|
|
Modeller Build Logs
Tasca Sherman Firefly Vc |
| By James Wechsler | | Started: | Dec 1, 2006 | | Updated: | Apr 29, 2007 |
|
OK, I’ll admit it, when I got the opportunity to do a blog using Tasca’s new Firefly kit I was giddy with excitement. I’ve got Tasca’s Pz. II Luchs, and I’ve built about three of their Sherman suspension sets, and two of their 0.050 cal MG sets. Tasca has yet to disappoint.
Now as a total Shermanaholic, I’ll admit that the thought of building a Sherman model that requires only a little bit of extra work is hard to fathom. I mean what is Sherman modeling without a bucket of aftermarket resin parts, replacement tracks, and a huge photoetch sheet? It’s … like modeling German armor (noooo don’t say it’s true)! There, I’ve said it. 2006 has been an allied modeler’s dream and Tasca’s Firefly is the grand finally of the fireworks show.
But in many ways I’m glad to be doing a blog using a great kit. My last two blogs involved extensive use of resin conversion and scratch built parts to make unusual Shermans. So they were heavily focused on construction tasks. Yet I’ve noticed that most of the comments I receive when I post photos of my models are requests for more information on how I do my painting, weathering, and groundwork. So for this blog I will spend less time on the construction tasks and more time on the painting, finishing and techniques for making simple ground work.
Up Next: The Construction Starts.
|
|
|
|
| Fuel Stains | Feb 20, 2007 |
Shermans are often seen with fuel strains and streaks from excess fuel that’s spilled over the filler caps. The intensity and tone can vary wildly depending on if you representing recent spills, older spills, or just the staining on the paint for repeated spills.
For this model I tried to represent the middle ground, older spills. Unlike recent spills, older spills have pretty much dried up and don’t have a noticeable change in tone (i.e. gloss vs. flat).
To make these spills I mixed up some Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber oil paint at about a 50-50 ratio. I then made a thinned out puddle using turpeniod. The amount of thinning will control the intensity of the stains. Using a thin brush, I touched the areas around the filler caps (but not the filler caps themselves) and let the mixture flow around the area. For the sloping and vertical surfaces I used downward strokes to get the streaking results.
Up Next: Dusting |
 |
|
|