These are the first two model kits I did on my own, and my best so far. I built the Sherman a couple years ago, and then I picked up the Tiger II. It was unbuilt until last summer or the year before, and I spent a couple months on and off building it.
I took inspiration for the camoflage from this Tiger II in a French museum
Other than that I just painted and added the decals as instructed. These models were to learn on, I practiced airspraying on the Tiger II with strips of tape to get the pattern right. I like how they turned out, so they sit on display on my desk.
Cheaper 1:72 scale kits are a great place to build confidence and skills, without becoming prisoners to excessive details or the threat of ruining an expensive kit.