Another First - 1/35 CH2 TES.

[Jakko]

Resulting in this; hopefully the end product.

That’s looking pretty good. Like all things modelling, it’s a learning curve: your next model will incorporate the lessons from this one, as you get more used to the techniques and can apply them better to get what’s in your head actually on the model.

Can I ask why the drop of washing up liquid was used

I was wondering about that too, but I figure it’s to break the water’s surface tension. Trying to get a wash from water + paint to flow on a glossy surface is not exactly easy, and I suppose the washing-up liquid helps. IMHO it’s far simpler to not gloss the model at all, and just work on a matt surface where beading of the wash is very much less of a problem.

 

[Waspie]

Right, this is my last post in the 'Under Construction' section!
Today was the day I applied a couple of coats of matt clear to the whole kit. As of today, it's as complete as it's ever likely to be.
The last 2 images of it under construction.

Hull complete with final coats!


And the turret!


There are a plethora of errors and mistakes but I'm leaving them as a reminder to what NOT to do in future builds.
The ones that niggle me most are the antenna on the platform looking like drunken matelots after a night out in Guzz!!
One of the RPG cages on the rear looks like it's misaligned, (which it is), but I've seen enough of them at Bovington after a coming together with one of the access gates!! So that stays!! (Anyway, after the third attempt at trying to align it I stuck my hands in the air and shouted 'I surrender'!!!
If you're still here and reading this, I thank you. Hopefully build 3 will be better after lessons learned on builds 1 and 2.
Thank you all for your guidance and advice.
Luv and kisses - Doug

PS, I'll be sticking pics of the completed fully assembled kit in the completed section a wee bit later!!

 

[Jim R]

Well done Doug. Be proud and be happy, that is excellent. A great result and a great build blog.
Clear the bench and out with the Beetle.

 

[scottie3158]

That's turned out very nicely mate.

 

[langy71]

Doug,
This is looking most excellent... a job well done indeed.
I have a final suggestion for you, before you put on your final 'sealing' coat, maybe mix up the original base colour with a drop of light grey...(just to lighten the base colour a tad..not much), then use this 'new' colour to gently drybrush the raised areas on the tank, this will help highlight the areas that would look lighter due to sunlight and natural wear and tear.. and help break up the 'block of colour' appearance that single colour subjects tend to have..

 

[Waspie]

Doug,
This is looking most excellent... a job well done indeed.
I have a final suggestion for you, before you put on your final 'sealing' coat, maybe mix up the original base colour with a drop of light grey...(just to lighten the base colour a tad..not much), then use this 'new' colour to gently drybrush the raised areas on the tank, this will help highlight the areas that would look lighter due to sunlight and natural wear and tear.. and help break up the 'block of colour' appearance that single colour subjects tend to have..

Sorry Chris - Tooooooo late. (As you now know having responded on my completed thread.) However, I take your point re painting, I'll try and remember for the next bit of armour.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

My first question is: what is the wash intended to do? If you want it to shade the model, then you need to mix one that’s clearly darker than the base colour. OTOH, if you intend it as weathering, so to represent dust and dirt, pick a colour that represents that.

You say you made a wash of burnt umber with water. That sounds like artist’s acrylic paint, the kind that comes in a tube? I haven’t used that in a long time, but for a wash made from acrylic model paint plus water, I liberally apply it all over the model and don’t wipe it off at all except where it pools (usually at the bottoms of vertical or strongly sloped surfaces). The trick, though, is knowing how far to thin it. This is a bit of an art, but luckily, every AFV model gives you a perfect place to test it:

View attachment 489013

Well, unless you want to enter your model in an IPMS competition, anyway:

View attachment 489014

This is why you either need to fix the model to a base, or sack the rivet counter.....

 

[Jakko]

Apparently (according to the comments on the forum I got the picture from), IPMS rules say the underside must be finished too … so there goes the Churchill I posted the photo of IMHO, though, this kind of thing is why starting in the 90s, many modelling competitions switched to rules that say the judges can’t handle model, inspect it with more than the naked eye, etc.