Better pictures

I'm getting (slightly) better at taking pictures of my models. Bear in mind, when reading the following, I'm an absolute photography noob. Feel free to weigh in (semi-)expert opinions :-).
I use a simple compact camera, but have been playing around with the following parameters:

• No more handheld photos. I bought a cheap tripod (€4.50), about 15cm high.
• Remove all artificial light sources. They gave me unrealistic shadows anyway. I shot the pictures below on the floor of the spare bedroom, on a big white sheet of wallpaper. The only light source was indirect sunlight, the lights were turned off.
• Play around with camera settings on manual. Mine has an M-mode ("manual"), allowing to control diaphragm (lens opening) and shutter speed (i.e. exposure time = time the lens is open).
• put diaphragm as high as it goes, so you have focus in the front AND in the back (and not just on one point of the model), or at least as much as you're camera will allow (mine goes from 5.4 to 8.0, not a wide range)
• increase exposure time as high as needed, until the picture is clear enough. Normally this will be around 1/30 or 1/80 or much lower (the higher the fraction number, the lower the exposure time) for well-lit scenes. I set it to 1/1, i.e. 1 second. This is where the tripod is an absolute must-have.

M1A1 Abrams is finished (for now)

I consider this one finished, except for further weathering. I tried a sand-coloured dust-wash but the first try was too subtle and the second too heavy. I tried streaking grime on one panel, but was heavily overdone and I removed it again. 

I'm putting it aside and continue on other models, until I want to experiment more with weathering.

Price : € 29.95

Number of parts : 300

Time spent : 23.5 hours

Project completion time : 4 months

Paint : (unless otherwise noted, all are Vallejo)

• Black primer
• Sand yellow
• Matt black (wheels)
• Olive drab (Stowage details)
• Steel (guns and track details)
• Transparent red (tail lights)
• Silver (head lights)
• Gold (monitor screen)
• 50/50 mix of Dark green and Sand yellow (smoke grenade launchers)

Other :

• Alclad II Semi-matt clear
• Tamiya Panel line accent color (dark brown)
• AK interactive Africa dust effects (tracks and wheels)
• Vallejo black wash (grilles)

Watch all related posts

Capillary action in action

I mentioned capillary action earlier as a law of physics that pulls a liquid into small spaces. Just touch the tip of a small brush loaded with the wash or ink against a panel line and let the liquid do it's magic.

Here's an animated gif of it in action. It's taken at 10 frames per second.
I'm using Tamiya's "Panel line accent color" in dark brown.

Too much wash?

After successfully applying the dust wash to the rubber tracks, I wanted to try and give a slightly sandy/dusty look to the entire model.

I started on one of the vertical sides, but the fluid just falls to the bottom and pools up or falls off. To counter this, I tipped the tank on it's side, then re-applied the wash to the (now horizontal) side.

I may have overdone it and after the thinner had dried, it left circular stains, not exacty representing the look I wanted. So, I added a second layer, after tilting the model 45 degrees, and worked out the stains by repeatedly brushing accross them. The thinner in the solution picked up part of the stains, so it looked promising.

The result after 12 hours is "slightly" overdone and far from the subtle dust-effect I was aiming for.

Because I was told you can remove the wash up to 24 hours after applying it, as soon as I came home, I loaded a paintbrush with a small amount of White spirit and started (gently) rubbing.
I'm happy to say all the pigments dissolved again and were easily wiped off with a cloth. The clear coat of varnish has protected the underlying paint, so no damage is done. (Hence the importance of protecting your paint-job)

It's now 24 hours later and there's no layer of dust, but at least we've learned something, fixed a mistake and can start over.

Washes

Washes are used to put accents on certain parts of a model. Mostly it's used to accentuate (recessed) panel lines. By loading a paintbrush with a little of the solution, then touching the tip of the brush to the edge of a panel line, something called "capillary action" will draw the solution into the entire line.

(Capillary attraction: the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, and in opposition to external forces like gravity)

I have two types of washes to try. 

One is the AK Interactive desert dust wash I used on the rubber tracks (see earlier post). This beautifully flows around all the details of whatever you're touching your paintbrush to. This one is dissolved in "White spirit" (also called "Mineral spirits", I believe).

The second is the Vallejo black wash, which is water based. I used it before to dirty up the floor of the Puma's interior. There's almost no capillary action happening here, it tries to stay together as a big drop. You really have to brush it where you want it.

I applied the black one on everything that looks like it might get dirty.

Left : applying the wash on all the details.
Right : removed excess fluid with a piece of cloth.

