiday season.

 

On 25/12/2016 at 8:37 PM, ijs302 said:

i like that very much i realy must get started in 1/48 armour , i like the subtle weathering some models look so heaverly weathereed   there ready for the scrap yard

Hi ijs302. That is very kind of you to say. Do try some 1/48 armour - Tamiya and AFV Club do make some really good kits.

 

On 25/12/2016 at 9:10 PM, Calum said:

Nice work

Thank you..

 

I've got some Photoshopped photos which I will try and post soon.

 

Kind regards,

 

Stix

[PlaStix]

Hi all. I realised the other day that I had originally mentioned in one of the posts above that I would post some more pictures of this Pz.III on the display base I built for it and the two Tiger 1 tanks in the MTO GB. The photos can be found at the bottom of the first post in this thread.

Kind regards,

Stix