Finally, after some vacation and going through PE nightmare with the IS-3, I wanted to build something simple, fast and fun.
Browsing through catalog and stores I started to think on building a APC or a Bradley. I went to a store and came across with this Tamiya M113A2, what attracted me the most was the amount of bags, bakcpacks and storage all hanging around so it looked very nice. Deal done!
Now, when deciding what version to paint, and with the Syria situation and possible UN intervention I decided to paint it with a nice white with blue helmets…I think is an original version!.
So, worked started and building was very easy, it did not took me more than 10 hours for construction. I spent another 10 to 15 hours in painting and detailing, specially for the backpacks with several layers of green tones, dry brushing and weathering.
The kit came with a nice surprise, a puppy!, I did had tons of problmes trying to paint it, but at the last I think it came out nice.
Also, spent a good deal of time on making the straps, it was my firtst “scratchbuilt”, cutting, painting was easy BUT attaching the straps to the bags and then tying them to the tanks was complicated. I think I had to practice on microsurgery, as I had to use two small pliers.
I decided not to add to much chipping or weathering, so I now have a nice clean tank in my army,
A really nice take on this vehicle, garzohn–you don’t see these kind portrayed very often. I like it fine as is, but maybe just a little gray pinwashing would help to bring out some more detail? I can see the subtle weathering/chipping–that looks fine, but I would add a subtle gray pinwash to some of the creases. But that’s just me. [:)][Y]
Hi, no, is a Tamiya kit. The kit did had the option for IFOR (bosnia) decals, but they were white letters since it should use camouflage. I had to paint on the UN letters.
Looks pretty good. As the others have said, I would add a bit of weathering, it looks wat too clean. White gets dirty really quick. Also, the CVC helmets should not be all blue, you also should scape or sand down the seam line around the middle of them. The CVC helmet is a two piece affair. There is a soft helmet which holds the earphones, this section is od green with black earphones. The other part is a hard shell to protect the head. This shell is often painted by the crew and could have ben painted light blue for a UN deployment.
Normal helmet.
Painted shells.
“I decided to paint it with a nice white with blue helmets…I think is an original version!.”
It isn’t a totally “original” idea. I built a Canadian UN M113 from the Balkans about 15 years ago. Believe me, nothing in modeling is totally “original”, someone else has thought of it too.
Thanks for the advice. Yes, I have also noticed the seamline…I was just too lazy…
I did researched on the weathering and chipping, and found several tanks looking even cleaner than mine. Some examples. Lets keep in mind many are used on paved roads or city scenarios, my tank may have been just unloaded from a C130
Look at this one, even at the middle of a conflict…looks shiny and white like a bleaching commercial!
As for the helmet, yes, you are correct I did not realize is a two piece helmet. I’m not familiar in army equipment so I tried finding images in the web and all pictures had a complete blue helmet.
Thanks for your valuable advice. There’s always room to improvement. [Y]
Yes, it may not be the first in the sense of the colors and model, I see your point.
But from a philosophic point of view, I think all models are “originals” , since none is a copy. Each model is a piece of artwork and not two are alike. Not even if you build the same model, same colors, etc… would be exactly the same.
This is the beauty of this hobby, each model has dedication, artist appreciation and work that is not possible to replicate hence an “original” a “masterpiece” for his/her creator.
Can’t argue from your evidence from a photographic point of view, garzohn. They’re certainly some clean vehicles!
I always come at a model from an “artistic” point of view. To me, photographic “evidence” is secondary to making the model look dynamic and evocative of combat or war. That’s just me, and you don’t have to follow that at all. [:)]
When I suggested the wash, I meant for that technique to actually complement the finish by adding dynamic highlight/lowlights to the finish, not necessarily for weathering purposes. In that photo of the M113s in the motor pool there, see how there are shadows and “grays” in the otherwise sparkling white finish? THAT is what I was going for when I made the suggestion. [;)]
Yes, I see your point and greatly appreciated, I might come back and do some re-work.
My purpose for this tank was to build something quick and fun. I wanted also to experiment on the weathering, highlights and shadows of the backpacks, tents, etc. since I had never painted one, also the first time I made myself some straps, so I focused more on both, just so that I was comfortable for the future to build something amazing.
Also, my first time painting and animal, which I think came out very nice.
Please bear with me, this is just my third kit at all and still need thousand hours of experience in so many levels. For one, I have not tried filtering at all with oils. So each kit Im focusing in one thing more than the other.
Remember my first kit, I focused on airbrushing and pigments.
Second, on PE and chipping
Third, accessories and animals.
Currently working on the cammo Howitzer. It will be my first cammo painting so probably will come out as a strange mix of renacentist, modern, classic cammo…LOL
My first milestone is to create a decent diorama, so in order to do it. Still need a lot of experience.
I understand completely. And I think you did a great job, and certainly have reached some, if not al, of your stated goals very well with this build and the previous one. This forum is great for both learning and showing off what you can do. I think you’re doing very well, and at one point, I was in the same place as you are now with your experimenting and trying different techniques.
I only wanted to reiterate that my intention in offering critique was to point out the tonal variations in the finish without necessarily effecting more “weathering”, i.e., dirt and grime. Sometimes modelers who don’t have a lot of experience with the specific terms can be confused by the subtle differences, and my intention was just to clarify that for your benefit. I had to have that explained to me at one point too, so I"m just paying forward the favor.
Great job on your third model! I can agree with Doog on the grey pin washes to help pop the details. I think that to compensate for the scale and its inherent simplification, one needs to emphasize the seams between parts of a tank to give it more shadow. I think this helps to make the model more lifelike and less toylike, e.g. like Michael Rinaldi’s term “artistic scale-ism”. Just my $.02…
In fact I noticed the seamlines… again, based on experimentation I gave them a layer of paint while they were still attached to the sprue, then after cutting them off I noticed I had to repaint them all if I scrapped the seamlines.
Lesson learned number 2:
Always cut all pieces from sprue, take out seamlines, AND then paint.
At least this is rule number 2 for me, it might work better for others but not form me… [:^)]