 

Why varnish?

Why is it important to put a layer of varnish (or clear, or gloss, or whatever name you want to give it) on your model?

A first layer after you've finished painting protects the paint by sealing it in airtight.

• It protects against moisture in the air and handling it with your hands.
• It enables you to add weathering with washes, inks or pigments without accidentally damaging the paint. More importantly, it enables you to remove excessive weathering, again without damaging the paint (more proof in my next post).
• It provides a smoother surface for placing decals. Decals adhere better to a smooth surface than a rough one. Unless your paint is glossy, you might have problems getting your decals to stick.

After applying decals, a second layer of varnish will protect those decals from silvering and make the edges of the clear film (on which the decals are printed) less noticable.

A rather large decal , easily placed on the first layer of varnish.

A second layer of varnish seals in the decal.

Dust wash

I tested the "African dust effect" wash on the vinyl tracks, because they are separate from the model and can be easily rinsed if it goes wrong.

The AK Interactive wash is super-fluid and capillary action works it's magic : just one touch with a paintbrush to the track and it flows perfectly in all the small crevices. The result looks good and even better on the assembled model.

The model itself is now drying after two layers of Alclad 2 semi-matt clear. When dry, I'll start applying this same wash to the entire surface.

Brushing varnish

Because airbrushing gloss varnish is still a skill I can't yet call mastered, I tried brushing the varnish on, just in  those places where decals will go. The entire model will be coated matt, not glossy, but for best decal adhesion, a gloss coat is highly recommended.

I applied it to the two sloped panels, on both sides of the canon. The left side with unthinned varnish, the right side with 1:1 varnish and thinner.

The thinned version (right) smoothed itself out evenly, but you can still see it's brush-applied. The unthinned side (left) shows an uneven, pebbly surface. I'll redo the left side, then start placing decals.

Rusty tracks

Unless you want to model a tank fresh from the factory, it's not gonna be shiny and clean. Depending on how old the tank is, its gonna be rusted and slightly banged up, as you can see from the picture below I took when visiting the military base in Brasschaat.

The first thing I want to experiment with is adding rust to the tracks. I mixed up some base rust color with equal parts glaze medium and spray that on the tracks.

(I have yet to determine what's the difference between glaze and gloss, but I happened to have it lying around)

 
The M60's tracks are plastic parts. I covered the middle with an index card and gave it a quick spray on both sides of the tracks.

The M1 Abrams' track is flexible. I taped off the inside, where the rubber padds wil remain black and did a very faint pass with the same rust mixture.

The tape stays in place because the middle is yet to be dry-brushed with a steel colour.

Post-shading result

The second attempt at post-shading, with a 2 to 1 ratio of yellow and white paint, has a better result, although it is still very subtle. I don't want to do a third try with even lighter paint, because I want to see how this looks under a coat of varnish first.

A closer look should make it relatively clear what the intended effect is.

Post shading

Post-shading is a technique to make a model look less "flat" as far as it's colour is concerned. Panel lines give the model depth and detail, but at such a small scale, no lightsource whatsoever is gonne give any shadow in these small panel lines, as would be the case on a life-size model. To fake this play of light and add shadow, several modelling techniques are used, among them pre-shading and post-shading.

Pre-shading involves pre-painting all panel lines (and only the lines) with black (or some other dark color), then when you are painting your basecoat, allow some of that black to shine through, creating the illusion of shadow. I have not tried this technique, because I have not yet mastered the very fine coating of paint, which is needed if you do not want to completely cover your pre-shading work.

Post-shading is the opposite. After your basecoat is dry, mix up a lighter shade of the same paint and spray that in the middle of all panels, creating - again - the illusion of light and adding depth and making it look more dynamic instead of one flat monochromatic surface.

I gave post-shading a first try on the Abrams, mixing up a slightly lighter tint of the sand color, by mixing 10 to 1 yellow to white. I did about half of the tank, then mixed again at 7.5 to 1 for the other side, just to see what would be the best result.

As it turns out (a day layer) neither of the mixes is really visible, except if you know what you're looking for and hold it at the correct angle towards a lightsource. This attempt was definitely too subtle.

I did the entire model again, with a 2 to 1 (yellow to white) ratio. I'll know tomorrow if it's enough. I'm cautious not to overdo it and ruin the entire model.

For both attempts, I mixed in a few drops of matt varnish (from Vallejo), as it was a tip I recieved at the latest IPMS meeting. While it did seem I had less problems with tip-dry and a more steady flow of paint, I'd have to test more to really confirm this.

Abrams base coated

It's starting to look better and better.

Airbrush practice

I found some time AND motivation to get back behind the hobby-desk, even if it was just for an hour.

• I finished the base coat for the Abrams and it's wheels. (I'll post pictures when its dry.) I still need to do the backside of the wheels, but the outside needs to dry first. Even though the paintflow was irregular - and I still don't know why - I am managing with it. The airbrush seemed in an agreeable mood today.
• I put a second silver coat on the Enterprise's display base, so I can move on to masking for the next color. I'm tempted to start basecoating the Enterprise, but my workbench can only hold so many works in progress. It's time to finish something.
• I tested free-hand lines on a piece of paper, because I want the Puma to have soft-edged camouflage stripes. (Masking would give harsh edges).
  For the camo to work free-hand, I need the paint-consistency to be perfect, the air pressure on minimum and my hand steady the entire time. If the airbrush sputters only once, it's ruined and I have to start over.
  I can manage lines as small as 2-3 mm, but not smaller and the overspray is about twice as wide, but looks acceptable. One of the next sessions should be dedicated to this and I'll start with the underside, in case it doesn't go well.
• Another attempt to put gloss clear on the submarine. Tested pure or slightly thinned, the liquid does not atomise well and sprays droplets rather than particles. I thinned it 200% just for the hell of it and it sprayd rather okay(-isch). Then I knocked over the bottle with the thinned clear and took that as a sign to stop for the day. When finished, it'll have taken 5 or more sessions, but I WILL finish the clearcoat, so I can move on the decals. (Since ALL models need a clearcoat in the end, this is kinda a major skill to get the hang of)

I've been in contact with 2 supply companies for Revell about the needle not sitting flush inside the nozzle, but both times the answer was "Send it in and we'll look at it." Even though I don't use it that often, I'm not yet willing to be without it for several months. I also don't want to spend too much money on repairs that turn out unnecessary because I only THINK it might be damaged.

I guess it's back to the same questions : Is it too cheap to perform well? Is it my luck to have a crooked version? Do I go for a - more expensive - Badger (or Harder and Steenbeck or whatever) or is it just me?
Only time will tell ...

Desert sand

A first layer of "Iraqi sand" is added on top of the  primer, giving you a good idea of what the finished tank will look like. A second layer will be needed to provide complete coverage.

The airbrush performed as good as can be expected for about one hour, after which I started having problems with the paint consistency again. Not bad, I guess.

I had to stop midway through the turret, since little splotches of paint started to make their way to the model. Luckily, I was just doing the underside of the turret, so no real harm is done.

All the little bits are done, and the wheels have their first layer. They'll probably require 3 or more for full coverage.

I can do airbrush me

Another practice session, to put the Abrams in a coat of primer. I thinned the grey primer with water for the first time and the results are rather satisfying. Not perfect, but adequate.

Top half and the turret primed in grey. The underside and the wheels are primed in black. For the underside (and the inside of the fenders), I choose black, because I hope it will look a darker shade of the yellow I'll put over it.
For the wheels, it's just a practicality, since they'll be half black anyway.

Further airbrushing with dark yellow for the Puma and gold for the Enterprise yielded various degrees of success, but all in all it was a good session.

Once more unto the breach

After more than 2 months, I really needed to practice some more airbrushing. There's only so much you can do on a model without the need for painting, and I don't want to just glue them together and start on the next.

I started priming the less visible places of the Abrams. I did the inside of the fenders with black primer. Following a recent tip, I did long strokes accross the entire model, slowly building up paint coverage. This went really well. The dry-tip is almost under control, although it's still needed far too frequently, if you ask me.

Constantly cleaning the tip does leave residue and paint flakes in the nozzle and around the tip, which results in the occasional splotch ending up in the paintwork. I think I just want to do too much in one go and need to stop to clean the nozzle more often.

Switching to the grey primer again was more difficult. I'm not sure if I didn't clean the brush poroperly or if there's something iffy about this particular paint. Coverage just seems difficult to get, unless I paint it really wet. I stopped halfway to let it dry and add a second layer later.

The current problem is that there seems to be a buildup of paint on the bottom of the nozzle. Since it's pointed away from me, I only notice this when it's too late, i.e. when numerous thick drops of paint suddenly fly towards the model and ruin the paintjob.

Lastly, I tried putting another coat of gold on the Enterprise's display stand, but here also the droplets of paint made it worse instead of better.

Examing the airbrush, when I retract the needle from the nozzle, I noticed that the needle is not centered inside the nozzle but sticks to one side. The needle is not bent, because if I turn it 180 degrees, it still sticks to the same side of the nozzle. It must be the internal guidance of the needle somewhere. I've yet to determine if this is the cause or has nothing to do with the current issues.

Painting the fiddly bits

Small parts are usually difficult to paint. You can attach them to your model, but then you can't really airbrush them and you'll have to be really careful with a paintbrush. Or you can paint them separately.

If they have attachment pins, you can use alligator clips. These wil hold on to pins less than a millimeter in size. Mount them on a toothpick and you're ready to paint.

For the wheels, I just use toothpicks. If the holes are too big, I use a small ball of silly putty for every wheel to hold the toothpick in place. Silly putty will usually stay in one piece when you remove it afterwards, whereas normal "plasticine" will break apart and you'll never get the axle-whole clean. Since the wheels have to rotate freely on their axle, I want as little goo as possible to remain behind.

Some parts don't even have pins, like the stowage bins and jerrycans I made last time for the Abrams.
You can hold them in your hand and paint the sides you can see, but then you get paint on your hand and you have to paint it in 2 or 3 sessions. You could hold them with tweezers, but even then accidents usually happen when you try to put the part down to dry. It always falls on a painted side (Damn you, Murphy's law!)

After reading this tip in FSM, now I just glue a toothpick to the bottom with white glue (Elmer's glue, "wood" glue, ... whatever you call it). It will stick firmly enough so you can airbrush almost the entire part and you can pin it somehere to dry. When done, the glue easily snaps off clean, leaving no trace behind. You still have to do the bottom afterwards, but it's much more controlled and almost accident-proof.

Below the entire ensemble of all the small parts for the Abrams. Some alligator clips on the left side.
I'll try to gather some courage soon to get behind the airbrush-desk again.

Vinyl tracks, hot screwdriver

Time to assemble the tracks for the Abrams tank. The instructions simply say to use a hot screwdriver. Searching online did not give me that much information. I guess every modeller needs to find out for himself how to do it without messing it up.

The idea is to put the four pins through the holes at the other end, then use a hot scredriver to flatten the pins like a rivet. The result should look like a small mushroom, preventing the pin from fitting through the hole again. My immediate questions : 1) how hot? 2) how much pressure?

I started by holding a screwdriver in a candle flame for 5 seconds (nothing), than 10 (still nothing), than 15 ... until the plastic started melting. At 25 seconds, it became hot enough to melt the pin.

I pushed it down, which did flatten it, but I pushed too hard, I think. A combination of pushing too far down and too much heat ruined the pins : the plastic burnt and stuck to the screwdriver and nothing of the pin was left to keep it in place.

The first track is no success, even though it does remain closed. It looks like it barely holds together. I do not want to test how much force it can take. The model is not meant to actually be played with, so it's no real disaster.

For the second track, I heated the screwdriver less and pushed down slower and not all the way down. I stopped about 1/2 mm from the actual track. Now the intended "mushroom" effect is much more obvious and how I intended it.

An angled view may give you a better idea of how big I left the "head" of the pin.

Below is how it looks assembled on the actual tank. I've yet to decide how to paint the tracks, but I can finish the rest and do that later.

Abrams, construction (almost) completed

Step 7 (continued)

Finished adding the side-rails. The 2 machine-guns will be added after the tank is finished, because they're bound to break off during painting and finishing.

When you add the main gun, make sure your elevation is high enough. There are no locator pins to tell you how it should be attached, but make sure you fit the turret on the lower hull before the glue sets, because you want to check if the turret can rotate 360 degrees without bumping into anything.

Step 8 : Rear basket

The rear basket assembly is easy, except for the mesh. You have to cut the 2 pieces to size from the provided mesh. There's a template in the manual, but it's totally inaccurate. A lot of fitting and cutting is required and even now I'm not completely happy with the result.

Again, make sure the basket sits high enough, so it doesn't scrape against the lower hull.

The turret is now complete, except for some additional stowage which will be added after painting.

Step 9 : Fenders and tracks

This step tells you to add the fenders and the tracks and glue the upper hull to the lower. I suggest you skip attaching the hull halves, since some of the wheels become inaccesible because of the fenders, and you may want to hold off wheels and tracks until painting is done.

The tank is now as good as complete. Shown here with everything except the wheels and tracks.

Step 10 : Stowage and accesories

Additional boxes and jerrycans, some equipment I do not know. To be painted in different colors, so I'm keeping these off the model until the very last moment.